Chapter 151 Always Lurking
The moon was dim in the sky as Lyra moved through the shadows of the South Wing.
She stayed low, her feet barely making a sound on the cold stone balcony.
She had to meet Cassian tonight as they'd agreed.
The air was dry and smelled of the forest which was just beyond. She didn't take anything with her except for the silver dagger tucked into her belt.
She climbed down the side of the building, her hybrid strength making the descent easy and silent.
She had to time her movements between the patrols of the guards and slipping behind pillars every time their torches flickered near her path.
Every time her heart beat, she felt a sharp, agonizing tug in her chest. It was the bond. Ryker was still awake, and his presence in her mind was a warm, heavy weight that she was about to cut away forever.
She sprinted across the open yard, staying in the darkness of the high hedges until she reached the garage area.
The silhouettes of the pack’s motorcycles were quite visible in the dark. Cassian was already there, leaning against a stone pillar with his arms crossed.
He didn't have a bike ready. He just gestured toward the thick tree line.
"We walk from here," he whispered. "The sound of an engine will bring Ryker and the whole guard down on us before we hit the main road."
Lyra didn't argue. She followed him past the fence through the tunnels and into the woods.
They walked for nearly an hour, moving deep into the territory where the trees grew thick and the ground was uneven and covered in roots.
The silence between them was tense. Lyra kept her hand on the hilt of her dagger the entire time. She could feel the bond stretching, pulling tighter and tighter the further they got from the house.
It felt like a wire was being pulled taut inside her veins, ready to snap and draw blood.
They eventually reached a small creek. The water was dark and moved slowly over smooth black stones.
"How much longer?" Lyra asked.
"Hold on," Cassian said, not looking back at her. "It won't take very long now. I just need where the moon is hitting the earth right."
Lyra stopped walking and pulled her dagger out. The silver glinted in the moonlight. "I don't trust you, Cassian. I’m a hybrid, and I am much more powerful than you are. If you’re trying to lead me into a trap, I won't be afraid to use this. You should have tried something a long time ago if you wanted me dead."
Cassian stopped and turned around. He let out a short, dry laugh that had no warmth in it. "You're a really small lady, Lyra, but you have a big temper. There's no need to worry. I don't have my eyes on you. I have my eyes on the Blood King. I'm here to deal with him and the war he's started. You're just the key I need."
"You're a coward," Lyra said, her eyes narrowing into slits. "You know that if you attacked me, I’d be too powerful for you to handle. That’s why you’re playing this role. You’re trying to be the hero so I’ll do the work for you."
"Think what you want," Cassian said, turning back to the creek.
He knelt by a flat stone near the water’s edge, pulled several black candles from his jacket and began to light them one by one.
The flames were blue and flickered despite the lack of any wind. He used a sharp stick to draw a circle in the damp earth around the candles.
As he began to chant in a low, rhythmic tongue, the air around the creek became stiff. It felt hard to breathe, as if the oxygen was being sucked out of the clearing.
Lyra felt a sudden, cold presence. It wasn't just Cassian anymore. The shadows around the trees seemed to lengthen and lean toward the circle they were standing in.
"Sit," Cassian commanded.
Lyra sat on the opposite side of the circle. Her head was spinning. The pull of the bond was now an agonizing pain, a physical fire in her chest that made her want to scream.
"Give me your hand," Cassian said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a jagged black dagger. "I need the blood to sever the connection between you and the Alpha."
Lyra hesitated. She remembered the last time she had given her blood for a ritual. The Blood King had used it to gain access to Ryker’s mind.
It had almost destroyed them both. "Are you sure this won't hurt Ryker? If this is another way for the King to get to him, I’ll kill you right now."
"Oh, come on," Cassian snapped, his patience wearing thin. "You know how to break a mating bond. It’s not a secret hidden away. Every ancient text has it. Even Rex would know about it if you asked her. Do you want me to do it or not? Every second you sit here deciding, another person in your pack is turning to ash."
"As if you care about them!” Lyra snapped. "You said it yourself that you're only doing this to get even with the Blood King."
He reached across the circle and grabbed her arm, his grip tight and bruising. "Are you really going to sit here and watch people die just because you want to stay mated to your husband? I thought you had some kind of humanity in you."
Lyra’s eyes flashed with rage. She jerked her arm back, but he held on with surprising strength. "Let go of me! You have no right to speak about sympathy. You've done nothing but try to destroy this pack since the day you showed up."
"I came back because of you!" Cassian shouted. "I came back so you would go back to the Blood King where you belong. But now he’s trying to sideline me. He’s moving without me. I'm still going to use you to get to him. I need your blood to open the door."
He raised the black dagger high.
Before he could bring the blade down, a shadow detached itself from the trees behind them.
"Bloody dog!"
The voice was a low, terrifying growl that made the water in the creek stop rippling.
A massive hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed Cassian by the throat.
With a single, violent motion, the figure slammed Cassian down onto the rocky ground. The black candles were kicked over, the blue flames dying instantly and leaving them in the dark.
Lyra looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the massive silhouette towering over the fallen vampire.
"How dare you lay hands on my wife!" Ryker growled.