“I don’t want the men to know.”

Cain frowned at her. “Of course they’re going to know. Knowing will give them hope.”

“No. I can’t even walk across a room without tripping. Any man who sees me like this will coddle me. I can’t stand the thought of being treated like a child. Ever again.”

He nodded slowly, his lips flat in unhappy acceptance. “You can take the time you need to adjust, but this isn’t something we can hide. You’ve had the mind of an adult for a long time. You know what we’re up against.”

“And I will take my place in the war. I will bind myself to a man and fight by his side. But not now. Not yet.”

“Then when? And what will you do in the meantime?”

“I’m going to live. Finally. I’ve been alive for centuries, but I’ve never really lived my life on my terms. I’ve always been under the control of someone else. My parents. You.”

He jerked back as if she’d struck him. “I didn’t control you. I protected you as I would my own daughter.”

“You watched over me day and night. You knew where I was all the time. You kept tabs on my life and the company I kept. I understand why you did it. I even accept that there was no other way, but that was when I was small. Weak.”

“You’re still weak,” he pointed out.

“For now. But I’ll get stronger every day. And I’m going to do it on my own.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m leaving Dabyr.”

“Leaving . . . ? Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

“I don’t care. I’ve been a prisoner my whole life. I’ve thought about this for days, and I realize that as long as I stay here, I’ll be treated like a child.”

“Do you hear yourself? You’ve only thought about this for days. What’s the rush? Your parents died. You haven’t even processed that yet, haven’t grieved. You need to stay where I can take care of you.”

“No. I can’t. If I do, my life will stay as it has been. I can’t stand that, Cain. I need some space. Some freedom.”

He turned away from her, peering through the lacy curtains. “Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. Away from here.”

“You won’t be safe. What if your sister finds you?”

Sibyl didn’t dare tell him that her powers were gone. He’d see that only as a further weakness and reason why she should stay caged. “I won’t let her. I’ll go somewhere safe. Perhaps one of the other strongholds.”

When he turned back to her, his eyes were suspiciously shiny. “If anything happened to you, it would end me. I get that that’s a terrible burden to lay at anyone’s feet, but I have to be honest. I love you. I’ll always love you. You’ve been my little girl for hundreds of years, and that’s not something that goes away no matter how big you grow. You’re always going to be a part of me.”

Because Sibyl loved him, she refused to lie. “I love you, too. I promise I’ll be careful.”

Cain nodded. Sadness bowed his body as he turned toward the door. “I’ll talk to Joseph. I’ll make sure you get what you need.”

Just like he always had.

Cain didn’t know how he was going to stand losing Sibyl. Caring for her had been his greatest joy in life. And now she was leaving.

He couldn’t blame her for wanting to go, but that didn’t stop the mountain of grief he felt from crushing him.

His baby girl was leaving him. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t his biological child, or that she hadn’t even really been a child for a long time. The only thing that mattered was that he’d felt like a father. And now she was taking that away.

He knew she’d always love him. He also knew that it was healthy for her to move out on her own, but after so many years, he wasn’t sure if his heart could handle the shock.

He arranged for more food to be taken to their suite as he headed for Joseph’s office. He wasn’t sure how he was going to convince their leader to let an unbound female Theronai out on her own, but he had to find a way. Sibyl deserved to be happy. He wanted that for her more than he wanted anything. And if he had to fight Joseph to make it happen, then that’s what he’d do.

A searing pain hit his chest, nearly knocking him over. It felt like something had stabbed him, and he jerked his shirt up to see what it was.

A trio of leaves fell from his lifemark, fluttering down over his skin as they fell.

Cain braced himself against the wall. He’d always had a healthy batch of leaves. His pain had always been manageable.

That had been Sibyl’s doing. She’d needed him, and because of that, he’d stayed strong and solid.

She didn’t need him anymore, and based on the proof gathering at the base of his lifemark, his soul knew it.

Chapter 17

“I saw two new faces today,” said Sister Olive that night as she loaded blankets into the washing machine. “A man and a young woman. The man was asking some of the others about you. Do you know him?”

Hope stifled a yawn as she folded laundry. The easy, mundane chore helped soothe her nerves, giving her time to think. Fatigue grated against her eyes and ached in her joints.

She’d finished her last appointment and closed up shop early, leaving Jodi to her work. The whole day had oozed by in a fog of fatigue and frustration and she needed to get out and clear her head.

