complicated.”
Ivy used the wall to climb to her feet. “Am I dead?”
“Not yet.”
Liv said it with a smile that sent a chill down Ivy’s spine. “You’re obviously ready to mete out that deed. Why am I still alive?”
“The Chiassons. You have information on them that we’d like.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Then you’ll be down here for a while.”
The fear within Ivy was overtaken by anger. “You can’t do that.”
“We can do anything we please,” Liv said with a confident smile.
“There are many who know the Chiassons. Why are you asking me?”
“Because you fell in love with Christian. You made it so easy. That family has been killing us for centuries, and it’s time it stopped.”
Ivy squared her shoulders. “You might stop one of them, but not all of them. There are enough that know what the Chiassons do to pick up where they left off if you do manage to kill them.”
“Kill them?” Liv asked in a strangled voice. She laughed loud and long. “Oh, sweetie. We’re not going to kill them. We’re going to turn them to our side.”
“Never going to happen.”
Liv shrugged as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked Ivy up and down. “Strange things happen when you keep two lovers away from each other. Christian fell hard for you. The longer he goes thinking you’re dead, the easier he’ll be to turn our way. After all, we have the one thing he wants above anything else.”
Ivy covered her mouth with her hand as her stomach revolted. Christian was too strong. He wouldn’t fall for what was planned. Not her Christian.
“No.”
“You can deny it all you want,” Liv said saucily. “We have Christian right where we want him.”
Ivy let Liv’s words repeat in her head as she frowned. “You talk as if you’ve been planning this.”
“Well, of course.”
“What?”
Liv chuckled and walked to the side to lean against a wall. “You and Christian have been destined for each other since before you were born.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Denial won’t change anything. You humans think you know so much, but in reality, you know nothing. The world runs very differently than you’ve been led to believe. There are some couples that are destined for each other. Like you and Christian. Then there are some that don’t happen until they meet, like Lincoln and Ava.”
Ivy was thankful the wall was behind her because her legs were too wobbly to hold her.
“We tried to keep Davena from Beau, but they were another couple fated for each other.”
Ivy put her hands over her ears. “Stop talking.”
“Is the truth too painful to bear?”
The snarky tone was too much for Ivy. She closed her eyes and thought back to one of the few perfect moments in her life – sitting on the swing with Christian, listening to the rain fall.
“Hold onto your memories while you can,” Liv said next to Ivy’s ear. “They’ll be gone soon enough.”
Ivy opened her eyes, but Liv was gone. Ivy slumped to the floor and buried her face in her hands.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was two days after Ivy vanished that Christian returned to the house. He had no intention of staying. He wanted to fill up his backpack with supplies, and then he was leaving.
For good.
“Christian,” Davena said as she descended the stairs and saw him in the foyer.
He gave her a nod in greeting, then started up the stairs to his room. She stepped in front of him to halt his passage. Christian released a long breath and then met her gaze.
“I know you’re angry with me,” Davena began.
He smiled, but there was no humor in it. “You killed her.”
“Nothing was going to stop the Hell Hounds from getting her. She wanted to make sure you weren’t killed in the process.”
“Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep better at night. You did the spell because you didn’t want to lose Beau.”
Davena’s green eyes stared at him coolly. “That’s true. Just as Olivia and Ava didn’t want to see
Ivy used the wall to climb to her feet. “Am I dead?”
“Not yet.”
Liv said it with a smile that sent a chill down Ivy’s spine. “You’re obviously ready to mete out that deed. Why am I still alive?”
“The Chiassons. You have information on them that we’d like.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Then you’ll be down here for a while.”
The fear within Ivy was overtaken by anger. “You can’t do that.”
“We can do anything we please,” Liv said with a confident smile.
“There are many who know the Chiassons. Why are you asking me?”
“Because you fell in love with Christian. You made it so easy. That family has been killing us for centuries, and it’s time it stopped.”
Ivy squared her shoulders. “You might stop one of them, but not all of them. There are enough that know what the Chiassons do to pick up where they left off if you do manage to kill them.”
“Kill them?” Liv asked in a strangled voice. She laughed loud and long. “Oh, sweetie. We’re not going to kill them. We’re going to turn them to our side.”
“Never going to happen.”
Liv shrugged as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked Ivy up and down. “Strange things happen when you keep two lovers away from each other. Christian fell hard for you. The longer he goes thinking you’re dead, the easier he’ll be to turn our way. After all, we have the one thing he wants above anything else.”
Ivy covered her mouth with her hand as her stomach revolted. Christian was too strong. He wouldn’t fall for what was planned. Not her Christian.
“No.”
“You can deny it all you want,” Liv said saucily. “We have Christian right where we want him.”
Ivy let Liv’s words repeat in her head as she frowned. “You talk as if you’ve been planning this.”
“Well, of course.”
“What?”
Liv chuckled and walked to the side to lean against a wall. “You and Christian have been destined for each other since before you were born.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Denial won’t change anything. You humans think you know so much, but in reality, you know nothing. The world runs very differently than you’ve been led to believe. There are some couples that are destined for each other. Like you and Christian. Then there are some that don’t happen until they meet, like Lincoln and Ava.”
Ivy was thankful the wall was behind her because her legs were too wobbly to hold her.
“We tried to keep Davena from Beau, but they were another couple fated for each other.”
Ivy put her hands over her ears. “Stop talking.”
“Is the truth too painful to bear?”
The snarky tone was too much for Ivy. She closed her eyes and thought back to one of the few perfect moments in her life – sitting on the swing with Christian, listening to the rain fall.
“Hold onto your memories while you can,” Liv said next to Ivy’s ear. “They’ll be gone soon enough.”
Ivy opened her eyes, but Liv was gone. Ivy slumped to the floor and buried her face in her hands.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was two days after Ivy vanished that Christian returned to the house. He had no intention of staying. He wanted to fill up his backpack with supplies, and then he was leaving.
For good.
“Christian,” Davena said as she descended the stairs and saw him in the foyer.
He gave her a nod in greeting, then started up the stairs to his room. She stepped in front of him to halt his passage. Christian released a long breath and then met her gaze.
“I know you’re angry with me,” Davena began.
He smiled, but there was no humor in it. “You killed her.”
“Nothing was going to stop the Hell Hounds from getting her. She wanted to make sure you weren’t killed in the process.”
“Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep better at night. You did the spell because you didn’t want to lose Beau.”
Davena’s green eyes stared at him coolly. “That’s true. Just as Olivia and Ava didn’t want to see
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