Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two) Read online

  Nothing beats having your very own knight in shining armor. Or gargoyle. I’d take the gargoyle any day. I smiled up at him. “How was your day, honey?”

  My heart lifted when he treated me to a bout of his rare laughter. God, I loved the sound. He spoke in a rich, deep baritone, and his laughter had the same low, luscious quality. It slipped around me like velvet. For this, I’d skip out on dinner and bring the whole damn Council down on my head.

  He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing toward the guest room. “I have to go get dressed.”

  I looked up at him with a lopsided smile. “You’re getting ready for dinner?” Lucky me. I’d never seen him dressed up.

  He nodded and wandered across the hall, looking like he was still in a daze. Smile firmly in place, I went back into the bathroom to fix my hair and touch up my makeup. When I came out, time stopped. I don’t remember swallowing my tongue, but I did. I think. Actually, I’m pretty sure I stopped thinking, too.

  His suit was a simple combination of black slacks, a black jacket, and a white shirt. The silver tie matched his eyes and the look should have been classic and straightforward. On Jax, it overwhelmed me. I could feel steam rolling off my skin. My hands hung at my sides, and Jax smiled and pointed. “Little gem, your dress.”

  I looked down and immediately cursed and jumped. I waved my hands around to put out the flames that had come perilously close to my one and only dress. When I had them under control, I gave Jax a sheepish smile. “You look amazing.” As compliments went, it seemed inadequate, but the sight of him had to be the best early birthday present a girl could receive.

  “Thank you,” he said. The wicked smile that curved his lips made my mouth dry.

  “You’re welcome,” I whispered as I stared like an idiot.

  He held out his elbow. “Let’s get you down to Teryl. I believe he has a plan.”

  Ah, the intrusion of reality—how I hated it. I placed my hand on his arm. “Lead the way, Jax. Let’s get this over with.”

  He put his opposite hand on top of mine and squeezed. “I love you, Elle.”

  I listened to my heart, to see how it responded.

  Chapter Ten

  Teryl’s plan sounded simple. Watch, eat, and survive. I’d added the last one, but it seemed equally important.

  Teryl, Jax, MacLean, and I all walked to the main house together, where Maxim met us at the front door. He smirked at my dress but didn’t say a word. It helped to have two hunters and a sharp-tongued adviser with me.

  He escorted us into the formal living room, where a dozen people waited. My step faltered, but Jax propelled me forward with a gentle hand to my lower back. With a fake smile plastered to my face, I greeted my father with a simple and safe, “Hello.”

  He’d had more time to perfect his fake expression of welcome. He turned to me with a large smile and dead eyes. “Elleodora, my dear. Let me introduce you to our guests. They are anxious to make your acquaintance.”

  “I’m sure,” I murmured, pretending I didn’t see his outstretched hand.

  Smooth as ever, he overlooked my slight snub, dropped his hand, and turned toward the blond-haired man to his right. “This is Brenin, king of the light elves.”

  Ah, MacLean’s boss. He was the light elf king and part of the Council? The hierarchy made no sense to me. I needed an interpreter to wade through the politics, which I was staunchly against, as a matter of principle. I had danced to them my whole life.

  I nodded at Brenin. “Hello, I’m Elle,” I said softly. Teryl had said I shouldn’t take their hands when introduced. Some had the power to glean information through touch, so I kept myself glued to Jax’s arm. The energy rolling off of Brenin felt old and dangerous, and I resisted the urge to move back a few steps. Like a bad bottle of dime store cologne, his energy made my eyes water. I blinked rapidly to clear them.

  Brenin stood maybe an inch taller than Jax, which put him at six foot one. Neatly trimmed, dark blond hair framed his rather plain face. He had a slim build and wore an expensive-looking tailored suit. His average appearance should have put me at ease—and it would have, if I hadn’t noticed his eyes, which were anything but average.

  Orange sparkled at me, like a multifaceted citrine gemstone. The shards of color shifted constantly. Unlike the silver swirls in Jax’s eyes and the flames in MacLean’s, Brenin’s appeared broken and jagged. They were difficult to look at.

