When they finally entered the Council’s Hall, it surprised Nexi to see not only Finn, but Kyden, too. Her focus stayed on him, and she noticed even Kyden looked tense, making her heart leap into her throat.
Something was wrong.
Seriously wrong.
After she arrived at Kyden’s side, he took her hand from Drake’s, and his sigh was deep and filled with despair, only increasing her discomfort. His hold was so tight—protective almost. She nearly asked what was going on until she looked at the Council and caught sight of Talon, and her mouth clamped shut.
Talon’s gaze slid over Drake, and Nexi could’ve sworn he gave him a compassionate look before he turned to Kyden, his expression hardening. “They’re with us now. Tell us what you learned.”
Kyden looked down to their held hands, his fingers like a vice around hers. “Tonight the lead from Briggs was a wolf with the Texas pack, Calder. He gave us some answers on what this is all about.” His head lifted to Talon. “It’s Lazarus.”
That name instantly registered to Nexi, maybe because the pale faces around her matched Talon’s compassionate look to Drake, and the blood drained from her body. “Not the vampire who killed my mother?” Kyden gave her a soft nod, and she gasped, “How is Tillie’s killer not dead?”
Didn’t the Council exist for this very reason? They killed those who killed others. There was no way the vampire who killed her mother twenty-five years ago still lived, or so she wanted to believe.
Talon sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “He’s been in hiding…for a very long time.” He looked to Kyden. “Are you certain he’s behind this?”
Kyden nodded. “I am.”
“What? Wait.” Nexi shook her head, trying to knock some sense into it, and she glanced at Drake next to her. “How did you not destroy him after her death?”
Drake raised his head, his eyes haunted. “We hunted Lazarus for months.”
She heard the tightness in his father’s voice and the frustration that Lazarus had gotten away when he added, “But his trail ran cold. Eventually, we had to stop searching and focus our efforts elsewhere.”
Zia’s face was sheet white when she said, “We had thought he’d been killed by someone else, because he all but vanished.”
“Not anymore,” Finn muttered.
Zade snorted with a frown. “No, not anymore.”
Holten stood from his chair with his fists clenched. “What is Lazarus after? What could possibly make him return now?”
Kyden drew in a long breath, then blew it out slowly. He turned to Nexi and the sad look in his eyes made her stomach clench, as she wasn’t sure she wanted him to continue, but he did. “He’s after you.”
She blinked. “Me?”
A shiver of ice ran up her spine; somehow she couldn’t find it in herself to think that was a totally crazy theory. She had thought the wolves were focused on her during the assignments or at least they had seemed to know her. But she had hoped she’d been imagining it.
A couple months ago, her biggest problem had been a bad hair day. Now, she had a bulls-eye on her back with a vampire hunting her. “What in the hell does he want with me? I’ve never met him.”
“Actually you have,” Kyden muttered.
At her clearly baffled expression, he added, “From what Calder told us tonight, Lazarus was the vampire we met in Salt Lake City.”
Nexi couldn’t stop her eyes from going wide and she whispered, “The vanishing vampire?”
He nodded grimly.
“So, he’s gained a new ability?” Zia asked.
Kyden shrugged. “I asked the same question, and Calder didn’t know. He said Lazarus is definitely strong. I’m assuming he’s stronger now than when before he vanished because why else would he have returned now? But Calder didn’t know if this vanishing ability belongs to him along, or if a witch has gifted it to him.”
Nexi shook her head again, trying to clear all her jumbled thoughts. “Wait, I’m so confused. You saw Lazarus that night in Salt Lake City. How did you not know it was him?”
Kyden brushed his thumb over the back of her hand and said softly, “I was three years old when your mother died. I have no memory of Lazarus.”
“Okay.” A frigid chill rushed through Nexi’s veins. Horror filled her at the thought the vampire who had not only destroyed Drake’s life, took Zia’s soul sister away, but also stole her birth mother away from her, still lived. “Let’s say it’s him. But again, what does he want from me?”
