Chapter 518: Leverage
The vampire’s foot was square in the middle of Sage’s back, pressing him against the ground. He couldn’t move.
"You witches! Turn me back!" the male roared, a maniacal expression on his face. "Turn me back or he gets crushed."
"Okay," August said instinctively, showing him her palms and slowly walking forward. "Okay. We will help you."
Graeme flinched behind her with the desire to stop his mate from approaching the vampire. He may be living now with a beating heart, but he was still dangerous. He stood and helped the bleeding Seth to his feet while both of their eyes were fixed on the creature.
"Please," Nedra said, mimicking August’s stance. "Please. He’s my son."
How had this happened? And how were they going to be fast enough to get Sage out before this monster hurt him? Even the smallest movement could set him off.
"I don’t give a shit who he is," the male pressed on Sage’s back to emphasize his point, causing the pup to cry out. Everyone gasped in unison, startled by the movement that could have been it. "Turn me back. Now!"
It wasn’t possible, and they all knew it. There was no way to take away the life they had given him without just killing him. There was no turning someone into a vampire. But somehow they were going to have to convince him that they could.
When everyone started slowly approaching the cage, a wilder threat flashed in the monster’s eyes. "Stop! Stop moving! Stay where you are. Just... you!"
He pointed to August, the one closest to him and the apparent leader of this trio of witches. She was the one who was always suggesting what they should do. She seemed to be the one they trusted and followed. And she had that elaborate golden scroll on her arm.
A snarl tore from Graeme’s throat at the suggestion, and the wild eyes snapped to him. "Oh, she’s yours, is she? Don’t get any ideas then or she’s dead too."
"It’s okay. I can help him," August said calmly, turning to those who were watching before piercing Graeme with that reassuring calm. She was reassuring him but also warning him not to do anything. It wasn’t fair. He had to stand by and watch her walk into the lion’s den?
She was lying. There was nothing she could do, and everyone knew it.
The vampire probably had a sense of the truth as well, but he was desperate. He was alive! He was alive for the first time feeling blood rushing through his veins and taking away his need to feed on it. There was no way he could return to Gray Vale as a human. The existence that he had known for centuries was over, and he was desperate to believe it could be returned to him.
And right now it was up to August to convince him that it was possible. But how was she going to do it without causing him to fly off in a rage? How was she going to control him?
Everyone but Graeme and Selah had seen the evidence of what this vampire was capable of. Brandt on the kitchen floor—mauled and decapitated with his head torn clean off. Vampires were so fast. He could do something like that in the blink of an eye.
"It’s okay, Sage," August said, thinking only of the pup and how scared he must be right now. There was no way she was going to let anything happen to him. "I’m going to help this guy with what he needs, and you will be okay."
Sage shuddered under the heavy foot on his back. Luna could not get hurt. Not even for him. Not for anybody.
August walked the rest of the way into the cage, and once she was past the walls, she put her arms down by her sides. She wanted to act as natural and helpful as possible. She wasn’t here to threaten him. She was here to help him with what he desperately wanted. And for some reason, this came naturally.
"Now that I’m in here with you, why don’t you let the boy go, okay?" She said, pushing all of that calm that she felt out into the space.
The male blinked, his eyes darting around to everyone else on the outside before returning to her. "Don’t fuck with me," he growled. "I can feel you fucking with me."
"I’m not. I just want the boy safe, and then I can help you," she told him.
"He’s my leverage," he said, blinking again like he was trying to keep his mind clear, trying to remind himself of what it is he was doing.
"I am your leverage now," she told him.
Why was her voice so soothing? Why did it feel like he had known her for centuries? There was something so maternal and pure about it.
"Let him go and I can help you, Daegel," she said.
He sucked in a breath at the sound of his name. Was this some kind of daydream? Had she hypnotized him? There was no way she could know his name. He must be imagining it.
"Daegel," she said again, folding her hands in front of her. "That is your name, isn’t it?"
He frowned, the crazy glare in his eye intensifying. "How do you know?" So few people were aware of his actual name.
"There is so much I can see about you. And I can help you if you let him go," she insisted.
He was torn. If she was somehow capable of knowing his name, she was powerful enough to help him. There was something that made him inherently want to trust her, want to believe her, and it wasn’t simply because he was desperate to stop this beating heart in his chest. He wanted her guidance. He wanted her grace. But why? He couldn’t understand it.
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as they watched August reason with the vampire. How had she known his name?
Graeme clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, needing a way to release the terror and instinct to protect that was thrumming through him like a live wire. She was so close to him. There was no way he could reach her in time if something happened. But he had to trust her. He had to.
Daegel raised his foot without taking his eyes off of August. Sage felt the release of pressure and scrambled to his feet, running out of the cage and into his mother’s open arms.
"I’m sorry," he whimpered against her as Nedra started weeping gratefully and sank to her knees. Seth and Selah rushed over, forming a huddle of love around the pup who they feared was gone.
August smiled. "Well done, Daegel."
The vampire frowned as something occurred to him. "You said you could help me. But you never said you could turn me back."
August sighed. "That’s right. There is no going back. But I can help you find peace."
"How?" He roared, his face contorted in fury. "By killing me?"
"She can’t use her abilities in there," Nedra said desperately as she saw the vampire’s rage resurface, her eyes darting to Penelope. "She can’t. It’s a function of the cage."