  “Hello, Elle. I’ve heard so much about you.” His voice had a jagged quality. It almost hurt my ears.

  Yeah, I bet you have, I thought. I stared at a point over his shoulder. “Nice to meet you.”

  He tipped his head in acknowledgment. “I would like to speak with you sometime regarding the souls. MacLean believes you may have useful information.”

  I looked from Brenin to my father and back. Jedren’s smile never slipped, but I sensed an odd tension between the two. MacLean had walked up to stand beside Brenin. He seemed relaxed, so I took his lead. “I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I’m happy to try.”

  Brenin’s eyes shifted to Jax and then back to me before he smiled. “Wonderful. I’ll have MacLean set up a time.” Then he excused himself, allowing a different Council member to take his place.

  Over the next twenty minutes, my father introduced me to all of the Council members in attendance. Two light elves, one gargoyle, two shadow elves, three of the fae, and a phoenix. A few had been unable to attend because they lived in various parts of the world. Each one I did meet radiated old, scary energy—that’s the only way I could describe it. I could actually taste it: ancient, dry, and earthy. I didn’t think they were kicking out overwhelming waves of energy on purpose. They had so much power, they couldn’t rein it all in. Everything seemed hazy because of it.

  By the time the last Council member walked away with my father, I felt a little light-headed. I smiled in gratitude when Jax offered to grab me a drink. I could go for a whole bottle. Or two.

  Teryl sidled up to me and whispered, “You okay?”

  “So far, so good.” My gaze skimmed over the woman named Neyr who was a phoenix, although I got no sense of protection from her like I did from MacLean. It was Brenin, though, that I studied as he walked away. I couldn’t put my finger on why he made me even more uneasy than the rest of the group.

  “Well, well. How nice that the princess has come home.”

  My shoulders tensed when I recognized the sultry, venom-laden voice. Teryl and I exchanged a look before I turned around. I hadn’t expected to see Jax’s former lover here. “Marci, are you working tonight?”

  Maura’s face tightened in anger at my deliberate set-down. Her features quickly smoothed, and she offered a sly smile as her black eyes glittered with malice. “You wish. I’m here with your father.”

  “My father? He hired another bodyguard?” My entire life, Luke had been enough protection for him. If he’d hire Maura as a bodyguard, too, what kind of threat made my father need two hunters on his personal detail? Maybe he might be implicated in the missing souls, after all.

  Maura laughed, but there was an edge to it. “I didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you. I’m his date for the evening.” She ran a hand along her hip, drawing my eye to her slinky red dress. It fit her slender form perfectly and exposed a generous amount of skin with its dipping neckline and scandalously low back. I suppose if you liked cheap, shrewish women who killed people, Maura could be considered beautiful.

  Next to my plain black sheath dress, she looked exotic, I could admit that much. I didn’t believe for a second my father had asked her to be his date. He wouldn’t want to share his position with a power-hungry creature like Maura. Besides, she was only a hunter. Jedren would never stoop to dating someone beneath his station.

  Jax walked up in time to save me from commenting. He stared at Maura with a frown. “Maura.”

  She ignored me and purred, “Hello, Jaxon. You look delectable, as always.”

  I smiled my thanks when he handed
me a glass of sparkling water, though my face felt frozen. “Jax, shall we move to the dining room? I’m sure the chef has something fabulous planned for dinner, but the present company makes me lose my appetite.”

  “Why you little…” Maura’s fingers curled into claws, and she reached for me a split-second after Jax pushed me behind him. Her skin turned the mottled gray of a gargoyle, indicating her fury and lack of control. I wondered what would happen to the dress if she shifted to full gargoyle. Maybe the backless gown wasn’t such a bad idea, seeing as how it left ample room for her wings. Huh.

  “Problem?” My father’s modulated tone interrupted Maura’s screech of outrage. With visible effort, she brought her hands to her sides.

  “That bitch—” she started.

  My father raised a silver eyebrow. “Are you talking about Elleodora?”

