Chapter 4 · Bloodline Curse - Chapter 4: She Knows My Face

"Alpha Thornwood." The voice was silk over a blade. "How generous of you to summon me on such short notice."

I spun around. She stood in the doorway like she owned it. Tall. Pale. Black hair pulled tight enough to hurt. Morgana Nyx. I'd seen her twice before. Once at a border negotiation when I was fifteen. Once in my nightmares.

She hadn't seen me then. I'd been nobody. A half-blood kid standing behind my father.

Silas moved between her and Kade. "We didn't summon anyone."

"No?" Morgana stepped inside. Her eyes swept the room. Paused on me. Moved on. "Strange. Your alpha's curse signature has been flaring for days. The council noticed."

Kade pushed himself off the bed. He was steadier now but I could see the tremor in his hands. "We're handling it."

"Are you?" Morgana's gaze came back to me. This time it stuck. "And who's this?"

My mouth went dry.

"Border healer," Kade said. Too fast. "She's been treating the curse."

"Has she." Morgana took another step closer. Her nostrils flared. "Interesting. She smells like wolves. And something else."

Silas's hand dropped to the knife at his belt. "You've delivered your message. You can leave."

Morgana ignored him. She was staring at me now like I was a puzzle she wanted to peel apart. "Do I know you?"

"No." The lie tasted like ash.

"Hm." She tilted her head. "What's your name, healer?"

Kade stepped forward. The mate bond pulled tight between us. I felt his instinct to protect clash with his confusion. His anger. "Her name's not your business."

"Everything on this border is my business, Alpha." Morgana's smile was a fucking scalpel. "The truce agreement states that any vampire presence in wolf territory must be reported to the council within twenty-four hours. You've had a vampire feeding you blood for—what? Days? Weeks?"

Silas went rigid. "What?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Morgana looked delighted. "Your alpha's been drinking vampire blood. It's the only reason he's still standing. And unless I'm very mistaken—" She leaned closer to me. Too close. "—it's hers."

I didn't breathe.

Kade moved between us. "Back off."

"Make me." Morgana's eyes never left mine. "I'm trying to remember where I've seen that face. Those eyes. Your mother had eyes like that. Ashveil eyes."

The floor dropped out from under me.

"No," I whispered.

"Yes." Morgana's smile widened. "Lyra Ashveil. Daughter of Marcus Ashveil. The half-blood who helped the wolves slaughter her own clan five years ago."

Silas swore. Kade didn't move.

I wanted to run. I wanted to disappear. But Kade was still between us and the bond was screaming at me not to leave him.

"You're a traitor," Morgana said. Soft. Almost kind. "The council's been looking for you for five years. We assumed you were dead."

"She should be," Silas said. His voice was cold. "She helped kill vampires. Then she shows up here? Now? Right when the curse gets worse?"

Kade didn't turn around. "Silas. Shut up."

"She's playing you," Silas snapped. "The mate bond's fake. She's using her blood to make you think—"

"I said shut up."

The command hit like a physical force. Silas's jaw locked. He didn't speak again but I could see the fury in his eyes. The betrayal.

Morgana laughed. "Oh, this is delicious. You actually bonded with her. A traitor and a cursed alpha. The council's going to have a field day."

"She's not going anywhere." Kade's voice dropped to a growl. "She's my mate."

"She's a criminal." Morgana pulled a silver chain from her coat. Inscribed with runes. "And under the truce agreement, I have the authority to take her into custody."

I stepped back. My heel hit the bed frame.

Kade shifted. Not much. Just enough to block her path completely. "Try it."

For the first time, Morgana looked uncertain. "You're threatening a council emissary. That's an act of war."

"So is kidnapping my mate."

The room went silent.

Morgana's eyes narrowed. "You'd start a war over a half-blood traitor?"

Kade didn't answer. He just stood there. Shoulders tight. Breathing hard. The curse was flaring again. I could feel it through the bond. His pulse skipping. His temperature spiking.

"Kade," I said quietly. "Let her take me."

"No."

"If I stay, this turns into a war. Your pack—"

"I don't care."

Morgana was watching us like we were dinner theater. "How touching. But the alpha makes a fair point. If he refuses to hand you over, the council will consider it a breach of the truce. They'll send enforcers. Lots of them. And your little pack will be caught in the crossfire."

Silas looked like he wanted to say something. He didn't.

I reached for Kade's hand. He caught mine and held on too tight. "You can't protect me from this," I said.

"Watch me."

My throat closed. He was burning up. The curse was eating through him faster now. Maybe because of the stress. Maybe because my blood was wearing off.

Morgana saw it too. "Oh dear. That doesn't look good."

Kade's grip on my hand turned crushing. His breathing hitched.

"Kade—"

He dropped to one knee.

I went down with him. "No no no. Not now."

His eyes were unfocused. The curse lines on his chest glowed through his shirt. Black veins crawling up his neck.

Silas lunged forward. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Morgana said. She crouched down. Studied Kade like he was a specimen. "The curse is accelerating. Fascinating. I didn't think it would react this strongly to—"

"Help him," I begged.

She looked at me. Really looked at me. "Why would I do that?"

"Please."

"Give me one good reason."

I didn't have one. I pulled Kade closer. His forehead dropped against my shoulder. He was shaking. The bond was screaming.

Morgana stood. Brushed off her coat. "The curse feeds on wolf bloodline magic. Your blood slows it because vampire magic is incompatible. It disrupts the curse's anchor. But it's not a cure. Just a delay."

"Tell me how to break it," I said.

"I don't know how." Morgana's smile came back. Slow. Sharp. "But I know someone who might. A witch. Very old. Very expensive. And very difficult to find."

Kade made a low sound. Pain. Or a warning. I couldn't tell.

I looked up at Morgana. "What do you want?"

"You come with me. Voluntarily. Face the council. And maybe—maybe—I'll tell you where to find the witch."

"Lyra, don't," Kade rasped. His hand was still locked around mine.

"You're dying," I said.

"Don't care."

Morgana tilted her head. "You have ten seconds to decide. After that, I'll assume you're refusing and I'll call for enforcers. They'll burn this place to the ground looking for you."

Silas moved toward the door. Ready to fight. Ready to die if he had to.

I opened my mouth to agree. To tell her I'd go. To end this before it got worse.

Kade's hand tightened on mine. He forced his eyes open. Looked right at me. "Stay."

That's when the curse flared again.

Harder this time. Kade's whole body convulsed. He tried to hold on to me but his grip went slack. He collapsed onto his side.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Kade!" I grabbed his face. "Stay with me."

Morgana crouched down again. She reached out. Touched one of the black veins on his neck. "Hm. The curse is adapting. It's learning to resist your blood."

I wanted to kill her. "Then tell me how to save him."

She pulled her hand back. Studied her fingers like she'd touched something interesting. "You can't. Not with what you know. But I can."

"How?"

Morgana looked at me. Her smile was the worst thing I'd ever seen.

"I know what he needs next," she said. "And you're not going to like it."