Harper straightened her legs as she went on. “But let’s say their plan had worked. Let’s say Crow had honed in on me the way he did on you; coming at me over and over, but getting away each and every time. You’d have been frustrated, anxious, and even a little scared. You’d also have felt helpless and angry with yourself because you believe it’s your responsibility to protect me. What happens when a demon is stressed and their anger is building and building like a pressure cooker?”
It was Keenan who answered. “Their dominance over their demon slips. The entity starts to surface more and more.”
“Yes, their control falters,” said Harper. “I think someone wants you to lose control of your demon, Knox. I think they’re trying to find out what you are, because they think if they know what you are then they’ll know how to kill you.”
There was utter silence for a moment as everyone digested that, exchanging grim looks.
Levi finally broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but I think she’s right, Knox. Sending Crow after you makes no sense, but I can see someone thinking he’d be strong enough to take on Harper. Maybe not strong enough to kill her, but strong enough to be a threat which – as she pointed out – is all they’d really need to peck at your control.”
Knox scraped his hand over his jaw, anger pulsing inside him. He wished he could argue with Harper’s theory, but it made too much sense. That meant his mate had been the real target all along. Not the main target, no, since her death would have been a means to an end; a way to rid him of his control. But someone had still purposely set out to harm her, wielding Crow like a weapon. Flames flickered from his fingertips, making everyone but Harper stiffen.
Her mind slid against his – a soothing touch. It settled him just enough for him to bury the rage, and the flames blazing from his fingers then puffed into smoke. He rolled back his shoulders and cricked his neck. Every muscle was stiff with tension and anger. “Now that we know the puppeteer’s end game, it’s a matter of identifying just who they are.”
“Maybe this is payback from Isla’s lair,” suggested Larkin.
“Or maybe Alethea’s somehow involved,” said Keenan. “It’s possible that she’d been bitching at Harper for the simple reason that pissing her off pisses you off.”
Tanner twisted his mouth. “You need to talk to Dario, Knox. I was skeptical about the rumors, but maybe he really is building an army. Maybe he plans to go up against you once he believes he knows how to kill you.”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Prime,” said Knox. “They may not even be particularly powerful. So far, they’ve hidden behind someone else.”
“But they did somehow find a way to get into the prison and retrieve Crow,” Keenan pointed out.
“Yes, but they could have hired others to do that,” said Knox. “That would make them smart and resourceful, not necessarily powerful.”
Keenan tilted his head, conceding that.
“You know,” began Levi, “it occurred to me that someone might not necessarily have taken Crow from the cell. He could in fact be dead. They could have implanted some sort of trigger in his body or mind that allowed them to kill him from afar. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is possible. If he vaporized after his death, there would have been no remains to find.”
Knox nodded. “You could be right, but I won’t allow myself to believe it and drop my guard.” He’d been too dismissive of Crow, and it had backfired on them. Knox wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Now that I’ve really thought about, I have to agree that using Crow really was a risk-free plan,” Larkin mused, looking at Harper. “From their perspective, if it works and you die and Knox loses his shit, great. If it doesn’t, only Crow dies and they get to try something else.”
Neither of those scenarios were acceptable to Harper. She folded her arms as she spoke to Knox. “Does Dario have an anchor?”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because one thing we know about the person behind all this is that they don’t,” she replied.
Knox cocked his head. “Why do you say that?”
“The idea of me hurt, stressed, or in danger makes you want to lose your shit, right?”
“Absolutely. But as my anchor, you also keep me stable enough not to do that.”
“Exactly. But this person didn’t think of that, which means they don’t have an anchor.” Otherwise, they’d have known how much stability an anchor could provide and, as such, they would have also known that just putting her in danger wouldn’t be enough to crack his control.
Levi nodded. “Does Dario have an anchor?”
“He’s never brought one with him to any meetings,” said Knox. “Which means he either doesn’t have an anchor or he hasn’t publically declared it. Many Primes choose not to, especially if their anchor doesn’t want to be under a spotlight. I’ll need to make a call to find out for sure.”
