He folded his arms defensively over his chest. “Do you think this is funny? Let me remind you, you almost lost your true love to my creation. I wouldn’t laugh too hard, or for too long.”
Raven stared at Laroque, her mouth a thin, straight line. “You see, that’s just it. Why do you need my help? You created this genius virus. What’s the problem now?”
He took deep breaths while he went over to the tray. “Are you hungry?”
“Is it poisoned? Would you even tell me if it was?” she snarled.
Laroque snorted. “You haven’t eaten in two days. If you want to kill yourself, that’s fine by me. I’m asking for your help. Why would I try to kill you? Besides, you know better than anyone that if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already.”
He had a point. “Why did you do it?” She knew that he, more than likely, would never tell her why, and he didn’t really need to. It was because of her mother.
It always revolved around her mother.
Love. Unrequited love, untamed love, unconditional love, undying love. Could love be the cause of it all? Raven knew she would do anything for love, but would she go to the same lengths as Philippe? But hadn’t she gone further? She gave up her own identity, the very core of who she was. But would she kill another person?
As a Lamai, the answer would be a resounding “Yes!” That was part of her nature as well. The wild blood that had coursed through her veins demanded she protect those she loved at any cost. Things changed, and she was entirely human, so could she still live up to that standard? Perhaps she would. For love.
Love was a fierce emotion.
She watched as Laroque approached the bed. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the cuffs on her hands.
“Eat.” He handed her the tray with a salad, fresh bread with cheese and what looked like roast pork. “Do you want me to take a bite to prove it’s safe to eat?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Yeah, I would.”
He took a piece of meat, tore off a chunk and popped it into his mouth. “Would you like some wine?” Taking bites of cheese and salad, he seemed to force himself to swallow.
“Fine dining while imprisoned-what a dichotomy! Water is fine. But how am I supposed to eat this meat without a knife?”
He smirked at her. “You’ll have to make do for now. I’ll have your meat cut for you next time.”
She was confused. “What?”
“You sounded like your mother just now.”
Raven speared the fresh tomato in her bowl of salad while examining the dressing. “How can you kill me if you love her so much? I’m still her daughter.” She bit into the tomato savagely.
He wore an eerie smile. “My hatred for your father compensates for that sad fact.”
Not yet accustomed to these insistent hunger pangs, she grabbed a slice of bread and took a bite. Once the aroma of the food reached her nose, Raven realized she was famished and didn’t care if the food was poisoned or not.
“And yet you need my help,” she pondered aloud.
He walked to the window, his hands behind his back. “You are as sarcastic as your father.”
“You don’t look too well,” she observed between bites of bread.
He simply stared at her and smiled.
She shrugged. “Did I say something to amuse you?”
“No, you just stated the obvious. Are you willing to help me or not?”
“I don’t know,” she said, tearing into the slice of meat. “What do you need my help with and why?”
“This virus has jumped species, so we are all at risk. This is no game, Raven. If I die, chances are you will, too. You are human now. Human, Lamai, fae, shifter are all susceptible. Need I go on?”
“Yes, but Ebola isn’t quite as contagious as other viruses, especially this strain. It’s deadly, for certain, but say you used a pox…”
He interrupted her observations. “I will certainly make sure you’re infected before I die. Feel better now?”
“Always the big bad wolf, so to speak.”
He walked over to her, his eyes like stones, emotionless. “You would know about big bad wolves, wouldn’t you?” He went to a chest at the foot of the bed and took out a blanket. “As bad as you think I am…I’m worse.”
She swallowed the last piece of bread and cheese. “I know you didn’t rape my mother.”
Philippe spun around so fast she thought she saw smoke as his heels dug into the pine floor.
“What did you say?”
Raven eyed him carefully. He must have been a lady-killer in his day, no pun intended.
He still had the good looks nature had blessed him with-chiseled cheekbones, straight nose, deep-set eyes and a generous smile. That is, when he chose to smile, and she guessed he hadn’t done that much lately.
She placed the fork down, her expression somber. “You heard me. I know what happened between you and my mother. I’m guessing that by now, my father knows, too.”
“Liar!”
Raven pushed the tray away. “Whatever. You know, Laroque, I really don’t care much what happens to me. You should understand that. Bo is alive, and that’s all that matters to me. I almost lost him. My world just about ended. My life as a Lamai is over. You really can’t do much more to me-except kill me, and then I’ll be reunited with my mother.”
Laroque took the tray and headed out the door, muttering, “Smartass like your mother, too.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Raul and Seth are both dead. Word is that the Empusas are coming from Greece to see what the problem is on the island. Tobias, we need to show a unified front. You know Kate will grant them dominion over us if we don’t clean up this mess,” Solaris pleaded. “She always throws in a monkey wrench whenever she can.”
Bo paced while the two squabbled over who should be mayor.
Tobias balked. “Raven was abducted yesterday. I can’t take on the responsibility of mayor. I need to find her. Besides, I’m not here that often.”
“With the baby coming, you’re still going to leave? Don’t make the same mistake…” Solaris cut off her sentence.
Tobias eyed her cautiously.
Sol had a habit of tossing out her opinions, whether people wanted them or not.
“No, you’re right. I have to stay with Emmie, but finding my daughter is a priority. Nevertheless, I still do not want the responsibility. You’ve dealt with the Empusas before. They know you and respect you. I have no patience with those hideous creatures. They give vampires a bad name.”
“I thought the Bathorites did that,” Solaris added. “But I suppose you’re right.”
A look of disgust cloaked Tobias’s face at the mention of Bathorites. A species of vampires with no moral compass.
Bo turned to Solaris. “You take on the job. It’s in the decree, anyway, that if anything happened to Frank, the job would fall to you. You were the mayor before Frank.”
Solaris let out a deep, long sigh. “Damn! Raven tells me you can’t remember where you put your shoes at night-or your keys-but this you remember!”
Bo smiled, but not quite. It was more of a smug expression. “I don’t want to waste time squabbling about who should be mayor. I want to find Raven.”
Sol could sense the wolf inside struggled to break free, demanding to use its natural abilities to track Raven. She understood the need to protect Raven overwhelmed Bo. And knowing him as she did, she bet he despised himself for failing to protect her.
Thank the gods they came to an agreement, Sol grew weary of the arguing. “All right, I’ll do it. Temporarily,” Solaris said. “Did they clean up the office? I’d rather not have all that dried blood in there if I can help it. Bad mojo. It’ll require a complete sage ceremony and salt-water cleansing.”
Sol sat at her desk at Blood Pool. She hoped she would transition nicely back into the job of mayor of Mirabelle.
Bo placed his hands on his hips. “Yes, they’ve got painters in there now, and the floor will be sanded and re-stained.”