Chapter 10

Moments later, Trent, Chloe, and Abby filed out the back door. Isach and Piper weren’t with them, which was probably a good thing. Until we knew what Heaven Leigh was up to, keeping Isach and Piper a secret was our greatest weapon.

“Are you alright?” Trent asked me, voice filled with concern.

“Yeah, she didn’t even try to hurt me.” I narrowed my eyes in Heaven Leigh’s direction for a long moment. I still had no idea why she hadn’t tried something. “She claims she needs our help.” My gaze shifted to Abby, brow raised.

She gave a small nod. “I brought all the reinforcements I could find.”

Chloe dragged a plastic chair across the deck, placed it directly in front of Heaven Leigh, then sat. “Why are you sneaking around my house, Heaven Leigh?” Chloe’s tone was sharp.

I couldn’t contain my smile. Chloe had been waiting for this moment—to be able to confront Heaven Leigh like this—for as long as I had been. I couldn’t wait to see what she’d say and do. Chloe had always been strong as a human, but since becoming a vampire, she was unstoppable, and I loved watching her stand up for herself, protecting her family, going toe-to-toe with her enemies. With me when I pushed her too far, which I admittedly did just to get a rise out of her so I could see her in action.

“I need your help.” Heaven Leigh kept her focus on Chloe.

Chloe laughed, the sound lethally chilling, and my grin widened. From the corner of my eye, I caught Trent fighting to hide his grin, but he was quickly losing that battle. Pride and love radiated from him.

“Our help? You must have us”—she waved her hand between herself and me—“confused with two people who care. You know, people you didn’t kidnap, starve, and torture.”

Heaven Leigh shifted forward in her seat, and Trent and I flanked Chloe, our movements perfectly in sync and coordinated. They always were when Chloe’s well-being was threatened. Despite our differences and arguments over Chloe, the one thing we’d always agreed on was keeping her safe at all costs, and that hadn’t changed. Nothing would ever change that.

“Like I told Jax, I mean you no harm. Any of you.” Finally, she looked at each of us in turn, her attention lingering on Abby a little too long. What was that all about?

“Where’s Ivy?” I crossed my arms. “If this is an ambush…”

“It’s not,” Heaven Leigh said. “I came alone. Without Ivy’s knowledge.”

“Why?” Trent mimicked my stance.

“Like I said. I need your help.” The patience was wavering from Heaven Leigh’s tone.

“Help with what?” Chloe hadn’t moved an inch.

Heaven Leigh smiled. “Killing Ivy.”

Behind me, I heard Colt and Wyatt speaking in hushed tones as they rushed toward us, though I didn’t bother trying to discern their words. I was too focused on Heaven Leigh and what she’d just said. Trent must have called them. Good. The more backup the better. A second later, Colt and Wyatt vaulted over the porch railing and landed gracefully on the balls of their feet.

Abby yelped. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”

“Sorry.” Colt shrugged. “Jumping was faster than taking the stairs.” He turned to Trent. “We checked the woods and a mile in each direction. There’s no one else here.”

“And we couldn’t find the scent of anyone but her.” Wyatt nodded at Heaven Leigh.

That was a small relief. I still didn’t trust her, though, and I couldn’t shake the feeling we were under an attack we couldn’t see coming. “You want to kill Ivy?” Skepticism dripped from my voice. “Why?”

Sean’s footsteps sounded softly behind me as he climbed the stairs, but I kept my focus on Heaven Leigh. I sensed Whitney inside, which meant everyone was safe and accounted for.

“Because she’s gone crazy with power.” Heaven Leigh crossed her legs and rested her hands atop her knee. “She hasn’t just been welcoming other witches into our coven, she’s been seeking out the most powerful witches in the world, inviting them to join her, and if they refuse, she forces them to change their mind.”

“Forces them how?” Sean asked.

“She kills everyone they love. Family. Friends. Men. Women. Children. She doesn’t care who as long as she gets more power.” Heaven Leigh stood, and Trent and I moved forward as one, but she crossed to the opposite end of the porch rather than moving closer to Chloe.