Harper hadn’t wanted to share Knox’s spotlight, but he’d been adamant that she would be safer if demons knew her to be his anchor. Although being in his life did bring a certain danger to her own, she’d been more vulnerable when she’d been a she-demon of a small lair. Jolene was powerful and scary, but it didn’t stop demons from bringing shit to her door for the simple reason that small lairs were considered easy prey.
It was Keenan who answered. “Their dominance over their demon slips. The entity starts to surface more and more.”
“Yes, their control falters,” said Harper. “I think someone wants you to lose control of your demon, Knox. I think they’re trying to find out what you are, because they think if they know what you are then they’ll know how to kill you.”
There was utter silence for a moment as everyone digested that, exchanging grim looks.
Levi finally broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but I think she’s right, Knox. Sending Crow after you makes no sense, but I can see someone thinking he’d be strong enough to take on Harper. Maybe not strong enough to kill her, but strong enough to be a threat which – as she pointed out – is all they’d really need to peck at your control.”
Knox scraped his hand over his jaw, anger pulsing inside him. He wished he could argue with Harper’s theory, but it made too much sense. That meant his mate had been the real target all along. Not the main target, no, since her death would have been a means to an end; a way to rid him of his control. But someone had still purposely set out to harm her, wielding Crow like a weapon. Flames flickered from his fingertips, making everyone but Harper stiffen.
Her mind slid against his – a soothing touch. It settled him just enough for him to bury the rage, and the flames blazing from his fingers then puffed into smoke. He rolled back his shoulders and cricked his neck. Every muscle was stiff with tension and anger. “Now that we know the puppeteer’s end game, it’s a matter of identifying just who they are.”
“Maybe this is payback from Isla’s lair,” suggested Larkin.
“Or maybe Alethea’s somehow involved,” said Keenan. “It’s possible that she’d been bitching at Harper for the simple reason that pissing her off pisses you off.”
Tanner twisted his mouth. “You need to talk to Dario, Knox. I was skeptical about the rumors, but maybe he really is building an army. Maybe he plans to go up against you once he believes he knows how to kill you.”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Prime,” said Knox. “They may not even be particularly powerful. So far, they’ve hidden behind someone else.”
“But they did somehow find a way to get into the prison and retrieve Crow,” Keenan pointed out.
“Yes, but they could have hired others to do that,” said Knox. “That would make them smart and resourceful, not necessarily powerful.”
Keenan tilted his head, conceding that.
“You know,” began Levi, “it occurred to me that someone might not necessarily have taken Crow from the cell. He could in fact be dead. They could have implanted some sort of trigger in his body or mind that allowed them to kill him from afar. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is possible. If he vaporized after his death, there would have been no remains to find.”
Knox nodded. “You could be right, but I won’t allow myself to believe it and drop my guard.” He’d been too dismissive of Crow, and it had backfired on them. Knox wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Now that I’ve really thought about, I have to agree that using Crow really was a risk-free plan,” Larkin mused, looking at Harper. “From their perspective, if it works and you die and Knox loses his shit, great. If it doesn’t, only Crow dies and they get to try something else.”
Neither of those scenarios were acceptable to Harper. She folded her arms as she spoke to Knox. “Does Dario have an anchor?”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because one thing we know about the person behind all this is that they don’t,” she replied.
Knox cocked his head. “Why do you say that?”
“The idea of me hurt, stressed, or in danger makes you want to lose your shit, right?”
“Absolutely. But as my anchor, you also keep me stable enough not to do that.”
“Exactly. But this person didn’t think of that, which means they don’t have an anchor.” Otherwise, they’d have known how much stability an anchor could provide and, as such, they would have also known that just putting her in danger wouldn’t be enough to crack his control.
Levi nodded. “Does Dario have an anchor?”
“He’s never brought one with him to any meetings,” said Knox. “Which means he either doesn’t have an anchor or he hasn’t publically declared it. Many Primes choose not to, especially if their anchor doesn’t want to be under a spotlight. I’ll need to make a call to find out for sure.”
Harper hadn’t wanted to share Knox’s spotlight, but he’d been adamant that she would be safer if demons knew her to be his anchor. Although being in his life did bring a certain danger to her own, she’d been more vulnerable when she’d been a she-demon of a small lair. Jolene was powerful and scary, but it didn’t stop demons from bringing shit to her door for the simple reason that small lairs were considered easy prey.
