Eclipse Sector (V-Clan #3)

35. Cillian

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CILLIAN

“Eclipse Sector?” I repeated. “Is that in one of Ashlyn’s journals?” Because, based on what I’d seen of her entries, it seemed unlike her to be so forthcoming.

“No,” Grey replied.

No elaboration.

No context.

No explanation.

“How did you find her location?” I tried again, needing more than just his confident statement.

“My gifts are irrelevant to this conversation,” he informed me in a bored tone. “Use your own talents to verify what I’ve said. Search Granger’s mind. The information is right there.”

My jaw clenched. I didn’t care for unknowns, and both Grey and Cael were proving to possess unknown powers. Powers that could be a threat.

We’ve severely underestimated Lunar Sector, I told Kieran.

Yes was his only reply, his mind otherwise occupied by evaluating the scene. Grey had done something to bind Granger. Not something tangible or even visible, but a mental restraint that was akin to leashing a wolf’s shadowing ability.

Except Grey’s energy felt thicker. Heavier. More intense.

I was about to ask Ivana what she sensed, when I realized her focus was entirely on Granger as she tried to delve through his thoughts in search of anything to do with Ashlyn.

Her trajectory served as a kick to the ass, forcing me to follow her into his mind as well. Learning more about Grey and his unknown abilities could wait. Ashlyn could not. She was out there somewhere, likely suffering, and waiting to be saved.

I just hope it’s not too late , Ivana was thinking, her determination turning desperate. I don’t even know where to start looking.

In his memories, I murmured telepathically.

Then I showed her what I meant by pushing into the parts of his brain that held his past. His secrets. His identity .

A deep mental growl echoed through my mind, drawing my attention to the source of the sound. What is it? I asked, meeting Kieran’s gaze.

The scent, he snarled back with his thoughts. Quinnlynn recognizes it.

I arched a brow. Granger’s scent is the one she picked up on in Bariloche Sector? Not Dixon’s?

Yes was his confirmation, his need to rip the bastard apart stirring a violent warmth in the room. However, his expression remained neutral. He was the epitome of calm and collected. But inside, he was planning a slow and painful death for the wolf on the floor.

“Do you think he planted Tadhg’s scent at those scenes?” Cael asked quietly, the question seeming to be for Grey.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “But I intend to find out. After we locate Ashlyn.”

Cael nodded, his turquoise gaze landing on me. “Have you verified Grey’s confirmation on Eclipse Sector?”

“Not yet,” I told him, then went back to sifting through Granger’s memories.

Ivana listened quietly, observing as I searched for the information we needed.

It didn’t take long to discover a recent recollection of his dark intentions regarding Ashlyn. That bitch is going to ruin everything, he’d thought. I have to get rid of her.

I couldn’t see his past, just heard bits and pieces of events.

But as I stumbled upon him thinking about Eclipse Sector and the vast zombie-filled land that existed there, it became quite clear that he’d shadowed Ashlyn there and left her to fend for herself.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “Grey’s right.”

The male in question simply grunted.

I ignored him and tried to determine from Granger’s mind where exactly he’d dropped the Z-Clan Omega, but the details were murky. Like he hadn’t truly paid attention to where he’d taken her, just popped over into one of the various places he’d visited in Eclipse Sector in the past, tossed her onto the ground, and vanished before he could process much else.

He’d clearly been in a hurry to just dispose of her.

“Do you have any idea where in Eclipse Sector he took her?” I asked Grey, wondering if his mysterious talent came equipped with more details.

“No, I was hoping you could help with that part.”

I shook my head. “Granger didn’t focus on anything other than the sector as a whole.” Which basically meant he could have left her anywhere in Ireland.

“What about her journal entry?” Ivana asked, glancing around for the notebook. “The one I was reading. It had…” She trailed off as she spotted it several feet away.

I released her hips so she could move, then watched her bend to retrieve the item in question. She quickly started flipping the pages, searching for Dear Oracle of the Stars at the top of each entry.

“There was something at the end,” she said while continuing to scan. “Something I didn’t quite… Here. This.” She started reading again, her eyes skimming the words until she found the postscript. “This part proved she was talking to me.”

Ivana walked back to my side, her finger pointing at the first part congratulating her on the little one . I frowned at the last line.

“I send my blessing from the grave,” I read out loud. That was certainly morbid. “What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know, but look at the next part.”

Grey joined us as I reviewed the post-postscript, reciting the words for everyone to hear. “Our pasts make us stronger, not weaker. Remember that. Remember where you came from. And understand once and for all— you are not him . But sometimes you have to think like him to find the truth. To find… me.”

That was definitely a clue of some kind.

But what did it mean?

“Remember where you came from,” I repeated. “Okay, given that we know she’s in Eclipse Sector, I would say this line is for me, Lorcan, or Kieran.”

However, the next part…

“You are not him,” I echoed. “But sometimes you have to think like him to find the truth. To find… me.”

Your father , Ivana thought at me. You’re not your father.

I frowned. Could it be that simple? I’d just come to that conclusion myself when claiming Ivana. I wasn’t my father. Fuck, I was nothing like him.