Abby took a deep breath and moved away from the doors. “Before he died, Isach told me you warned him about Ivy. She was going to drain his magic and then kill him. Is that her plan for the others?”

Heaven Leigh smiled sadly. “I’m incredibly sorry about Isach. He was a good man.”

“Thank you,” Abby said.

“And yes, that’s Ivy’s plan. She’s gathering as much magic as she can and eliminating any competition along the way.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Trent tilted his head. “Seems like you’d want to stand by Ivy’s side, reap the benefits of all this magic she’s collecting.”

“No one should have as much power as she does.” Heaven Leigh scowled. “Thanks to all of you, we destroyed the Zoya Coven and the unfair advantage they had in the magical community, but we’ve simply traded one monster for another.”

“The difference is Ivy’s a lot smarter than Rector.” Sean sighed. “With Rector, we knew his end game. He wanted vengeance.”

“So, then, what does Ivy want?” Chloe asked.

Heaven Leigh leaned against the porch railing. “Well, she wanted Isach, but that didn’t exactly work out for her.”

Abby’s heart thundered, and I risked a quick glance at her. She’d better not crack and spill the truth about Isach. That was the absolute worst thing she could do.

Chloe stood, the movement predatory. Her eyes darkened. “So, what does she want?” she asked again, each word clipped.

“Zoya magic.”

“There isn’t any Zoya magic,” Abby said. “It died with Isach, remember?”

And then the lightbulbs went on in my head, and everything clicked into place with laser sharp focus. Even though Chloe was a vampire now, she was still a descendant of the Zoya, which meant her children were, too.

“Ivy doesn’t think so, though, does she?” I asked.

“I don’t have any magic. And neither do my girls. They’re human,” Chloe said.

“It’s not your fault, Abby,” Wyatt said softly.

“Are you really reading my thoughts right now?” Abby’s aura flamed with anger.

I glanced between her and Wyatt. What had he heard in her thoughts? And why the fuck was he invading her privacy at all, let alone right now?

“Sorry.” He frowned.

“Jax is right. Ivy believes your girls will eventually come into their magic, and when that happens, she wants access to it.” Heaven Leigh folded her arms over her chest.

“Ivy’s an idiot.” Chloe straightened and jutted her chin.

Trent stifled a laugh, and I nudged him.

“Besides, I had Isach take care of that. He made sure my girls would never have any magic.” Chloe’s tone was cool and firm.

Chloe had certainly become a skilled liar, thanks in large part to me.

“So, run on back to Ivy and tell her she’s out of luck.” Chloe took a step forward, and Trent moved in unison with her. “And tell her if she so much as tries to get anywhere near my girls, I’ll kill her myself, and I won’t be quick about it, either.”

My mouth twitched with a proud smile. That’s my girl. I had no doubts she’d make good on that promise. She hadn’t hesitated to rip Dante’s heart from his chest, so I knew she had it in her.

“I’m not here to collect messages to take back to Ivy. I’m here to ask if you’ll help me kill her.” Heaven Leigh narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t back down from Chloe.

“You still haven’t told us why you want to kill her,” Colt said.

Heaven Leigh rolled her eyes. “Have you not been listening?” She sighed with frustration.

“What he means is, what do you stand to gain from killing Ivy?” Trent had moved to stand closer to Chloe. “Are you next in line to lead the Rose Coven?”

“Is that what this is all about? You want us to help you take power?” I shook my head. I should’ve known. All witches ever wanted was power. Heaven Leigh was no exception. “Absolutely not.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. All of you.” Her gaze once again swept over each of us. “There is no one in line to take over when Ivy dies. She truly believes she’s untouchable, so she’s completely eliminated any sort of hierarchy.”

“So what happens when she dies, then?” Abby asked. “What happens to the Rose Coven?”

“Those who choose to remain a Rose witch will follow magical tradition and elect a new leader.” Heaven Leigh dropped her arms to her sides. “Please. I’m begging for your help.”

Sean stepped forward. “Why us? If the rest of the coven is just as upset with Ivy for her actions, why not organize and take her down from within?”

