Chapter 204
~ NYSSA
The abrupt change in conversation happened so fast that I nearly got whiplash.
He did not give me a chance to process his words before he was tugging me out of the house, cursing under his breath as he did.
Marlene stood to her feet as well in surprise. "You didn’t drink your tea."
Rowan didn’t respond, he just kept tugging.
"Next time!" I called out to her just as I was pulled completely out of the house, the door slamming shut behind me.
"Get in!" Rowan hissed, all but shoving me into the car.
"What the fuck?" I snapped. "Why are you—"
He didn’t respond, he just slammed the door shut and hopped in after, pulling out of that driveway so fast that I was thrown back into my seat.
I turned to my mate, utterly shocked by his demeanor, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road, murmuring curses under his breath as his eyes glossed over.
Mind linking people while driving was not a smart choice but I didn’t even have it in me to snap back. I had never seen him act like this and it unnerved me.
"Rowan?" I asked softly once his eyes were clear again. "What the hell is going on?"
"It was a fucking trap."
That only confused me even more. "What was?"
"This entire fucking thing," he hissed. "Why would someone from the King’s palace suddenly reach out to you? Why would Evelyn choose now to sign up for the guards? Why was she attacked of all people?"
"You’re still not making sense."
"Compulsion, Nyssa," he hissed, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes. "If everyone in that fucking palace is compelled, how would they be able to sneak out children without him knowing? How would they get out from under his nose?"
My chest tightened as his words settled.
It was like a cloth was lifted from my eyes and I saw the intricate webs intertwining before my very eyes.
"He sent the kids out," I whispered softly. "He sent Allister to me."
Rowan nodded slowly. "What better way to build an army than to have your children stationed all over the world?"
"Fuck," I cursed low, running my hands through my hair with a sigh. "I don’t feel compelled."
He was silent for a moment. "Your parents say they got you away from him. Perhaps you were the anomaly. Maybe that’s why they didn’t want you to know about him."
"But he knows about me."
"He does."
Terror gripped my chest as my heart hammered wildly inside of me. The thought of a cruel, ancient vampire coming for me filled me with unease, not just for me, but for everyone else involved, for every innocent that would get caught in the crossfire.
"I know that look," Rowan growled. "Fucking quit it."
I sighed. "How can I? You’ve heard what everyone has to say about him. He isn’t a good man."
"He’s not going to get to you, I swear it. Jeremiah is deploying guards to watch over Evelyn and Marlene. If they do as much as blink, we will know."
I snorted. "That’s not going to do much, Rowan. Allister got in undetected. The others can too."
He shook his head. "I have a feeling Allister had help from them. He wanted to lead us back to them for some reason. I don’t know what part of their scheme this is, but I will find out. In the meantime, you will have round the clock protection. Jeremiah himself will watch over you."
"He’s a sentinel, Rowan, he’s not a glorified babysitter. I already have Eric."
"Great, then you will have him too," he said firmly. "He is the best soldier I have and I will spare no expense with your safety. I trust him with my life, and I trust him with yours. He will be discreet, and he will be efficient."
I knew better than to argue, especially not when I could see the worry in his eyes, and it directly mirrored the one in my chest.
I leaned back into the seat. "Okay. When do we brief them?"
"Now."
Both Eric and Jeremiah were standing in front of our home by the time we returned. They stood on opposite sides of the car, staring intensely at one another.
I never realized just how different the two men were until I saw them close together. Eric was relaxed and calm, and grinned when he saw me. Meanwhile, Jeremiah stood straight, his spine rigid and his face expressionless.
"Inside," Rowan said coldly as he brushed past them. "This requires the utmost discretion."
Eric’s smile faltered instantly and he slowed his steps until he was directly next to me. "How bad is this?"
"Terrible," I admitted.
Rowan briefed them in the living room, all the while I sat in the couch, my legs pulled up to my chest as I tried to ignore the gnawing guilt and unease that chewed at my insides.
Every fucking piece of trouble we had ever encountered always seemed to tie back to me and I fucking hated it.
For once, I just wanted to be normal.
By the time he was done speaking, the air was thick with tension. No one dared to speak, they just glanced between Rowan and I with wide eyes.
After what felt like hours, Eric broke the silence with a low whistle. "If there wasn’t a crazy vampire king involved in all of this, it would be so fucking cool."
The corner of my lips tugged upwards at his words. "I agree."
He leaned forward on his elbows. "So, do you drink blood?"
"Eric!" Jeremiah snapped. "Now is not the time."
"It’s alright," I cut in quickly. "I actually don’t mind. It makes the whole thing easier to handle. I like the humor."
Jeremiah frowned, obviously not pleased but he seemed to let it go for my sake.
"Come with me," Rowan said, tapping him on the shoulder. "We need to go over the pack security in case the vampires decide to do something stupid."
I watched the two of them disappear down the hall and into Rowan’s study.
Once they were gone, Eric whirled on me. "Tell me everything."