It took him over two hours of explaining to her that her location had been jeopardized, that there was a high chance Max would be forced to talk—she refused to believe that—and that her family and friends could be hurt. She’d been less inclined to argue when he brought that up, and Conall had to hammer those points home before she agreed.
She insisted upon one condition.
She wanted Cassie and Drew with her. Hours ago, Conall might have argued, but after spending the better part of the morning engaged in this battle with Vivienne, he was willing to agree to almost anything that would get her to Cedar Creek. If they wanted to come, they could. It would give her access to people she knew, and make the transition easier. It was at times easy to forget that Vivienne was still very new to all of this. It was impressive, the way she seemed to be taking most of it in stride. As he looked over at her, in conversation with Drew, he thought of Brennus and Gresham. Not only was he bringing a druid mate to Cedar Creek, but he’d agreed to bring her human friend and her druid twin. A smirk touched his lips. They were not going to like this.
***
“Vivienne, I’m not coming with you. I can’t,” Drew broke off and shook her head. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she’d been crying recently, and she seemed…terrified.
Vivienne looked around the living room. Conall was staring at her, but everyone else seemed involved in some form of conversation or the other. She took a seat next to her friend. “What—why?”
Drew shook her head and fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. “Viv, I may not look it, but I’m losing it over here, okay? We don’t know where Max is, or what’s happening to him. He could be—” she broke off and Vivienne could tell from her face that she meant to say ‘dead.’ “I’m not like all of you. I’m human and I don’t…. Viv, I’m sorry. It’s just too much, okay? I’ve already asked your Mom to take me into the city.” When Vivienne continued to stare at her blankly, Drew continued, “You’ll still have my number, and when everything blows over, you can come visit, or maybe I’ll come visit you. I don’t know how it works. And you have my e-mail address…and I’ll give you my new address.”
“Wait, Drew. What if they come after you?”
Drew shook her head in the negative. “They won’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
“They won’t, Vivienne,” Drew said firmly. It was obvious she was trying to convince herself of it.
“Okay.” She forced a smile. “Where are you going to stay?”
“My aunt lives in Brooklyn. I already asked her if I could spend a few weeks there until I find a place.”
Vivienne’s brows furrowed. “I didn’t know you had family in Brooklyn.”
“I do. On my father’s side.”
Drew’s father had been estranged since she was a baby. She never spoke of him, and certainly never spoke of his side of the family.
“You can stay with me until you—”
“Viv!” Drew muttered, running a hand over her face. When she looked back to Vivienne, her eyes were pleading. “Viv, I love you. You know I do, but I need normal, and everything here is just not.” You are not normal.
She didn’t say it, but Vivienne heard it as if the words had been screamed aloud. “I understand. I’m sorry I got you into this.”
“It’s not your fault, Viv.” She clasped her hands together and said, “Can you call me as soon as you hear anything about Max? I just need to know he’s okay.”
Vivienne nodded and Drew gave her a tight hug. “Nothing’s going to change, Viv. I’m just going to be a couple of miles away, that’s all.”
***
Max groaned, barely managing to lift his head. How long had he been chained to this wall? It felt like years, but couldn’t have been more than days.
He tried to swallow and ended up coughing. His throat was dry, his stomach hollow. He hadn’t eaten or drunk since his time in the cell. The human part of him had long since slinked away, leaving his warlock to withstand the torture heaped on him in hopes that he would cave. The pale blue of his body was marked with cuts and punctures that had long since stopped healing. They were draining him, weakening him. One thing was certain. His father intended to kill him.
The door swung open, as it had countless times before, and he watched his torturers walk through. His eyes hardened. If he ever got out of these chains….
“Have you had enough, Maximilian?” The question came from the female, a bitch as beautiful as she was bloodthirsty. She approached him and pushed his head to the side, tracing a gloved finger down his neck.