Page 99 of Beauty

Nate puts a hand on his son’s head, smoothing his hair back.“He was taken when we brought our wine to the marketplace. We’re isolated. Wehadn’t heard that Torin was laying claim to all bondmates. Honestly, we didn’tknow Charlie could bond.”

“The mayor told us he could.” Zane stands over them both,his eyes worried.

Nathan’s lips turn up in a smile. “The mayor is insane, andhe told us Charlie could bond because of that device Caleb made for him totrack Planeswalker demons. Please excuse us. Mayor Mel is a brilliant warrior,but he’s preoccupied with what he calls the coming Demon Invasion. Anyway. Zaneand I were haggling and then Charlie was gone. He’s been missing for two years.If Torin is selling bondmates to vampires, why wouldn’t he feed our son?Wouldn’t a vampire want a healthy mate?”

Roan stares down at the boy, his mouth a harsh line. “Yourson is certainly a consort, or what you would call a bondmate. I see his glowas clearly as the female consorts here.”

“And any vampire would be horrified at his condition,”Dellacourt assures us.

I feel a building rage. Torin didn’t mean to sell this boy.No vampire would accept that his consort was treated in such a way. “I’m not afull vampire, but I know for a fact that the one way to have gotten the Councilto enter this war was for word to leak that consorts were being abused. Thevampires would have invaded.”

Gillian kneels by the bed, laying her hands on the youngman. She closes her eyes and seems to be calling on that part of herself thatworks magic. “He’s been fed upon, but not in any way I understand.”

My stomach turns. I remember the vision the hag sent me.“The hag. She’s been eating at his soul.”

Nate makes a low moan of pain and clutches his son’s hand. Zaneturns a stark white.

“What does it mean?” Zane asks.

Thank gods my smarter half likes to study. Shim folds hisarms across his chest. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Hags, even somenon-corporeal dead, can feast on the living. What I believe she’s trying to dois absorb his psychic power.”

“She wants to be able to bond?” Bronwyn asks. “Why?”

Shim shrugs. “I don’t know, love, but it would explain theritual of soul eating. It would take a long time. She would have to drain himover a couple of days or weeks. She would take his blood, withhold food andwater. She would torture him. Anything to break down his resistance. The bodyneeds a soul. It would rather die than go without one, so she has to becareful. If she simply killed him, the soul would go wherever souls go.”

“Through the door,” Duffy says. I feel my heart twist as mybrother, my little champion, speaks. His small hands clench together. “There’sa door and light. It calls to a soul, tells you to go through, that moreadventures are waiting, just waiting past that door.” He shakes his head and adeep breath fills his lungs. “Or that’s what I’ve heard.”

Shim looks at Duffy, suspicion clear in his eyes, but hecontinues anyway. “She has to bring him to the brink of death, bit by bit sothe soul hovers, unsure whether it’s time to go or not. And she catches it andconsumes it in a ritual. I’ve only read about it, of course, but technically itshould give the hag any powers the soul contained. Consorts and bondmates havemeasurable psychic energy. I’m sure that makes her spells more powerful.”

“She’s making up for the lack of three.” Charlie’s eyesopen, his voice strained.

“Don’t, son,” Zane says. “Rest. We’ll have you home to yourmother soon.”

Charlie’s head shakes. “Already feel a little stronger. Howdid you get into the dungeon?”

“Believe it or not, a sluagh guided us. He knew how to sneakin.” Nate grips his son’s hand. “I know this sounds crazy, but he looked justlike the old king.”

Bronwyn sniffles. “My father. I was told he fought to stay evenafter he died. He’s still fighting for his kingdom.”

A kernel of guilt opens inside me. Duffy’s words echo in myears, but I’m not going to let them sway me. Bronwyn needs to be safe. Duffyneeds to be safe. Safety is better than any cause.

Charlie’s head turns at the sound of Bronwyn’s voice. “It’syou.”

She smiles, a little sadly. “I am Princess Bronwyn. I am sosorry I haven’t done anything to help.”

“No,” the young man says, a smile turning his lips up. “Notthe princess. You’re the voice. You’re the voice in our heads. Goddess, I can’tbelieve you’re real. Can’t you all hear it? Do you hear the hum?”

Kaja walks to the bed. “I have heard it for days, but Dantethought it was all the vampire technology.”

Gillian’s eyes turn down. “I’ve heard it since the day I mether as a girl. But it was faint. Just a hum in the back of my mind until thelast few days.”

I close my eyes, the enormity of what my wife is hitting mesquarely in the chest. I don’t want to be sure, but I have to. “Bronwyn, thinksomething.”

She glances at me, confusion on her face. “I am almostalways thinking something.”

Shim seems to understand immediately. “Think something atGillian. Specifically. Try to get her to hear you.”

Bron turns toward Gillian and her brow sets in a seriousline.