Light illuminates the room, and Marcus steps back, hiding more fully behind his bulk.
"Who are you?" he asks, and I glance at the knife he's holding behind his back.
When I try to step around him to see who's talking, Vanessa steps forward to block the gap. I can't see anything, and yet I know who's talking. I just can't rember who they are.
"Easy, wolves. I am no enemy of yours, and no danger to the witch you shield."
"Give us your na," Vanessa snaps, uncharacteristic hostility in her tone. "Who are you, and why do you know us?"
"Ah, yes. I suppose you wouldn't know. I am known as Acarus, of the Fourth Beginning. You know my mother."
"Mother?" Marcus asks, shifting his weight as he edges a little closer. "And who might that be?"
"And what the hell is the Fourth Beginning?" Vanessa's annoyance is clear. "You can't throw around words and expect them to an a thing."
"Oh. Yes, I suppose you wouldn't know that, either." A long pause. "Don't look at so, wolves. My mother is Miriam, of the Fourth Beginning. Or, as you know it, Dakota Sanctuary." There's a lilt in his voice that tells he's probably smiling. "Does that help?"
"Miriam?"
The talk of a mother dislodged a long-forgotten mory, and I shove past Marcus.
The golden stranger stands before us, his palms raised in a gesture of peace. His ethereal beauty is just as striking as I rember—inhuman in its perfection. Golden hair catches the light, and those piercing blue eyes seem to shift to a crimson hue as they move. A mild smile plays on his lips, but it does little to ease the tension in the room.
Marcus and Vanessa tug back, their protective instincts kicking in, but I shake them off as I exclaim, "It's you!"
I turn to my friends, eager to explain. "He was in the woods during the Blackwood riot. He didn't harm then."
Acarus nods in my direction, his gaze appraising. "You've beco stronger since we last t, Ava Grey."
A question that's been nagging at since our first encounter bubbles to the surface.
"Are you the vampire Margot was talking about?" I blurt out.
Confusion flickers across his perfect features. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
I take a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. "There was a vampire on Blackwood lands. Margot ca to warn about it, right before I found you in the woods." It was so long ago, the details blur in my mind. "She was worried about sothing. Worried I'd tell Lucas about their connection with vampires, I think."
His brows arch and he tilts his head in thought. "That seems unlikely. I have no contact with others. Especially wolves."
His words don't quite satisfy my curiosity, but before I can press further, he changes the subject.
"Why don't you all co down for dinner? I'm sure you must be hungry after your ordeal."
Marcus and Vanessa exchange wary glances. I can feel their hesitation, their distrust of this beautiful stranger who seems to know so much about us.
"I think we can trust him," I say, surprising myself with the conviction in my voice. If Sister Miriam is his mother, then he's probably on our side.
Vanessa's eyes narrow. "He knows things he shouldn't, Ava."
"Because his mother is our ally," I point out.
Marcus shakes his head, his posture tense. "He was near Blackwood before we began working with Sister Miriam. That's too convenient to be coincidence."
"You're the ones who intruded on my privacy," Acarus points out from the bottom of the stairs. "Co along. I made sure to have dinner waiting for you."
Marcus moves first, his movents cautious as he descends the stairs. His hand never strays far from his weapon. Vanessa follows, positioning herself behind .
Acarus leads us into a giant dining room. The entire house looks familiar, but it isn't until I see the giant table that I realize why.
It's eccentric and eclectic, just like the first place I t Sister Miriam. This one isn't quite the sa, but it definitely has the sa feeling.
There are more windows here, for one. And outside the windows is nothing but trees. Wherever we are, it isn't in a city.
"I apologize for the modest accommodations," he says, as if a huge table that can easily fit sixteen is not good enough.
The table is set for four, a simple spread of bread, cheese, and what looks like a hearty stew steaming in earthenware bowls. It's far from the elaborate Fae als we've grown accustod to, but my stomach growls appreciatively at the sight.
Marcus and Vanessa remain tense.
Wait a second.
"How did you know we would be here?"
He chuckles, and even the sound is perfect. lodious and deep, like a soothing balm to frayed nerves.
"Please, sit," Acarus says, taking a seat at the head of the table. "I'll do my best to answer your questions."
I slide into a chair, ignoring the pointed looks from Marcus and Vanessa. They reluctantly join us, positioning themselves on either side of like sentinels.
"First, how did you know we would be here? Second, you said Sister Miriam is your mother," I begin, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. "How is that possible? She never ntioned having children, and vampires aren't usually…" Well, that's kind of silly. She's the product of a vampire and sothing else herself. "Well, do dhampirs have… babies?"
His lips quirk into a small smile. "Mother can be selective with the information she divulges. I'm sure you've noticed that by now."
With all the tis she's danced around the subject or promised to answer things later, much like Selene does—yeah, I'd say I've noticed that.
"I am not her biological son," he says, motioning for us to partake as he sits back in his chair.
Marcus and Vanessa sit stoic, not tempted by the food. Though I'm pretty sure it's safe, I follow their lead.
"She has raised since I was young. In every way that matters, she is my mother. Do you not like stew?"
"We'd rather have answers right now," Vanessa says, still suspicious. "How did you know about our arrival? We didn't plan on coming here."
Lacing his fingers together, he sighs. "Truth be told, I didn't know exactly when you would arrive. I've been preparing a al every day for weeks." He nods toward the food on the table. "At least this ti I won't be throwing it out for the pigs."
Pigs? I want to ask about the pigs, but I keep my mouth shut. More important things to worry about than pigs.
"How did you know we were coming?" Marcus asks again, each word like a hamr.
I think I know the answer.
"My mother told to expect you." He shrugs. "Not everything cos to pass, but I've learned to listen when she speaks."
Bingo.
Feeling a little triumphant at finally understanding sothing, I grab a chunk of bread. It's soft and squishy, fluffing back to shape after being squeezed, with a hard crust.
Would probably go great with the stew.
Ignoring Marcus and Vanessa's double side-eye, I pull a bowl closer to , dipping the bread in it.
It's delicious. Amazing. A simple fare, elevated by whatever spices are in it.
I groan in appreciation, and Acarus grins. "I'm happy to see you enjoying the food, Ava. "
"Why were you at Blackwood during the riot?" Marcus asks, still not warming to the newcor.
"Spying," he admits, with an unrepentant smile. "Mother likes to keep an eye on things."
"So you know a lot of what's going on at any given ti?" I ask around a mouthful of bread.
Vanessa elbows . She might not trust Acarus, but she's not okay with bad manners.
"Of course."
"Then, what's going on with the packs? I can't reach my mate." Though, now that we aren't in the city, I should try again. Digging into my pocket, I pull out my phone with eager fingers.
No signal.
Of course there's no signal here.
Holding my phone up high, I move it from side to side, trying to see if I can even get a single bar.
No such luck.
Acarus watches , waiting until I set my phone down with a long sigh to finally answer.
"The packs…" For the first ti, Acarus' golden light grows dim, his face taut and lips pressed together in a tight line. Sighing, he rubs one blond eyebrow with a perfectly manicured finger. "Much has happened. My mother is searching for information as we speak."
My stomach drops to the floor. The food, the pigs, and any other questions we may have are shoved to the side as I jump out of my seat, slamming my hands against the table as I lean toward him. "What happened? Where's Lucas?"
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