“Because everyone is too terrified of her.” She hung her head. “When we were making preparations to fight the Zoya Coven, Ivy made all of us a deal. Anyone who survived was free to make the choice to stay or go. She was going to let us leave, give us the freedom to branch out and create our own covens.” She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. “My sister and I were planning to leave. We were making all the preparations so we could leave as soon as the war was over, but my sister was powerful, and Ivy didn’t want to let her go.”

Either Heaven Leigh was telling the truth, or she was one hell of an actress. My gaze darted above her head—her aura was faint and hard to read, but the color was solid. Grief mixed with honesty. I sighed.

“I stood up to Ivy, reminded her of the deal she’d made, and I had a few witches standing with me against her, but then Ivy stole my sister’s magic and killed her right in front of me.” Heaven Leigh’s voice hitched. “Ivy then said anyone else who dared question her would suffer the same fate. Since then, no one has had the guts to challenge her.”

“I’m sorry about your sister,” Abby said.

Heaven Leigh dipped her head in Abby’s direction.

“That’s why you went to Isach, isn’t it?” Abby moved to stand beside Chloe. “You knew he was the only one strong enough to stand up to Ivy and win.”

With a nod, Heaven Leigh said, “I figured if I warned him, he could be prepared. And I knew none of you ever really trusted Ivy, and together, you’d be unstoppable. But then Isach died, and Ivy took his magic anyway…”

I stiffened. Even before Chloe spoke again, I knew exactly where this was headed.

“Abby.” Chloe glanced at her. “Will you please go upstairs and check on the girls, see if they’re fussing and want to come down?”

Hesitating only a moment, Abby said, “Sure.” Then she walked inside.

“You sure about this?” I asked Chloe.

She nodded.

Too bad I didn’t have her confidence in this decision. Keeping Isach hidden a little longer seemed like the smarter move, but if Isach chose to expose himself to Heaven Leigh, who was I to stop him?

The second Isach stepped foot onto the porch, Heaven Leigh gasped, eyes wide. Her shocked gaze lingered on Isach before snapping toward Abby.

My gaze, however, was honed in on Piper, who stood quietly to the side, watching and assessing. Everything in me wanted to go to her, to stand by her side and protect her. By some sheer will of force I didn’t know I possessed, I remained where I was. I’d step in only if she needed me, not a moment sooner.

“You did it,” Heaven Leigh whispered. “You resurrected him. But… the cost… what? Who?”

“I didn’t have to resurrect him. He was never dead. He only faked his death to protect us and get away from Ivy,” Abby explained.

“I’m sorry, Heaven Leigh.” Isach approached her as if they were old friends. “You came to me for help, and instead of staying and fighting, I ran. I’m sorry for that. But I hope you can understand why. I had to protect my family.” Isach turned slightly and motioned at all of us.

“I understand.” Heaven Leigh cleared her throat. “How is this possible though? Ivy’s been searching out magic. She would have felt yours.”

“I hid my magic, and only just got it back. And I’ve had some help.” He waved for Piper to join him, and she stepped up to stand next to him. I tracked her every move. “Piper is an old family friend. She’s been keeping me cloaked.”

Heaven Leigh tilted her head. “And which coven are you from?”

“I don’t have a coven.” Piper clasped her hands in front of her.

Several seconds of silence ensued. Thank God Piper hadn’t shared that information with Heaven Leigh. Still, I wasn’t pleased we’d given her access to the existence of our two greatest weapons. We’d effectively given up our element of surprise. Where did that leave us now?

“So, now you know our secret.” I leaned against the porch railing, arms crossed. Colt and Wyatt stood on either side of me. “What’re you going to do with the information?”

“I’m not going to tell Ivy, if that’s what you’re implying,” Heaven Leigh snapped. “Look, I get why none of you believe me or trust me, but I’ll do whatever you ask to prove it to you. I want Ivy to pay for killing my sister, and I want to strip her of her power. She’s too dangerous, and that means trouble for the entire supernatural community.”

“Good, because I have a plan.” Piper grinned.

I straightened, dread coiling in my gut. So help me God, if she came up with another ridiculous plan that involved putting herself in danger…