  Maura must have heard the warning in his cool tone, because she swallowed a few times before nodding. “We had a…misunderstanding.”

  Teryl made a disgusted noise.

  Jedren gave me a considering look. I had a feeling he knew exactly what the problem was. In fact, I would bet money he’d engineered the meeting on purpose. But all he said was, “Dinner is about to be served. I trust you can control yourselves through the meal.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  I smiled at him, showing all my teeth. “I’ve behaved all evening. If you ever spring something like this dinner, and more hunters”—I gestured at Maura—“on me again, I can guarantee you won’t like what happens.”

  His expression never changed, but I sensed a sudden alertness in him. “Is that a threat?”

  I felt Jax shift his weight onto the balls of his feet while Teryl and MacLean flanked us. I held my father’s gaze as I tucked my hand into Jax’s. “Absolutely.”

  Then I walked into the dining room. Standing up to my abusive father after so many years felt great. Better than great. Fear and exhilaration had me wound so tightly, I nearly shook with the effort to maintain a steady walk. Jax vibrated with tension, too, though if I read the signs correctly, he was angry, not happy that I’d threatened my father. Or Maura. Maybe both.

  I tried not to cringe when I saw the dining room table. The staff had set the fine china, enough for twenty people. The polished silver glinted in the soft light. Lavish décor created an ornate and, in my mind, macabre setting. We’d dine in style while plotting to kill one another. How fun.

  I remembered attending a few elaborate dinners as a young teen. The staff coached me for hours, with explicit instructions: eat with grace and keep your eyes down and mouth shut. Glancing around the table at a few of the Council members, I could see how wise those instructions had been. Tension and energy welled around us. I half expected the wine glasses to start exploding.

  We took our seats and as Jax settled into his chair, he leaned close to whisper, “What in the hell were you thinking?”

  I folded the embroidered napkin across my lap. “He invited her on purpose. It’s a game. I just let him know I’m done playing.”

  “Jedren isn’t someone you can play around with—”

  “Jax,” I interrupted in a furious whisper of my own. “I know exactly what he’s like, remember? And I’m done being a victim. I won’t be manipulated by him or anyone. Not anymore. Now he knows that.”

  “Half the Council saw the exchange.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So?”

  Jax rubbed the bridge of his nose but quickly dropped his hand when he noticed Brenin watching. “Little gem, you made it crystal clear there is dissention between you.”

  “Let me repeat, so?” I wasn’t following him. What did I care if the Council thought Jedren and I were fighting? They thought because I shared DNA with him, I stole the souls. Guilt by association. It seemed to be in my best interest to let them know I hated the man and all he stood for, heir or not.

  MacLean leaned toward me and said, “Until we know who is friend or foe, we should be careful.”

  Translation: I should be careful. I glanced back at Jax and saw the silver swirling in his eyes, indicating his worry and fear. I tried to smile at MacLean. “Other than you guys and Teryl, I don’t trust anyone at this table. Friend or foe, it doesn’t matter.”

  Our stage whispers began to draw attention, so I smiled demurely at the rest of the guests and took a sip of water, ending the conversation. We could talk about it later. I saw Jax and MacLean’s points; I just happened to disagree. Convincing the Council I wasn’t my father’s puppet was my biggest concern right now.

  Maura sat next to my father at the head of the table. She adopted a regal pose and glared at me, which ruined the serene effect I suspected she was going for. I offered a finger wave and winked. Better her than me, sitting next to him.

  Her black eyes narrowed. I noticed Maxim adopting a similar glare on the other side of my father. Hmm…they’d make a great couple. Though I’d hate to see any children from that union. The poor kids would be doomed from the get-go.

  Luke nudged Maxim out of the seat to my father’s left, forcing him to move down. As Luke settled into it, he caught my eye and smiled.

  Jedren stood and cleared his throat, which effectively brought conversation—and my disturbing musings—to a halt. “Thank you all for coming this evening. As you know, Princess Elleodora is home and ready to take over her duties as my heir. I wanted to informally introduce you to her before her birthday party this weekend.”