But sometimes you have to think like him to find the truth.

My brow furrowed even more. What would my father have done in this situation? He wouldn’t have cared, and he would have left Ashlyn to die.

Except, that couldn’t be what she meant.

Is she comparing Granger to your father? Ivana wondered.

Possibly . Only, they weren’t all that alike either. My father would have just thrown Ivana into a pit and left her to die, not bothering at all to shadow her to another location. That would have required too much energy. And he would have wanted to make a statement by forcing everyone else to watch her suffer. Starve. Wither away to nothing.

I’d seen several wolves perish in those holes.

He’d eventually burn their remains and sever their heads, again as a public display.

Because he was a fucking monster.

Gods, just thinking about him made me want to find his corpse and burn his remains. Only there was nothing left of him. Kieran, Lorcan, and I had seen to that ages ago.

So what are you trying to tell me, Ashlyn? I wondered, studying her text. Are you in one of those old holes? That seemed impossible, given how many centuries had passed since they’d been in use. But maybe she was left near my father’s favorite torture location.

Or near the place he died.

I send my blessing from the grave.

All right, little psychic, I thought. I’ll entertain your riddle.

“She might be hiding underground, perhaps near the old hills,” I told Kieran. “Where Abbán used to deliver his messages.”

“And what hills would those be?” Grey demanded.

I blew out a breath and palmed the back of my neck. “It’s near the Giants Causeway, but not.” Fuck, I couldn’t just draw a map for him. If he hadn’t visited the specific area of Eclipse Sector, he wouldn’t know where to shadow to.

Show him, Ivana told me.

What?

Take him there, she reiterated, causing me to glance down at her.

I’m not leaving your side, Vana. I’d just claimed her. Hell, all I should be doing right now was fucking her in her nest. Our nest.

Shit. This whole thing was a bloody nightmare.

My palm fell from my nape to cup her face. You’re my priority , I reminded her. I’m not leaving you.

She placed her hand on top of mine. You’re not leaving me, she agreed. But this is who we are together, Cillian. You’re going to go with Grey, Cael, and Kieran or Lorcan, and find Ashlyn.

“You’re telling me what to do again,” I said aloud.

“You’re mine now, Alpha. You’d better get used to it,” she returned. Now go, she added with her mind. We’re a team, Cillian. And Ashlyn is your— our —priority at the moment. So go find her.

I leaned down to brush my lips over hers. Just so we’re clear, Omega, I will be knotting you for days when I return. Because her insistence that we do this together, her continued lessons in what it meant to be a mated pair, was making me burn that much hotter for her.

I’m holding you to that promise, Alpha, she whispered as she returned my kiss. Hurry back.

Pressing my forehead to hers, I held her for a long moment, then looked at Kieran and Lorcan. They were standing beside each other, their gazes focused on me. “Who wants to go on a field trip?”

“Me,” Lorcan replied instantly.

Kieran glanced at him. “You do realize I can handle myself, yes?”

“I do,” his cousin drawled. “But I’m in a zombie-killing mood.”

“And I’m not?”

“No, you’re not. You’re in a torture mood,” Lorcan informed him. “So take it out on Granger while we’re gone.” He stepped forward. “To the burial ground first?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Keep him alive,” Cael interjected, his focus on Kieran. “We need answers from him.”

Kieran shrugged. “I’ll try.”

“Do better than try,” Cael growled. “You have no idea what he’s done.”

“Perhaps you should enlighten me upon your return,” Kieran suggested.

“Perhaps I will,” Cael bit back, his anger very unlike the charismatic, easygoing Alpha Prince persona he so often put on.

Beneath all that glamour and circumstance was a cunning, powerful wolf.

Ally or foe? I wondered. Time will tell .

“We’re going to need guns,” Lorcan said.

I nodded. “Yeah. And a distraction.”

“Yep.” His eyes glittered. “Wanna hunt some zombies with us, little killer?”

Kyra snorted as she slipped into the room. Her thoughts told me she’d been lurking in the hall for the last few minutes, waiting for an opportunity to enter. Lorcan must have sensed her, too. Or maybe he was just asking her out on a date. Who the hell knew?

She twirled a pair of knives in her hands and grinned. “Just tell me where to go.”

“Likewise,” Grey added. “And I don’t need a gun. You all can handle the zombies while I hunt the little riddler.”

I assumed little riddler meant Ashlyn .

“I also don’t require weapons,” Cael murmured. “I’ll be using other talents.”

Lorcan shrugged and shadowed off without a word. His mind told me he was raiding the armory. Not sixty seconds later, he reappeared with two of our go-bags. He tossed one to me, which I rifled through to find my holsters and favorite toys.

I was in the middle of adding a bulletproof vest over my sweater when I heard Ivana checking me out from behind.

Like what you see, Omega? I asked, engaging the link unique to our new bond. We hadn’t used it yet, primarily relying on my telepathic and mind-reading abilities instead. But it felt right to engage her like this now. More intimate. More… us .

Yes, I do, Alpha, she murmured back, easily connecting to me via the same link. Very much .

Hmm, I hummed. I’ll remember that later.

Then I nodded at Lorcan. “Let’s go.”