70 You Have No Proof

The next time someone captured a Cromwell vampire they could try seizing them and running at the area where they suspected the barrier to be and see if it was possible to breach it that way. It was an incredibly stupid idea but it was all Ash had.

"We may need to change tactics but I have no idea if it will work," he said reluctantly before laying out his plan.

The werewolves all shrugged and Reggie spoke up. "We'll follow your lead. You are paying the bills after all."

Right. There were only here helping because he was paying them. They had to get this done fast before the charges got too high for Ash to sustain. He had no true allies in this world but Ruby. Who was trapped at the mercy of a fae he knew had none.

"Increase the perimeter to hunt them down," he ordered. "We finish this as fast as we can."

"Yes sir!"

The werewolves ran off to gather the rest of their pack and Ash was left alone staring at the stars in the sky. Ruby was okay, wasn't she? At the very least he knew she was alive because of Ivan. Alive and not using the full extent of her jewel summoning powers.

That was a risky move. If Dorian found out…No. He couldn't think about the worst case scenario here. Because if he discovered she had deceived him he would make her life a living hell.

Despite his worry, a wild little smile made it onto Ash's face. Even when she was being held against her will Ruby's personality didn't change. Doing the bare minimum she could get away with to save her cousin was just like her.

He was definitely losing his mind to be smiling in a situation like this. He didn't know if she was being tortured right now; he wouldn't put it past Dorian. He absolutely had to get her out before anything worse happened.

If he couldn't save her…if he lost one more person that was important to him…there was no telling what Ash might do.

===

Ruby was asleep when she was suddenly yanked off the bed by her hair. She yelped in pain before covering her mouth, not wanting to wake Flora. The little fairy shifted and made a smacking sound before settling back into slumber.

She didn't begin resisting again until they were far enough away that she wouldn't wake up. "What are you doing?!" she demanded once they were at the bottom of the turret stairs. "Can't you wake me up normally?"

The vampire holding her didn't give an answer. He stopped in what looked like some sort of throne room and held Ruby so she was dangling several inches from the ground by her hair. It was so painful that her eyes watered but she refused to actually cry.

He wouldn't break the contract, would he? If he didn't let her and Flora safely leave this place in a hundred years he would die too! No physical harm could come to them...but nothing was happening by having her hair yanked like this.

She supposed the contract didn't account for minor pain, only things like major wounds or loss of limb. At the very least her wings should be safe but that didn't make her any less terrified. She had a horrible feeling he would find every possible loophole to bring her misery.

But why? Ruby had been so careful not to let the true extent of her powers slip. Aside from that, she had followed the rules he gave her perfectly.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded with as much force as she could muster.

"How amusing. I was about to ask you the same thing," Dorian said in a steely voice. "Do tell me…why is Ash Mayhew outside with an army of werewolves? I am quite aware of the state he was in when he escaped from his castle; there is no way he could afford it unless you lied to me about your abilities."

Her heart soared before sinking to the depths of despair. Ash came for her! No, that couldn't be right. He was already planning his revenge. He probably moved it up faster because he didn't want to use up any funds on blood pills while waiting.

He hadn't found a way to get into the barrier yet but had managed to get himself spotted. Which meant she was as good as dead.

Ruby had to tread very lightly here even though her first instinct was to say that he didn't deserve even the least she could do. A monster like him didn't deserve a single cent!

"You have no proof," she said as calmly as possible.

Dorian's already murderous expression hardened even further. "Oh? Then we should get some, should we not?"

All of a sudden Ruby felt very strange. Her captor had released her but she wasn't able to move. At least not on her own. Her legs began walking toward the room's exit completely against her will.

Horror flooded through her. Was this the power of blood control? Did Dorian truly have the ability to make her show was she was fully capable of? No, he couldn't! If he knew about her power over minerals he would definitely abuse them to increase the potency of his coven's blood magic!

"Summon as many gems as you are capable of," he growled. "Now!"

Ruby's hands raised against her will too. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying and failing to resist the pull of the blood control. It felt like every single one of her cells was on fire as she rebelled against it.