Vlad’s smile said he knew it.
“Your way ahead is clear as well,” he continued. “You will run into no danger. Except from the elves, of course. Their minions are under my control, but I have no power over them, merely spies among them.” A cunning gleam shone in his eyes. “At present.”
“Why are you doing all this?” Devon asked. “Speaking to her father, the note about her mother, making it easy to get to the Flush…”
“Simple.” Vlad took a step back. “She is a blooming flower among the decay of this world. She is a beacon of hope. Do you small-minded little puppies not see the shining radiance that surrounds her? That is not because she is fae—it is because she is important. The Fates have their hands on her in some way. I wish to know why and, if necessary, help her cause.”
“You mean, you wish to bend her to your cause,” Emery stated in a flat voice.
Vlad studied Emery for a long moment. “Your past has made you cautious. Darius must be taxed greatly trying to keep you in line.”
“I hope so,” Emery replied.
Vlad squinted, but that cunning gleam was back. This vampire was forever plotting.
His attention swung back to Charity. The world seemed to drop away again. “I admit, I would certainly like to bend her to my cause. But do you not realize the elves are no better? One is stalking you as we speak, working through the shadow wood. He has called for aid. To hunt you. Once they have you, they will stop at nothing to get the information they seek, not even torture. One of your shifters recently learned this the hard way. They will claim they are doing what’s necessary for the safety of the Realm. What a lofty cause, no? They will deem this treatment just, because one of their own, whom they placed in charge without the consent of their constituents, made the…arrest, we’ll call it. Some would call it an abduction, of course. Is this the sort of authority the people of this land deserve? Brutality without consequences? Heavy-handedness without accountability? Half the land lives in fear, scared to cross those in power.” He tilted his head to the side. “That is hardly the mark of a properly run nation. I simply want to even the power balance between the people and the leadership.”
A humorless smile spread across Emery’s face, but Charity spoke first, the words spitting out of her like acid.
“You took my friends’ lives without consent. You changed them into monsters without consulting them. Without telling their families. Where is the balance in power there? Where is the accountability?”
Vlad tsked. “I did not take their lives; you and your shifter friends did that. I merely opened up a new world for them. I altered them for the better.”
Guilt, then rage, tore through Charity. Her magic spiked, eating through her. Devon’s calming influence settled her a little, but not enough. Red tinged the edges of her vision.
“You did that,” she ground out. “Don’t you dare try to put that on me. And let’s not forget, you tried to kidnap me. You’re only being magnanimous now because your other approaches failed. I’m not fooled by you, Vlad.”
“No, you are not. And you are better for it. I only ask that you do not be fooled by the elves, either. As you see, I am open to change. I wonder if you can say the same for them.” He paused for a moment. “Emery can attest to the danger you are all in, I am sure. The elves might spare some of you, but they might not. Your best bet is not to get caught.” He reached into his pocket and extracted a glass vial filled with red liquid. “Given your current state, you don’t have a chance. You are too weak, Charity, drained by your ill-functioning magic. The little puppy isn’t much better, though he is doing a miraculous job of hiding it. If you continue on in this fashion, you and your friends will be overtaken.”
“And let me guess, you are offering yourself as my savior?” Charity said dryly, the note forgotten. The only thing on her mind right now was survival, because he was absolutely right. Her reserves were nearly empty, and if she didn’t have time to rest and regain her strength, her condition would only deteriorate. “You’ll whisk me away and run me to safety?”
“That is very tempting, but impossible, I am afraid,” Vlad said, and Emery frowned, clearly surprised by his answer. Charity’s gut churned. “If the elves capture even one of you, they will crack you open like an egg and extract all the information you are trying to guard. All the information I would like you to guard. So, with deep regret, I must leave you in the hands of your watchdog and his friends. It pains me to admit they are your best bet now. Given this is partially my fault for being waylaid by…an intriguing new adversary, I have brought something to aid you.”