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)
“Where’s your man?” Her brother’s tone was just a little bit too sarcastic for her liking.
“Fighting the master vampire. He was on his way here to join with the demons to get to you. You were the target all along.”
Garald looked at her over his shoulder. “How do you know?”
“Let’s take care of these demons and I’ll tell you. Afanasiv will be here when he defeats Vitus.” She wouldn’t consider that there was any other outcome. The sky flashed bloodred and then darkened in the distance. She knew the battle raged. A part of her refused to disconnect from her lifemate, although she knew she should. He wanted her to. He didn’t force her. He didn’t order her. That was so like him, giving her the opportunity to make up her own mind.
The “rabbits” drew closer, coming in from every direction. Garald lifted his sword. Vasilisa lifted hers. Her breathing was slow and even. She waited, feeling the energy all around them. The creatures were feeling a collective triumph as they had succeeded in surrounding Garald. They hadn’t yet lifted their heads to see that Vasilisa had joined the fight.
Demons were cunning and very adept at guile and deceit. They could charm and persuade. They were rarely if ever sincere. She turned that over and over in her mind, making a note to discuss it with Afanasiv. She liked that she had a sounding board now.
The dark blights appeared, lifting their heads almost as one. She noted that they seemed to rise up at the same time, like a puppet on a string. Was someone else out there actually creating an illusion? She frowned. No, they felt too real. These were actual demons, but they were under another’s bidding.
Two seemed to be dragging something behind them in the snow. A body? Her stomach lurched. These demons were after her brother. Whoever that writhing, still-alive person was, it had to be someone close to Garald.
“Garald.” She kept her voice very low. “Have you been seeing someone you haven’t told us about?” Silently, she sent up a prayer to the universe that he hadn’t been. The universe had been so cruel, particularly to their family. Having royal blood seemed to guarantee only one thing—when you loved, you did so with all your heart, and your heart was brutally shredded to pieces.
“Why?”
Just that abrupt question was her answer. “You cannot react to anything you see or hear. Demons are deceivers, and they are doing their best to acquire you. They are dragging something behind them. I believe this is someone who matters to you. Don’t look or indicate in any way that you see them.”
Garald swore under his breath. “Vasi,” he finally said. “She is young. Very young. I should never have even looked at her. Her parents brought her to one of the dinners we held. After, as always, there was a dance. I stood in the ballroom in the shadows the way I do, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she was so bright. My heart felt lighter than it had in years. I’m fifteen years older than she is. I might have looked the part of the playboy, but I didn’t want the curse of our family to fall on a woman I loved.”
There was so much despair in his voice. So much sorrow. Vasilisa felt that sorrow weighing her down. Andros and Grigor were in the same way, she was certain of it. The women they had chosen had to have been used against them. The enemy, using the women they were involved with, had trapped her brothers.
The demons thought they would capture Vasilisa using Afanasiv. The vampire had other ideas for her. She wondered what would have happened if she and Afanasiv hadn’t defeated them so quickly. Would the demons have destroyed the master vampire? It seemed he wasn’t so easily defeated, or Afanasiv would be with them.
“She is not lost to us yet, Garald,” Vasilisa assured him.
“She is lost to me. She is young, as I said, and any kind of violence would be abhorrent to her. For me to be responsible for her torture would end our relationship before it ever began.”
Was there a sob in his voice? Please don’t let her have heard a sob. Maybe it was in his heart. All the royals were connected by their blood. They could cut one another off so the others didn’t feel emotion or hear thoughts, but in unguarded times, anything could slip through.
“I’m sorry, Vasi. I love her. I’ve never loved a woman other than you and Mom. She completely took over my heart. I didn’t share with anyone, not even Grigor. I was afraid if I said how I felt about her aloud, something terrible would happen. I didn’t even tell her.”
Again, she closed her eyes briefly. Her fingers gripped her sword just a little tighter, and then slowly she loosened them.