  He smiled when he said it, but a chill slithered down my spine. I hated that title. Little girls dream of being a princess, but my existence proved that all that glitters is not gold. At this moment, I’d kill for a wicked stepmother instead of a monster for a father. Dread curled in my stomach as I thought about the birthday party. I hoped to live through the weekend and see what the ripe old age of twenty-eight had in store for me—hopefully, a clean sweep of all the monsters from my past. Death by my hand, so that they wouldn’t continue hurting other people in the future.

  “Elleodora will be taking over as CEO of Warlow Imports next month,” Jedren said, smiling as he ignored the startled gasps.

  My face went numb. CEO? That was not the announcement I’d been expecting. I tried to maintain my normal breathing. This was the first I’d heard about it, and I had a lot to say. Starting with hell no. That one little announcement meant Jedren had officially solidified my position as his heir, ally, and new target all in one. He might as well have handed everyone there a gun and offered me a five-second head start.

  Next to Jax, Teryl muttered, “Oh, shit,” under his breath.

  Jedren gestured to the table. “You’re all, of course, invited to her party. At which time, I would like to petition to obtain her a seat on the Council. Luke will ensure she behaves as is befitting of my heir, and as a Council member.”

  I barely heard the choking sounds of protest Teryl made over the buzzing in my ears. Luke’s smile grew into a grin I remembered from my nightmares. The one he wore whenever he had a chance to torture me.

  What in the hell was Jedren thinking? In that moment, I hated him more than I thought possible. Rage welled. It was more than I could contain.

  My hand unconsciously clenched on Jax’s arm, making him jump. Shock prevented me from apologizing. My vision narrowed until all I could see was my father, who smiled at me with a calculating gleam in his eyes.

  That son of a bitch.

  Brenin spoke first. “You know we have a formal process for that.”

  “I do,” my father acknowledged. “Consider this my unofficial declaration. I’ll follow the appropriate channels this week and make the announcement at the party.” Then he raised his glass, and it flashed in the light. “I propose a toast to my daughter. Welcome home, Princess.”

  I could barely hear the rest of the dinner party repeat the phrase through the roaring in my mind. A seat on the Council? This situation had turned from bad to worse over the span of a few minutes. Luke sat through it all in his high-backed chair with that anticip
atory smile on his face.

  Time seemed to slow down, and I couldn’t look away from him. I didn’t care when the back of the chair burst into flames with Luke in it, forcing him to quickly stand and step away. I barely noticed Maxim frantically tossing water on the flames, which grew bigger and bigger. My father merely stood and moved out of the way, as if a flaming chair were an everyday occurrence.

  Why in the world would Jedren want to get me a seat on the Council? The members were old, powerful, and, if my guess was correct, indifferent to life and death. Soulless politicians would be an apt description. I believed they looked out for the best interests of the paranormal community as a whole, but the way they sized me up told me they each had an agenda, too.

  Much like Jedren.

  The sooner he died, the better. Then I would be free to put this behind me. I wanted to fly under the radar, run my business, and explore life with my mate. No more crazies dropping in, no more people trying to kill me, and no more convoluted love triangles.

  No matter how much I wanted to believe it, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that idyllic life would never happen. Even when Jedren died, I’d still be forced to serve on the Council. He had set me up. Again.

  Safely out of the way of the now-smoldering remains of Luke’s chair, my father stared at me from across the table. His smile had shifted. He looked…satisfied.

  “Care to explain this, Warlow?” Brenin demanded.

  “Yes, of course. I forgot to mention to the Council one little thing. Elleodora is finally coming into her abilities.”

  Neyr had remained seated during the commotion, but now her impressive personal pyrotechnics flared to life. “Enough with the theatrics. Shadow elves do not possess the ability to manipulate fire.”

  My father watched my face with a disturbing intensity as he dropped the final, deadly bombshell. “You’re absolutely right. Elleodora is also a demigod. She possesses more power than most of you combined. And if she’s a member of the Council, she’ll be at your disposal.”

  Chapter Eleven