Chapter 76: Chapter 76

KILLIAN

Cameron was still staring at me, dumbfounded, when the suite’s door opened and Fabien walked in. He paused for a moment, his gaze bouncing between me and Cameron before finally settling on me, and his face contorted slightly with discomfort.

“Did you get it?” I asked when he began to walk over.

“Killian…” Clearly, he didn’t like what I planned to do and wanted to dissuade me but whatever he saw on my face made him sigh instead. “Yes… Turi.”

Witches weren’t easy to track down. Sure, you could contact one through trusted sources and set up a meeting, but getting where they lived was another matter entirely. But I had my ways—and Fabien now had the location of a coven.

Since none of them wanted to help—the potions my uncle got from his witch friends had most likely just been healing potions seeing as the only thing they fixed was the cut Lenore got on her left hand when she tried to stop herself from stabbing me—I’d be making a home visit and bringing one of them to Lenore whether they liked it or not.

Of course, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. Getting their address alone was an intrusion, not to talk of a vampire showing up at their door, but I didn’t give a fuck what I had to do as long as Lenore came back to me.

Now, I had to—

“What’s happening?!” Calley’s voice rang through the bedroom and my brows snapped together before I dashed into the room, my eyes instantly locking on Lenore. Her eyes were closed, but she was shaking violently, her body jerking against the bed as though caught in relentless convulsions.

“Lenore,” I breathed. My mind spun, and I didn't realize I'd moved until I was on the bed, hauling Lenore's trembling body against my chest.

“Leave Killian!” Aurora yelled, pulling at my arm, but every part of me was focused on Lenore. She was hot—burning hot—and her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps.

“Lenore.” I cupped her face, gently shaking her while my pulse hammered in my ears, but her eyes stayed closed. “Lenore...” I need to cool her down.

My gaze shifted to the padded restraints on her wrists which had been Aurora’s idea. We didn’t know if killing me was the only command my father had planted in her mind, and she’d been worried Lenore might try to hurt herself.

“What are you doing?” Calley asked as I undid the restraints, but I didn't answer. The moment Lenore’s hands were free, I scooped her into my arms and got off the bed.

Fabien was behind me, and he placed a hand on my shoulder as I moved around him. “Killian—”

“Leave me!” I snapped, jerking his hand away before carrying Lenore into the bathroom. It felt like my heart was beating too fast and not enough at the same time.

Once I stepped through the door, she stopped shaking, but she was still burning hot. I carried her to the tub and climbed in with her before turning on the faucets, letting the cold water fill around us.

“You’re okay,” I muttered, rubbing her arm. The tub filled until water spilled over the edge. “You’re okay. I’ve got you... I’m here, my love. I’m here.”

I knew my father's hatred for me as well as the magic rolling through my veins, but I wished he'd come after me any other way. Not through her... never through her...

“Killian?” It was soft, breathy, and right in my ear, and it took me a moment to realize I wasn’t hallucinating the voice—Lenore was awake.

“I’m here, I’m here,” I said in a rush, nearly stumbling over my words, as I sat upright and her hand slid up my chest. I tensed, expecting her to wrap it around my throat like she did earlier, but I didn’t move. “I’m so sorry, Lenore.”

Her hand reached my neck... then curled around it, coming to rest on my shoulder instead as she shifted in my arms. “Your father did something to me,” she muttered, groaning, and my breath caught.

She…

“What?” I pulled back just enough to gently grasp her shoulders, easing her away from my chest so I could see her face. The way she’d cried and smiled while trying to stab me last night flashed through my mind, but her eyes were no longer dull—they were hers.

Alive. Aware. Lenore’s.

My heart lurched and I cradled her face, water sloshing around us. “Lenore…”

“This morning...” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, wincing, and when she opened them again, she also placed her hand on my face. “He got in my head.”

“How do you… How do you know that?”

““I saw it.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Just now. He told me to kill you... and to kill myself if I failed. I don't...” Another groan cut her off, her face twisting in pain as she pressed a hand to her forehead.

I pulled her back to me, wrapping my arms around her as I buried my face in her hair, relief crashing into me so hard it hurt. She was here…she was really here. I didn’t care about the whys or the hows right now, all that mattered was having her back.

“That wasn't this morning, my love,” I said, my voice breaking, and tightened my hold on her before kissing the top of her head. “That was yesterday morning.”

“…Oh?” She suddenly went rigid in my arms and I stilled. “Killian, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.

Relief washed over me again. For a moment, I’d thought… Fuck. “Please don’t. Gods, please don’t cry.”

“I hurt you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“But—”

“You didn’t, Lenore. Don’t put that on yourself,” I said, more sharply than I intended, and she sniffled. A moment later, she bobbed her head, and I tightened my hold on her again before easing my arms around her, afraid I was hurting her.

“...I dreamt of someone who looked like Calley,” she muttered absent-mindedly and my brows rose. “Well, she said I wasn’t exactly dreaming.”

I looked down at the top of her head before realization dawned on me.

Oh…

I sucked in a breath, my shoulders relaxing.

Thank you, mother.