The voices were back. So many thoughts swarmed my mind. Why? Oh, my shields were down. Memories flooded in of the pain and being burned alive. The poison. I gasped and sat up, my eyes wide open.
“Cassia.” Eli appeared in front of me. Then Von, Dare, and Gunner.
“Where am I?” I glanced around the room with purple walls and lavender trim. The dresser was black with white knobs.
Gunner hugged me to him. “We’re in Reese’s bedroom.”
“Oh.” It was so different than when I was here to heal Dimitri. I locked gazes with Gunner and noted he wasn’t in my mind, but my soul. I searched within and found mating links to each of my guys. “We’re all connected.”
Von eased on the bed and curled into my side with arm around my waist. “Don’t save my life again if it means risking yours.”
“I can’t make any promises. I am a Healer.”
Dare reached out and cupped my cheek. “How are you feeling?”
I breathed in then exhaled in a rush. “I feel wonderful. So you all had to complete the bond to heal me?”
“Reese’s mom and Dimitri made a neutralizing potion that helped. Once the bond was in place your wolf pulled on all our energies to heal you.” Eli watched me carefully like I would disappear.
My heart ached. I didn’t think of the stress I’d put on all my guys by taking the poison from Von. I felt the sadness and worry in the mating link from each of them even though they tried to hide it. “I want to see Reese. Where is she?”
Gunner and Von stood. Dare took my hand as I climbed off the bed and said, “She’s in the living room with her mates.”
And that was where I was going. When I reached the door thoughts of the candle popped in my mind. I whirled around. “The candle.”
Gunner smiled. “I got it.”
“Let’s go talk with Reese. We need a plan to get it to my dad.” I darted out the door before my guys could try to talk me into staying.
In the foyer, I heard the low rumble of voices coming from my right. Guessing that was the living room, I went that way. I stopped in the archway that opened to the large living room and locked gazes with Zane. A sense of home, of Pack, washed over me. Until that moment I was handling being away from the Pack just fine. But seeing Zane, smelling his scent unlocked the home sickness I tried to bury.
Reese glanced at me and I nodded to her. “Thanks for helping me.”
Her violet eyes brightened and she crossed the room to me, holding out her hands. “You healed Dimitri when you could have just told me I had the power all along.”
I took her hands and squeezed gently. A sense of kinship sparked between us. I wasn’t sure if it was from her bond to Zane, which bonds her to the Pack or that we are both hybrids fighting for the same cause. I was betting it was all the above. “I wasn’t sure at the time. Besides, I was curious and wanted to meet you.”
Reese crinkled her nose up. “I wish it was on better terms. Same with this visit.”
I held up the candle for Reese to see. “This is the candle Harrison is looking for.”
“Great.” Reese frowned. “The sleeping stone was destroyed.”
“But it saved your life. Plus it’s one less thing to worry about falling into Harrison’s hands.”
Reese pointed to the candle. “What are we supposed to do with that?”
“Dad wants it. He wants all the relics located and brought to him.” I glanced behind her when Zane moved to joined us.
He held out his hand to me, palm up. I glanced to Reese then to the Alpha Heir before slowly placing my hand on his. He closed his hand around mind and pulled me into a hug. I sank into him and inhaled his wolf’s scent. He smelled of sandalwood, like David.
From behind me I heard Gunner ask with a growl in his tone, “What’s going on?”
Reese waved him to the couch. “Zane is her Alpha Heir. She’s been away from the pack for a couple of days and almost died.”
Eli added, “Cassia is drawing strength from the Pack through Zane. Go sit.”
Suddenly Reese bounced on her feet and let out a squeak of excitement, then rushed out of the room. I stepped out of Zane’s hug and lift my gaze to his. “What’s going on?”
“Wyatt and Trevor are home from a week-long business trip.” Zane smiled and motioned to where my guys were. “Go sit with your mates. Reese and Dimitri have witch and council business to discuss with us all.”
I gave short nod and crossed the room to the sofa where I sat down between Von and Dare. Both of them leaned their shoulders into mine. My whole body warmed from the inside out feeling their connection.
Moment later Reese came back into the room with Wyatt and Trevor. The trio set on the couch across from us. Reese didn’t waste any time jumping into the topic of the council and Harrison. “What do you know about The Original Three?”
I shrugged. “They are they original paras, demi-gods who created all paranormal beings.”
