Seth shook his head. “Ami said you were standing over Adira’s crib and had cloaked yourself in Marcus’s appearance.”
“What better place to protect the child than in her own room?” Jared rebutted. “I assumed Marcus’s appearance for two reasons. One, so if Gershom arrived he would take one look at me and discount me as a threat, giving me a better chance of attacking and holding his ass until you and the Others could join us. And two, so the babe would think me her daddy and not be afraid.” Jared’s brow furrowed. “Although I’m pretty sure she saw right through my ruse. She truly is an exceptional child.”
Seth stared at him.
Zach looked at Seth. “Do I really need to say this is bullshit again?”
Seth agreed. “Why should we believe you?”
“Because I’m the one who brought Heather and Ethan together.”
Seth stared at him. Jared had done that? Not Gershom? “Why?”
Jared frowned and shifted again. “That is something best explained with Heather and Ethan present.”
“Not going to happen,” Seth retorted.
“Trust me, cousin, when I say they’ll want to hear this.”
“I’ve no reason to trust you, cousin.”
Jared shook his head. “Well, I’m afraid you’ve little choice. Their lives . . . and yours . . . and the lives of your Immortal Guardians all depend upon you trusting me.”
Zach stopped straining against Seth’s hold.
Seth released Zach’s arm as all the fight seemed to leave him. What is it?
Zach’s gaze never strayed from their visitor. “You’ve seen something,” he said. “You’ve seen the future.”
Seth studied Jared. He had forgotten that Jared was subject to prophetic visions. Far stronger visions than those Seth received.
“Yes,” Jared confessed, his expression chilling Seth.
“What did you see?” Seth asked.
“I saw Gershom succeed,” Jared told them. “I saw Armageddon unfold. And this time, when the world is wiped clean, no one is going to warn Noah to build a boat.”
Shit. “You’re saying—”
“No one will survive,” Jared declared. “No bunker will be deep enough to protect humans. No amount of doomsday prepping will save lives. And we—all of us Others and your Immortal Guardians—will be destroyed as well.”
Stunned silence.
“You’ve had this vision?” Seth asked him.
“More than once. Which is why I was at David’s place during the battle.” Jared met each man’s gaze. “It’s time to choose sides, gentlemen. And I’ve chosen yours.”
Seth could find no response. He had been so sure he and Zach would be able to stop Gershom. Do Jared’s visions always come true? he asked Zach.
Always. But he’s never done anything before to try to alter their outcome. This is unprecedented. Whatever he saw must have scared the hell out of him.
Seth agreed. It must have if Jared was willing to risk all to join Zach, Seth, and the Immortal Guardians.
“What does this have to do with Heather and Ethan?” Seth asked him. “We know you’ve been manipulating her dreams and pitting vampires against them . . . at the very least.”
“Once more I ask that you allow the couple to join us so they can hear it, too. With you two as their guard, they’ve nothing to fear from me.”
Still no hint of deception bled into his words.
Seth looked to Zach. “Go get them.”
Seriously? Zach asked, his look questioning Seth’s sanity.
Yes.
You’re the one who keeps saying this could be a trap.
Then be quick about it. Tell them they’re welcome to come armed. But warn Ethan to keep his shit in check. I want to see where Jared is going with this and won’t be able to do that if Ethan lets fury drive him to attack the moment he hears who Jared is.
Sending Jared a warning glare, Zach vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Ethan.”
Heather jerked awake.
The mattress beneath her shook violently as a thud sounded.
“Ethan!”
Gasping, she raised her head and yanked the covers up to her chin.
Zach stood at the foot of the bed, scowling at the immortal still slumbering beside her. “He sleeps even harder than Lisette does,” he grumbled and kicked the bed frame again. “Wake up, damn it!”
Ethan didn’t so much as twitch, deeply ensconced in a healing sleep.
Sitting up, Heather touched his bare shoulder. “Ethan?”
Ethan’s eyes opened. “What?” He blinked up at her. “What is it?”
She nodded to their guest.
Spying Zach, Ethan sat up. “What are you doing here?”