She wasn’t sure if she was going to see Logan again or not. She tried to convince herself that having him out of her life was for the best, but she couldn’t quite choke down that lie.

“I didn’t see a man. I only saw the young woman,” she told Sister Olive. “The pretty one with the dark, frightened eyes. The one in the too-small clothes.” Not only had they been too small, they’d also been slutty, like something a streetwalker would wear. That coupled with the fear screaming through her aura made Hope wonder what had happened to the poor girl.

“I found her something that fits in the donation box. And I called Dr. Oakes to see if she could stop by for a visit.”

“You think she was abused,” said Hope. She’d thought the same thing when she’d seen the small, black-eyed woman stumble in here as if dazed.

“Dr. Oakes will be the judge of that. We’ll get her any help she might need.”

Hope stacked a folded towel onto the pile. “Do you think she’ll stay that long?”

Sister Olive shrugged. “I don’t know. We can only pray she does.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“No. I think she’s too skittish for that. Give her some space and we’ll let Dr. Oakes approach her.”

Hope nodded. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here as much lately.”

“Child, I’m surprised you stuck around this long. Your business is growing. You need to nurture it like a plant or it’ll die on the vine.”

“My business is fine. And I like being here. You’re my family. Besides, I seem to be the only one around here that’s convinced people are going missing.”

Sister Olive smoothed stray strands of iron gray hair behind her ear and gave Hope a hard stare. “People come and go. You know that as well as I do. If you go out there trying to keep tabs on everyone, you’re going to scare them away.”

“What if you’re wrong? What if this feeling I have is right and they’re out there, hoping someone will save them?”

“You plan to save them?”

“Why not?”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit dangerous? You need to leave that kind of work to the police.”

“They’re doing what they can,” said Hope, repeating what the cops had told her over and over.

Sister Olive abandoned the laundry and gave Hope a tight hug. “Don’t you dare get yourself hurt. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going out again tonight, aren’t you?”

Hope nodded. “I have to. I can’t sit around and do nothing.”

Sister Olive gave her a maternal smile. “I understand. You have a calling you need to answer. I won’t stop you.”

That was good, because while Hope desperately wanted Sister Olive’s blessing, she knew she’d continue on her chosen path even without it. She didn’t need anyone’s approval to do what she thought was right. Not Sister Olive’s and certainly not Logan’s.

Tynan had done what he could for Grace and was on his way out to finally meet Logan when Nika stopped him in his path. Her white hair and pale skin made her blue eyes stand out in stark contrast. She was dressed from head to toe in black leather, and Tynan would have bet his fangs that Madoc had made sure it was imbued with the strongest protective wards the Sentinels had to offer.

“You have to do something,” she said, hands on her hips, her booted feet braced apart.

“I am doing something. You’re getting in my way.”

“You have to do something about Tori,” she clarified. “She’s slipping away.”

“I saw her last night. She’s suffering, but she’s not getting any worse. I’ve done all I can.”

“She is getting worse.” Nika frowned in confusion, shaking her head. “I can’t touch her mind much anymore. She keeps me out. But sometimes, I get a glimpse of her thoughts and they’re not healthy. She’s consumed with thoughts of revenge.”

“I’d say that’s good. She needs something to work toward, and while I’d rather she be pushing herself to become well enough to take her place among the Theronai, I won’t complain about her choice of motivation. So long as she stays motivated.”

“Your efforts to clean her blood have failed.”

“I can only do so much for her at a time. You have no idea how exhausting—how painful—it is to fight back the taint that’s in her.”

Nika stripped off her leather jacket and tossed it on the floor. She shoved up her sleeve and offered him her delicate, pale arm. “Go ahead. Chow down.”

Tynan shook his head and backed up a step. Not only would Madoc kill him—again—if he touched her, he didn’t want her blood inside him. It would give her too much power, allowing her to see into his thoughts.

Tynan had far too many secrets to keep to let that happen. His as well as those of others he’d fed from. “No, thanks. I’m on my way to meet Logan. He’ll give me what I need.”

“You’re not leaving. Not with Tori like this.”

Frustration grated along his nerves. He knew better than to let it out on Nika, but the urge to vent at someone was nearly overwhelming. “I’ve been stuck here for days, taking care of both your sister as well as Grace, who is, by the way, much worse off than Tori. I have done everything within my power to see to it that they both recover. Logan has found a new source of power, and if you value your sister’s life, you will step out of my way and let me pass.”