High Society - Page 70

“I knew we were being cloned, but I didn’t know what they planned to do with them,” I was quick to correct. Hatred blazed in the Nephilim’s eyes. Enoch and Asa began to close in. “They lied to me, too!” I exclaimed. “In fact, I think Kael misled Victor about his true plans. Even Victor thought we were being sent to the gala. It was all he talked about. The positioning of the vampires. Exits. Whether we’d be able to escape. He spent day and night running through every possible scenario for weeks. He wouldn’t have wasted time on studying the event so thoroughly if he didn’t believe that was the target landing zone.”

Titus’s mouth gaped open stupidly, and Eve’s eyes were wide. “Do you mean to tell me Kael is outmaneuvering Victor?” she asked.

“It appears so. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“No one would expect it,” Titus marveled.

“Just unlink us,” I pleaded.

It wasn’t that I wanted to stay in this God-forsaken time, and I wasn’t afraid of Kael or Victor if I returned. I knew they would welcome me back with open arms once they heard my side of the story. No, the reason I wanted to be unlinked is because I wanted to beat Eve back, or prevent her from ever returning. Kael told me that each of us had a kill switch coded into our tech. One that only he could access, but that would terminate us instantly. After I’d overheard that the clones sent to each time were supposed to be bitten and return home so Kael could extract the venom, I knew I needed to be the first one back.

If I went back with what Kael needed most, I’d be the hero. Not Eve.

I could tell them all the ways she’d neglected her mission, and then watch as they pushed the button to terminate her.

“Titus, unlink him,” Asa urged with a hate-filled smile. “Set him free and let’s have some fun. See how far you can run without me tearing you limb from limb. No one sets fire to my things.”

“I didn’t set the fire!” I exploded. “Maybe you should ask Terah what she smeared on the wall behind Eve’s door the night before she lit it. That corner suffered more damage than the others for a reason. Then you can ask her what she poured into the wine bottle Eve was standing next to. She was at the table when Eve approached.”

It was true that I didn’t set the fire, but under the guise of a Continental soldier I’d had the perfect opportunity to slip upstairs unnoticed and survey what they hadn’t been able to repair. An accelerant had been used, given the burn pattern. Over the past few days I’d been watching them enough to know what Terah was up to. It was obvious to anyone who looked closely enough. She was itching for a way to get rid of Eve – a way to kill her so her brothers wouldn’t tie her to Eve’s death. I think she finally realized the depth of Enoch’s infatuation with Eve and wanted to put a stop to it.

“Let me guess… right now, Terah is downstairs trying to calm the Brigadier General and the remainder of his men, but she hasn’t come to check on Eve. Isn’t that strange?” I gloated. “Pretending to be innocent. Isn’t that what she does? She kills and then blames her nature, garners guilt, and plays the victim? She doesn’t want you to know she was the one who started the fire, or that she slipped poison into the only wine bottle on the table Eve was near. It would be the easiest drink for Eve to pour, and who cared if someone else was poisoned as well? Terah would have the perfect alibi, and wouldn’t need to cross the room again.”

“You drank from the same bottle,” Eve reminded Asa.

He nodded. “Yes, but poison doesn’t affect me.”

“Couldn’t you taste it?” she asked suspiciously.

He leveled her with a glare. “I didn’t even take a sip before someone called me over to include me in a conversation I wanted nothing to do with. Stop insinuating I had anything to do with my sister’s ploy – if she is guilty.”

Titus rolled up his sleeve. “You want me to unlink us, Abram?” he asked, brows raised in a challenge. “Fine. I’ll unlink us. Then I want to watch while they hunt you down and tear you apart.”

I eased toward the window. Only one more step and I’ll…

“Abram, you keep forgetting that you are my sire,” Enoch warned. “Do not jump out that window. In fact, you are to remain still.”

* * *

Eve

Asa asked Mary to run to the barn to retrieve some rope. She was back so fast, we barely missed her. He thanked her and tightly bound Abram’s hands and feet together. Through it all, Abram wouldn’t shut up, cursing and threatening to kill us all. When Enoch finally had enough, he ordered him to keep quiet.

“Where will you put him?” I asked.

“The cellar,” Asa ordered.

“I’ll make sure he can’t leave,” Enoch promised. “And then we have a bigger issue to deal with.”

Asa inclined his head in agreement.

“Could we have a few moments?” Enoch asked.

Titus gave me a look that promised he wouldn’t be far. I gave him a nod and watched him step out through the Enoch-sized hole in the wall. Asa tossed the wardrobe away from the door as easily as one would flick away a gnat and escorted Abram from the room.

Mary looked at me. “Are you feelin’ better, Miss Eve? I can make you some tea if you’d like.”

“That would be great, actually.” Whether I needed it or not, I wasn’t about to turn down the offer. Her tea was delicious.