Page 9 of Between Imminent Fates

Drake was the one who broke it. “What else have you done?”

“I’ve done more than you can possibly imagine.” Her voice softened, knowing that the news must be difficult to hear. “I’ve been working toward this outcome for centuries, moving pieces on a chessboard that was hundreds of years in the future.”

Key studied Drake and Toni. “You two were the modern-era linchpin that ensured only a handful of future scenarios were now possible. If you hadn’t met and fallen in love, theCitizenswould’ve dispatched us long ago.”

Toni paled.

Key took the last remaining seat in the lounge. “Who do you think just conveniently happened to give Cortana Broadway tickets? Or told Nova where to go to find you afterward? Coincidence?”

Speaking the words made her feel lighter than she had in centuries, but their hearts hadn’t been won yet. Believing her was vital, but they needed to trust her for the good of the plan.

With every breath, she drew closer to revealing the piece that’d be the toughest to swallow. It might turn the tide of their opinion, twisting her from a hero to a villain in a heartbeat. Though she’d never wanted to be thanked, being scorned and detested would break another piece of her soul.

“Every person in this room is of vital importance—as is Derikles, Isaiah,” she added. “Your second must be involved moving forward.”

For an excruciatingly tense moment, the weight of Isaiah’s glare abraded her skin. Then, finally, he gave a small nod. “It will be done.”

Zia stirred. “What else have you done that we don’t know about?”

“I’ve always been behind the scenes, ensuring you all found your mates,” she shivered, knowing what followed, “and ensuring that your stories were written the way they were intended to, even if it required less than redeemable methods.”

“Explain, Kiyonne.”

Nero’s command, though she’d heard it hundreds of times in her visions, still made her cringe. “TheCitizensneeded certain pieces of information to ensure our survival.”

“Like what?”

Squaring her shoulders, Key bit out the betrayal that damned her. “I provided them with your image, Lucius. And yours, Blair.”

The poisonous words revealed the sin that’d stained her soul. One of the worst things she’d done to ensure the survival of their species, it weighed the heaviest on her with the knowledge that she could never atone for it.

The immediate spike in aggression was almost tangible.

Eyes aglow in an icy blue, Kane bit out, “You’re the reason Luc was abducted?”

“The photo I provided prompted Torrin into an obsession with you, Lucius.”

Lucius merely stared at her. She couldn’t begin to understand what must be going through his head, to know that the reason for his torment was sitting right before him. She could barely comprehend it herself, and she’d foreseen every second of his pain—so many times—until it’d come to pass.

Unfair, her inner voice screamed.Undeserving of what he’d been subjected to.

“TheCitizensneeded a vampire. They needed someone to fixate on—or at least Torrin did.” Jerking her chin at Drake, Key explained, “Had Drake been taken, Toni would’ve gone supernova, taking with her half of New York City. Kane’s whereabouts would’ve been tirelessly tracked down by Nova, leaving a trail of bodies easily followed to the packs. She would have exposed immortalkind to humanity in the worst possible way.

“Neither option was acceptable. One way or another, a high-ranking vampire associated with the council was going to be abducted. And while you’ve briefly experienced the worst humanity has to offer, Lucius, you’ve never become jaded to humans as a whole. It had to be you.”

Beside the stoic vampire, Circe’s fingers curled around his forearm as the telltale trickle of telepathy tinged the air. Lucius’ face remained a blank canvas as he processed Key’s message.

Tears threatened to spill from Key’s eyes, but she needed to remain objective here—even while she was dying a thousand deaths inside.

To settle the room, she added, “Know that without your abduction, Lucius, you would’ve never mated Circe. Isaiah would’ve never loved Rukia, and Blair and Kaien would’ve never accepted their bond. Your abduction and torture, egregious as it was, was one of the most important parts of the plan.

“But it’s true,” Key admitted, “you’ve been disproportionately subjected to the worst of theCitizens, Lucius. There’s little I can say to right that wrong, but know that I consider it one of my greatest sins that I never found a way to spare you. I realize how much my actions hurt you, and while you may never forgive me for my role in what happened, you have my deepest apologies.”

The words had been dragged from the most wounded part of her soul. Even now, it took effort to hold his gaze, every part of her wanting to hide from the vulnerability it exposed.

As the group digested the information, Key waited.

“So, Key, what happens now? How do we live through this?” Ever the voice of reason, Nina brought them all back from the precipice. “What do we need to do?”

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