Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Petru’s heart was in his throat. It was all he could do not to throw a shield around his lifemate, but he managed. This was who she was. He had to allow her to be who she was and accept her for it if he expected the same in return. What he would be asking of her—no, demanding of her—was not going to be easy. She would be giving him far more than he would ever be giving her. He was uncertain he even had much left in the way of a heart or soul to give her. Just his protection and a promise that he would do everything in his power to make her happy.
In the grand scheme of things, that didn’t seem a fair trade to him, but he didn’t know much in the ways of women. This one . . . She was magnificent. Unflinching. Moving with the streaming light from her crystal sword, now twin blue-hot flames sliding into the open mouth and pouring down the throat of the centipede, she drew even closer.
The creature’s armored skin began to glow a bluish color from the inside out. Blackened holes began to break through. The sea centipede thrashed, churning up the water all around it. Safia dropped beneath the hapless demon, running the crystal sword straight along the length of its belly. All the while, Petru could hear a soft chanting, her voice in her mind, speaking not just to herself but also into the mind of the creature.
The Carpathian hunter realized her brother had continued swimming straight ahead as if nothing were happening. Safia had intercepted the first sea centipede and taken it off course, away from Izem. He was still the bait for the second demon. When Petru touched his mind, Izem had that same tranquility he had earlier. He believed his sister would be there in time before the sea centipede reached him. It seemed an impossibility, but Petru was no longer going to think anything was impossible for his lifemate.
In the time it had taken for Petru to observe that the sea centipede was breaking apart and dissolving, Safia was gliding through the water at an unbelievable speed, on course to intercept the second creature closing in on Izem.
She kept the crystal sword in her hand, but the bright light was off. Her mind tuned itself to the creature’s. Now that she knew the way and what to expect, she was ready, slipping into the mutated brain to start veering it off course slowly. She took care not to alert it that she was directing the demon away from her brother.
Nicu, do you see what she is doing? She has taken command of the sea centipede. She has actually stolen control from its mistress. He had known she was inside the brain of the creature, but he had been so caught up in how she destroyed the demon that he wasn’t aware she controlled its actions.
Lilith will not be happy with this one, Nicu said. She is a vindictive, cruel woman.
Lilith is the one who directed the first war here. When I struck at her, she ordered the vampire to rip out the heart of the child and make it as painful and as memorable as possible. She wanted me to feel that pain just as Safia felt it. She also wanted Safia to always remember that her people and the Carpathian people and, most of all, her lifemate chose life over her. That she was tossed aside as fodder for the vampire, the sacrificial lamb, so they could live.
How was it possible to feel her pain, Petru? You were incapable, and you were not bound to her, Benedek reminded.
Petru allowed the darker memories to overtake him, remembering the moment when Eduardo, the master vampire, had sunk his teeth into the child, deliberately hurting her, terrifying her, as he took her blood. The little girl had remained stoic, refusing to cry out. Then he held her up so Petru could see, so everyone in the valley could see. Her grandparents, her parents. His parents, her little friends. Humans and Carpathians alike. All stared, transfixed by the sight of that little girl and the master vampire. Only Petru was in motion, streaking toward the two, knowing he was too late.
At every turn, he was surrounded by the master vampire’s pawns. Eduardo had newly made vampires and far more skilled fighters. There were some close to becoming master vampires. All of them flew at Petru to prevent him from getting near their master and the little girl he held.
Petru didn’t care who was in his way or what wounds they inflicted on his body. Nothing mattered but getting to the child. He mowed everyone down who dared to get between them. He barely noticed the damage to his torn flesh. Eduardo laughed hideously, the sound taunting as he tore into the child’s chest. Petru was merged with her, and for that one moment, he felt the horrific pain. Then suddenly it was gone.