Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
“As much as I’d like to be delicate, time is of the essence, and we need your help. The immortal that has her intends to torture her. He wants to punish her for evading him. I believe he already has.”
“Who is this immortal?” Lazarus stood, his hulking body seething with uncontainable rage. “Where is he?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve been traveling nonstop, and my magick’s lagging. I can try another locator spell, but my power’s weak right now.”
“You must regain your strength.” Lilias grabbed the glass of water and flung the contents into a basin on the floor. She sliced open her wrist and filled the cup with her blood. “You will drink and nourish yourself.”
Juniper glanced at Dane. He nodded.
She pulled the cup closer but hesitated. She’d only ever shared Adriel’s vein and didn’t fully understand the laws of blood exchanges. What if this somehow endangered her? They didn’t know these immortals.
“I will pay you the respect of not using compulsion,” Lilias said. “But if what you say is true, my only child is in danger. Please, drink the blood. It is good and strong, and it will help you.”
She looked at the female and recognized love in her eyes. Nodding, Juniper brought the glass to her mouth. The warm, life-renewing blood was dark and rich, spiced with ancient flavors, and aged like a potent wine. She swallowed every drop and immediately felt its regenerative power working through her system.
“Thank you.”
Dane cleared his throat and pushed his glass toward Lazarus. The old immortal glared at him.
“I’m Juniper. This is Dane.” She glanced at the glass. “We both plan to save Adriel.”
The male immortal snatched the glass and dumped the contents, adding blood for Dane, but only half as much as Lilias offered. “You are a strange pairing. How do you know our daughter.”
“She’s our close friend. We’re risking our lives for her—if that means anything to you.”
“It does,” Lilias said, shooting Lazarus a look of censure.
“Holy shit.” Dane set down the empty glass. “I feel like I just drank lightning.”
“Who has our daughter?” Lazarus snapped, his fist rattling the table.
Juniper swallowed. “His name is Cerberus Maddox XI—”
Lilias was on her feet. “Impossible!”
Oh shit. She hadn’t expected that reaction. “I’m guessing you know him.”
Adriel’s mother looked up at Lazarus, pure panic in her eyes. “He wouldn’t… After all this time… How…?” She covered her mouth, unable to comprehend.
“Are you claiming that he is the immortal posing as our daughter’s mate?”
Juniper and Dane nodded. “It’s been five hundred years of hell for her.”
Lilias whimpered. “Oh, Lazarus!” Her eyes flooded with tears. “He vowed to punish me!”
When Lazarus tried to comfort her, she shoved him away. “Tears will not help matters.” He bundled her in his thickly muscled arms and she punched his chest.
“He’s had her all this time, Lazarus! We’ve failed her!”
“Actually,” Dane chimed in. “She got away from him for most of it.”
Both parents looked at them, and Dane explained what happened. He didn’t go into much detail about the quartering, but he made it clear that Adriel was no helpless victim, which made Juniper want to get to her that much more.
“Your daughter’s stronger than she realizes,” Juniper said, hoping to add some relief, but Lilias collapsed.
Lazarus caught her in his arms as she fell into a state of inconsolable grief. He carried her to a different room, whispering soft-spoken words in an unfamiliar language Juniper didn’t recognize.
“What do you think?” Dane asked, voice low.
The blood had hit her system, and she found sitting still challenging. “I think her parents are older than the ancient guardian trees of Vouves.”
“No kidding. His blood’s buzzing through my veins like rocket fuel.” He glanced at the door where Lazarus carried Lilias. “Do you think they’re going to help us?”
Following his stare, she nodded, then smiled back at him. “Cerberus is going to die.”
CHAPTER 31
Dane and Juniper waited at the table for over an hour, drifting in and out of sleep but never fully resting. This news was clearly deeply disturbing to both Lilias and Lazarus.
“Should we do something? I feel like we’re just wasting time.”
“I don’t know what else to do. If they’re going to help, we need to work together.”
The floor creaked and Lazarus appeared, his expression resolute. “We’re going to help you.”
Juniper sagged with relief, glad to hear they were fully devoted to their cause. “Thank you. If I do a locator spell, I can probably—”
“Fire magick will not work on a draugr.”
She glanced at Dane to see if he understood what Lazarus was saying, but Dane only shrugged. “I’m sorry, a what?”
“Cerberus is not of our species. He’s a walker. A draugr. They are of dragon ancestry and immune to fire-born incantations or death by flame.”
That must be why she was having so much trouble locating him. “I can use other magick.”