Of course Rosalind was more difficult. Rosalind was awful. Even as a four-year-old, she’d been a nightmare. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“She’s a Hunter now. I sent Malphus to find her, but he was captured.”
So that was how Malphus had been captured. Caine’s chest tightened. “You must be joking. You want me to persuade a Hunter to join a vampire army?”
He could feel the tension rolling off Aurora. She’d just nearly burned to death at the hands of the Hunters, and she hated them every bit as much as he did. Neither of them wanted to work with someone from the Brotherhood.
A mixture of guilt and rage tightened Caine’s chest. He’d never known what had happened to the twins—only that they’d disappeared from Maremount. Lord Atherton’s actions all those years ago had set off a chain of events that had warped all their lives—Rosalind’s included. And now she’d become embedded among the very people who wanted her dead. “How did she end up among the Hunters?”
“Lord Atherton gave his twin daughters to the Brotherhood. He didn’t want them to know their own power. You know why.”
Caine’s stomach clenched. Ambrose and Malphus were the only people alive who knew all his secrets. “Rosalind has no idea what she is? She believes she’s an ordinary human?”
“From what I understand,” said Ambrose, “she’s particularly committed to the Brotherhood’s cause. She abhors magic.”
Even if this outcome had been set in motion by her father’s actions long ago, it was hard not to loathe Rosalind. Hunters like her had murdered scores of ordinary humans over the years—and now that they knew what they were doing, they were coming for the real demons. He’d just witnessed the product of their fanaticism this morning when he’d watched Valerie and the others burn to death in the morning light.
“There must be another way,” he said. “I don’t trust anyone associated with the Brotherhood, and I don’t want to waste time trying to persuade one of their slavish devotees to see reason while my brother languishes in a torture dungeon. I don’t even know if he’s still alive. And if this spell is as complicated as you say, how long will it take for me to train her? If she doesn’t accept her magic, it won’t work. We’re wasting time.”
Ambrose’s nostrils flared. “The Chambers stands rigged with flamethrowers and anti-magic devices. We can’t set foot in there.” He paused, pressing his fingers over his lips. “I see your point, though. We must free Malphus as soon as possible. I’m not going to let another incubus die. You must access your magic in some way. There must be a spell that can help us.”
Caine closed his eyes, running through some of the military spells in his arsenal. “I know a number of attack spells, but I’d need a second mage to contain the destruction, or the prisoners will die.”
“He would destroy half of Boston,” said Aurora.
Caine crossed his arms. “Most mages work in covens for exactly this sort of reason.”
“Exactly my point. You need two more. The Atherton twins will be useful to you, to help control some of your raw power. Find them, and we can free Malphus. And then we will work on the daylight spell.”
“I hate Hunters,” said Aurora. “But if you think this is best for us, I will do whatever it takes to find these girls. Where do we start looking?”
Ambrose acknowledged her with a nod. “Rosalind is a student at Thorndike University. I believe you’ll find her out hunting tonight.”
Caine rubbed a knot in his forehead, still trying to process this information. “If she’s possessed by a mage’s spirit, why haven’t the other Hunters killed her?”
Ambrose took a deep breath. “She doesn’t know. But my source tells me the Brotherhood may have learned her true nature.”
Of course. Malphus might have recognized her… He let the thought die out, unwilling to entertain what his brother must have endured to give up his secrets.
“You must warn her, now,” Ambrose continued. “Tell her the truth and give her some time to accept it. Keep an eye on her. As soon as the Brotherhood turn on her, you’ll be waiting there to rescue her.”
For so many reasons, Caine didn’t want anything to do with her. “You know how I feel about her family. I will do as you ask, but I won’t spend any more time with her than absolutely required.”
Ambrose’s green gaze bored into him. The vampire was obviously losing patience. “You only need to take her to Abduxiel Mansion and report back to me. Orcus can help her learn about magic while you look for Miranda. She’ll be easier to handle. She never joined the Brotherhood. This is an order, Caine.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t lost their minds,” muttered Caine. He knew only too well the dangers of having an extra soul.
“Perhaps they have. That’s something I’d like you to find out.” A faint smile played on Ambrose’s lips. “I have complete faith in you. If anyone can persuade a human woman to do what they want, it’s you.”
CHAPTER 3