“Did you know they knew there would be a day when the purity of our bloodlines would be no more. That by cross breeding with humans and other paras, we would evolve with diseases and defects? Paras would no long be able to self-heal?” Reese met my stare. There wasn’t mistrust in her depths, but there was something else. Like she was testing me to see if I would be truthful. I wondered if she knew my father started the Hybrid Project.
I lifted my chin and held her gaze. “I had theories. So did my father. He believed the Hybrid Project was the answer. It gave him the information and opportunity to study our genetics and see which paras were better paired up. He was looking for a cure for a para cancer that was far more fatal than and of the human cancers. My grandmother died from it.”
I sagged into Von and Dare and linked our hands together. “I think Dad is sick. He hasn’t confirmed it with me and refuses to talk about it. Right before Harrison shut down the program, I overheard Dad and Harrison arguing. Harrison was yelling. He’d said the tri-species had murdered his family and all hybrids were at risk of going rogue and needed to be destroyed. Dad pleaded with him that wasn’t the case. That Dad was so close to having the cure. Not only to the cancer, but all para borne illnesses and defects.” Pausing, I took a breath and pushed back the anger Harrison raised in me. “I think Harrison is building an army and making his own breed of hybrids. When we were attacked getting the candle, I fought and killed a vampire/demon hybrid. His humanity was gone. I couldn’t tell if he was under a spell or raised to be evil.”
Reese drew her brows together. “That was more info than I was expecting.”
“I don’t have a reason to lie to you, Reese.”
“No. Sorry. I have issues with trusting people. Your father didn’t tell me the whole truth.” Reese crossed her arms which made her sleeves ride up, exposing the scar on her right arm. “Starting over. I had a hunch the council was building an army. Now I know it is Harrison being a power greedy dickhead. I also found out that The Original Three created a spell that would cleanse and purify the para bloodlines. Carlyn saw the extinction of the paras. She made sure we would have would we needed to fight in a war or stop it before it happens.”
Studying the candle in my hand, I said. “So I was right. There is no immorality spell.”
“No,” Reese said with a soft laugh. “Harrison is an idiot if he believes that. Or should I say he thinks we are stupid for believing it. He very well may be spreading that lie to keep us from discovering the truth. I tried to contact Lewis but haven’t heard anything.”
“Dad is trapped at the mansion. Harrison has bound him to it.” I pressed my lips together. Anger and annoyance swirled inside me.
“Then we take the candle to Lewis. I have something else that needs to go with it.” Reese pulled a leather corded necklace she wore from inside her shirt. On the end of it was a small amber-colored vial. “Carlyn led me to her Book of Shadows. Inside was the full list of items needed to complete the cleansing spell. Hers and her brothers’ blood. This vile holds Carlyn’s. She gave to Dimitri’s family to hide it in the Coven. The wolf’s blood was given to Zane’s family. I’m not sure where the vampire blood is. The book only said the secret keeper. Whoever that is. But the blood needs to be used in with the spell or it becomes a curse.”
A gasp escaped me. “What kind of curse?”
Reese shook her head. “Carlyn’s notes didn’t say.”
It didn’t matter. All curses were bad in my book. “Dad sent me files of information. We haven’t gone through it all. He did stress to get the candle and bring it to him. So we need to go to the mansion.”
Dare dug in his jeans pocket and handed me the flash drive. “I brought it just in case.”
“Oh good. Thank you.” I handed it to Reese, but Dimitri stepped forward and took it. “Dare can help you with breaking the code.”
Dimitri nodded. “Then Dare and I can hang here and comb through the files. See if we can locate the wolf’s and the vampire’s blood.”
Dare straightened. “Stay here?” he stared at me. “You’re staying.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m the only one who knows how to get into the mansion unseen. At least I hope I can.”
Zane laughed. “Cassia is as stubborn as Reese. We should all be able to mind link together since Cassia has telepathy and Reese is bonded to me. Communication is important.” He glanced to his mate. “So is listening to your Alpha.”
Reese rolled her eyes. “I’ll listen when I believe you are right.”
A giggle bubbled up in me at Reese and Zane’s exchange. I rested my head on Dare’s shoulder and looked up at him. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, then kissed my forehead. “I’ll be fine staying here with Dimitri. We’ll hack into the mansion’s security cameras and be your eagle eyes.”
“Perfect. If I need you, I’ll let you know.” I glanced at Reese. “When can we leave?”
Motioning to the archway of the living room, she stood. “Right after we eat.”