Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Afanasiv sent her reassurance. Have no worries.
You are Dragonseeker, Siv. They all seem to have this idea about Dragonseekers. They think you are magic. That the earth will respond in ways to you that it will not to even the Lycan. We are guardians of the earth. I can’t help but be afraid for you.
His woman. She had courage. She also thought she needed to protect him, because he must be delusional thinking that a Dragonseeker could have a stronger connection to the earth than a Lycan. She heard the rumors and legends of ancients and how powerful they were, but he shielded her from just how dangerous he was. Mostly, he did so because he had crossed over to a place where the darkness would always be a part of him, and he didn’t want his woman to ever doubt him.
Afanasiv knew Vasilisa was someone who needed to feel in control. She was a warrior, and she had been raised to believe her purpose was the protection of others. He didn’t want to take away her belief that she was his equal in power, or even that she might have more power than he did simply because she was both Carpathian and Lycan. What he was about to do would change things. She would know who her lifemate was.
“You are trapped, ancient one. Give me my heart. There is nowhere for you to go.” Once more, Gazsi tried using his voice on Afanasiv to compel him to obey.
Light burst through the firebox as the dragon dropped through the chimney and landed on the iron grate, still flapping wings in a fierce display. Outside, thunder rolled and then boomed so loud it shook the house. Gazsi looked nervously out the window to the roiling clouds. Lightning lit up the dark skies, but instead of jagged bolts or forked rods, the white-hot electricity appeared in the shape of a dragon streaking toward earth.
Gazsi looked from the fierce dragon in the sky to the tiny glowing one rearing back on two legs, wings flapping as it turned its blue eyes, now swirling with a deep emerald green. He burst into a cackle, pointing to the small mythical creature.
Without preamble, Afanasiv tossed the heart right to the dragon. Grasping the heart in its talons, the dragon was gone, disappearing up the chimney.
Outside, the fierce dragon made of lightning flicked its tail to send spears of the white-hot energy sizzling across the sky. Screaming, Gazsi watched as the tiny dragon tossed the heart up toward the fierce dragon. Instantly, a stream of fire burst from the huge dragon in the sky, incinerating the vampire’s heart. Simultaneously, Gazsi leapt toward the window, reaching up as if he could stop the fire from reaching his heart. Very slowly, his body crumpled and broke apart, spewing insects and acid onto the tiled floor.
Outside the house, the wind howled just as loud as the wolves as they descended on the demons and vampires.
That was . . . Vasilisa hesitated, searching for the right words. Incredible. Truly incredible.
CHAPTER
19
Andros thrust open the door to the Wolf’s Retreat, Vasilisa right behind him. There was an urgency to their entry, and those inside turned slowly, one by one, stopping conversations to stare at the two of them. Lycans shared a common pathway. They knew what had transpired this night—a plot to murder the royals and to kill as many Lycans as possible and blame it on the Carpathians. To protect the royals from the speculation from outsiders, those inside the inn were willing to go to any lengths.
Andros held up his hand and Kendal shut off the music. “A child was kidnapped several days ago, and we have been searching for her. A credible anonymous tip has come in that she was thrown into one of the many wellbores in the old oil field. She was alive at the time she was tossed inside. The odds are against her being alive now, but if there’s the slightest chance, we have to find her. I need volunteers. It’s a big field with quite a few old wellbores.”
“Dimitri has organized the search by mapping out the field in grids,” Vasilisa added. “We need as many people as possible.”
The Carpathians were already searching. All of them. Lycans could feel the earth talking, but down that deep, possibly covered in oil, she doubted if any of them would even hear a whisper. But the Dragonseekers—children of the earth—that might be different. Hopefully, it would be.
The reaction to the call for help was instantaneous. The Lycans in the inn immediately rose, abandoning drinks and food to gather coats. Andros and Vasilisa turned to follow them out.
“Andros, wait.” Nikolay Sokolov, the government agent Vasilisa had spoken with, hurried to him. “My friends and I will help you find this child. We might not know the area, but we can search as well as anyone else.” He gestured to the other three men who had come up behind him.