Kyden’s fingers tightened around hers and his muscles quivered, as his jaw clenched. “Calder told me he wants to drain your witch powers.”
She scrunched her nose. First, she had no idea what that meant exactly, and second, that made no sense. What in the hell would he drain out of her? “Ah, I don’t have my witch powers yet.”
Silence surrounded them before Zia whispered, “He must assume that you do. He drained Tillie for the magic held within her blood.”
The room spun in all directions around Nexi. How could Lazarus be so stupid? He hunted for something he couldn’t possibly get, since she didn’t have it to give to him. No, this didn’t add up.
Talon’s eyes flared with ire, as he asked Kyden, “What of the mortal deaths?”
Kyden exhaled, and his hold tightened on her hand. “Calder said it was to draw Nexi out, and to watch her to see if her abilities had flourished. Lazarus was waiting to see if she’d gained her magic.”
Something about that made her pause—as if something registered and a thought should follow, but her head hurt trying to piece this all together.. All those lives were lost because of her…and for nothing.
She didn’t have any powers…unless she counted her ability to feel Haven’s emotions and how Zia read her thoughts, and she was certain Lazarus could do a whole lot of nothing with that. She couldn’t even begin to process what this new information meant, or how the Council would deal with it.
At the same time, she wasn’t a victim any longer, and a plan formed. This might have been more of a concern, but she trusted those around her and believed in their strength. Was she really in danger? She didn’t think so. More to the point, she could see a way to put an end to this. “We have a little bit of leverage on him now.”
Talon cocked his head, curiously. “How so?”
“We do have something he wants.”
Kyden growled—a guttural, frighteningly inhuman sound—and stared down at her with more wrath than she thought one guardian could hold. “Not a f**k—”
Before he could finish his curse, Drake ripped her away, practically frothing at the mouth. “Are you suggesting you use yourself as bait?”
Nexi pushed Drake, sending him away, then repeated the move on Kyden. “Stop manhandling me. Now then, let’s discuss this.” She sighed, releasing the irritation bubbling up. “It’s our best shot at getting him, and you all know it. We can draw him out before he has the chance of taking more lives.”
“Absolutely not.” Drake glowered. “This is personal. He wants you, Nexi. By draining you, what Kyden means is Lazarus wants to kill you. And if he manages to somehow take your powers, he’d become near-unstoppable. Do you not understand that?”
Well, no, she didn’t understand what a vampire could do with drained powers, or really what in the heck he was talking about. But right now, she focused on the most obvious. “First off, I don’t have my witch abilities so he has nothing to take,” she gently reminded him. “And you’re all a force to be reckoned with. He wouldn’t get close enough to hurt me, then you can take him out.”
“No.” Drake finally gave a firm shake of his head. “You will not be involved—”
Nexi’s fists tightened to clobber him. They were so not having this conversation again where someone else tried to decide her life for her, but Kyden interjected, “Enough.” He turned to Nexi. “We won’t use you as bait—that is non-negotiable.” To Drake, he added, “But she’s a part of this. It’s done.”
Drake gave Kyden a long stare, but he said nothing more, and Nexi was somewhat surprised how compliant Kyden acted. Actually, she was shocked speechless that he’d pulled Elite Guardian ranking on her father, since in the big old guardian world Kyden ranked higher than Drake. Of course, Talon could override Kyden’s order, but he didn’t.
She studied the guardian next to her. When had Kyden become so agreeable? He’d always wanted to protect her and keep her safe. Had she actually gotten through to him and his chest-beating way? She really doubted it, and the shift in him was discouraging.
Empathy showed in Kyden’s features. “I now believe you have more right than anyone to see him dead.” His voice softened. “I realize you don’t know how deep this runs.” He brushed a finger over her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. Pain seeped into his expression, and her blood ran cold. “I learned tonight the wolves at your home—the reason for your family’s death—was because of Lazarus.”