“We’ve found the Other who has been fucking with Heather’s mind. Seth is holding him . . . in a manner of speaking . . . and would like you two to join us.”
Heather’s heart began to pound. They had found Gershom? Was this it, then? Would they finally learn why he had been manipulating her dreams?
Ethan stared at Zach, wide awake now. “You’ve caught Gershom?”
Zach shook his head. “Different Other. Turns out Gershom isn’t the one who was doing it. Get dressed while I get David up to speed.”
He vanished.
Heather leapt out of bed and began yanking on hunting clothes as fast as she could.
Ethan dressed in a matter of seconds, then packed on a buttload of weapons.
As soon as Heather tugged a shirt over her mussed hair and zipped up her pants, Ethan began to load her up with weapons as well.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Ethan murmured, his fear for her palpable.
“I don’t think Zach is giving us a choice,” she said as he fastened a holster to her thigh. “And I need to know what this Other did to me. Why he did it to me. To us. I need to know if I’m a threat to you.”
Heather barely had time to drag a comb through her hair and brush her teeth before Zach returned.
“Shall we?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He just gripped their shoulders and teleported them to a bowl-shaped clearing cloaked in darkness.
At least that was what Heather thought it was. She could barely see a thing.
Light bathed them as an old-fashioned lantern appeared in Seth’s hand. He flattened the grass in front of them and set it on the ground.
“Thank you.” Heather knew the light was for her benefit. The rest probably had no difficulty seeing each other.
Ethan wrapped an arm around her and drew her close.
Seth and Zach stood on either side of them.
A tall, bare-chested, handsome man who bore the look of an Immortal Guardian and . . . wings? . . . faced them.
Ethan glared at the stranger. “Is this the prick who fucked with Heather’s dreams?”
The stranger arched a brow. “Had I not fucked with Heather’s dreams, you two wouldn’t be together right now.”
Heather bit her lip. There was no denying that.
The stranger caught Heather’s eye. “I’m Jared.”
She refused to say it was a pleasure to meet him.
“As I was telling Seth and Zach, I’ve seen the future. Zach can confirm for you that my prophetic visions are always accurate. In the ones I began having about a year ago, I saw a future in which Gershom triumphs over you all and succeeds in sparking Armageddon.”
Heather’s stomach twisted into a knot.
“No one—humans, gifted ones, vampires, immortals, or Others—will survive.”
When Heather looked at Seth and Zach, their grim countenances sent fear careening through her.
Her heart began to pound. How much time did they have?
“Why did you fuck with her dreams?” Ethan pressed.
“Because World War Three was imminent. And I knew she was the key to preventing it.”
Silence fell in the wake of that bombshell.
Jared looked to Seth. “You wouldn’t have found the vampires’ lair in Russia before they attacked another U.S. military base. The next base they would’ve attacked would’ve been very large, very visible, and on American soil. The attack wouldn’t have been hidden from the public as the first two were. It would’ve left no doubt that Russia was responsible. And all hell would’ve broken loose. You needed General Lane on your side, both to help you find the vampires before they struck again and to help you control the fallout.” He shifted his attention back to Heather. “I knew you could make that happen.”
The power to speak eluded her.
“Had I not interfered, Ethan would’ve fought those vampires several miles down the road from your home and the two of you would’ve never met. A little mind control sent the vampires veering in your direction and”—he shrugged—“the dreams lured you into their skirmish.”
Seth shook his head. “Why didn’t you just come to me and tell me what you’d seen? Tell me what needed to be done?”
“Because the Others are watching you like a hawk. When Zach defected, he ran straight to you and your Immortal Guardians. They assume anyone else who may begin to have doubts will do the same. I couldn’t take the chance that they would capture me before I had an opportunity to speak with you. And . . .”
“And?” Ethan pressed.
“I wasn’t sure anything we did would make a difference,” Jared admitted. “My visions always come true. I’ve never tried to intervene and evoke a different outcome before and didn’t know I could until . . .” He shifted, uneasiness creeping into his expression.