His mouth dropped open. Had he heard right? “You know I have a vested interest. Why didn’t tell me?”
She drew close. “Because there was nothing you could do about it. I had to figure out a spell first. I would have told you when we next met up. Then I found you in the Graveyard. So, here we are.
“And the truth is I couldn’t have given you a specific location even if I wanted to, only the cross-streets. Trust me, you would never have found it on your own because of the security spell. Before I figured out an antidote, that only partially works, by the way, I would arrive at the cross-streets then hit a wall of confusion. The next thing I knew, I’d be down the street, a mile away, with no idea how I’d gotten there.”
He tried to make sense of this. “You should have told me what you knew anyway. Veyda’s my strongest lead. I’m convinced it was her coven that killed Laura. So, what the hell. I thought you and I were friends.”
“Okay. You’re pissed. But what would you have done if I’d told you where it was, the cross-streets I mean?”
“I would have headed over there, checked things out for myself.”
“Bingo. You see, I do know you, Braden. And you would have gotten yourself killed because it seems to me Veyda wants you dead. You would have had no protection going in. We’re talking dark witchcraft, the kind that somehow allowed you to be lured into the Graveyard and nearly slaughtered. Or did you think you’d simply made a foolish judgment call after being a powerful alpha wolf leader for years.”
His mouth fell agape once more and wouldn’t close. A couple of obscenities rolled off his tongue. He ran his hand through his hair and turned away from her. “You’re right. I’ve been thinking about how I got out there and I can’t remember. Had to be a spell or something.”
She crossed in front of him to the large stone fireplace opposite the couch. She looked despondent. “You should have seen Kiara. Veyda’s been acid-burning her. She had a gaping, bloody wound on her neck. She was barely conscious this time and every witch sense I have tells me Veyda intends to sacrifice her.”
He drew close. “Hey. I’ll do what I can to help. You know I will.”
She glanced up at him. “Thanks.”
“There is something I’m curious about. You never told me how you came to know Kiara, only that she was your mentor and at times a therapist.”
She turned toward him and huffed a breath. “When I was abducted by Veyda and used my power to kill those witches, afterward I was left with a memory gap. I can’t remember what happened. All I know is that without knowing how I got there, I ended up at Kiara’s front door. That’s how I met her.”
“Kind of a strange introduction.”
“Very. But she took me in. Protected me. Taught me how to develop my security spells to withstand even Veyda. I owe her so much. I mean a month after the abduction she had me back here, at my house, long before it became Hard Landing, and I went to work hauling people out of the
Graveyard. You know the rest.”
Braden took a step closer to the fireplace. “So, why are you telling me all this now?”
She met his gaze. “I’ve always trusted you. But ever since you ended up here, I’ve wondered if fate isn’t somehow involved. And things seem different between us. Know what I mean?”
He leaned his arm on the tall mantle. His lips twitched. “Well, we have shared the same bed.”
She chuckled, but her amusement dimmed quickly. He sensed how worried she was about Kiara.
“Look, Maeve. I owe you big time and I care about Kiara as much as you do. She always took the time to answer my questions about Elegance. Maybe if we put our heads together we’ll be able to get her out of Veyda’s hellhole.”
She held his gaze. “I’m working hard to find the right spell, but I’ll need some muscle going in.” She moved to sit down on the couch. She shared her effort over the past few days.
He nodded solemnly. “So, we have Veyda’s security spell to contend with. What about Veyda’s compound?”
“I don’t know much about it. I’ve only been on the west side with the row of cells.”
He thought for a moment. “It might be wise to start at the beginning. Why don’t you tell me everything you can about the night you were inside Veyda’s compound. Any physical details of the location will help as we put a plan together.”
“Okay. The biggest problem with my memory occurred at the beginning because I was drugged and spelled. I don’t even recall seeing the outside of her complex, only the inside of the killing room. That’s where I was when the spell or the drugs or both began to peel away and I became aware of my surroundings.”
He turned to face her fully, his back to the fireplace.
She shook her head. “The smell was like evil burning, I can’t explain it any other way. I remember I was facing west in a large room with high ceilings. The walls were all covered with red velvet drapes. The south end was the main entrance. On the opposite side were risers, where the witch choir chanted. There had to be at least thirty witches present all dressed in red velvet robes.”
“Were they performing, as in music of some kind?” He wanted as much data as he could gather.
“It was the most horrific sound. Like chanting but all in dissonance constantly. Something was in the center of the space, though I’ve blocked that part out. I can’t remember what it was at all. The only thing I knew was that Veyda was forcing my induction into her dark coven. I was horrified. I’d only been in Elegance Territory two weeks, yet I knew enough to despise what these witches did. Everyone knew about the human and alter sacrifices they made.