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)
Juniper liked that plan, but could tell Adriel wasn’t sold. “Cerberus is an inevitable conflict we’ll eventually have to face, Ade. Why not confront him now and end this so you can have your life back?”
Adriel frowned. “Aren’t buffalo extinct?”
“Endangered.” Dane waved a hand at the stacks of books covering the table. “Juniper could do a locator spell so we know exactly where he is and then—”
“No. We are not delivering ourselves to him.”
Juniper considered Dane’s suggestion. Could she find Cerberus? She’d been able to locate Dane because she knew him. “I don’t know if a locator spell will work.”
“See,” Adriel said with too much relief. “That plan won’t work. It’s too dangerous anyway.”
“Then we need to find his weakness. What do you remember about him? There has to be something?”
Adriel shook her head. “No. He doesn’t have a weakness.”
“Everyone has a weakness, Ade.”
“Not him. He’s stronger than any immortal I’ve ever come across. He’s beyond vicious and he won’t stop until he feels I’ve suffered for what we did to him centuries ago.”
“Then he has to die—before he gets the chance to hurt you.”
“He can’t die.”
“Everything can die.”
Juniper shook her head. “She’s right. As her mate, if we kill him, we risk also hurting Adriel. It’s too dangerous.”
Dane frowned. “You’re saying your life is legitimately tied to his?”
Adriel nodded solemnly. “It’s why they didn’t kill him the first time. Mates often share pleasure and pain once they’ve bonded.”
“Jesus,” Dane cursed. “So, when they cut him up, you felt it?”
She frowned. “I was already in so much pain that I was in and out of consciousness. I can’t fully recall the details of that night.”
“Well, this complicates things.”
Juniper pulled the oldest grimoire closer. “We’re going to use magick. It’s the only way to protect Adriel and see that he’s disabled once and for all.”
“June, that’s too much pressure on you.”
“No, it’s not. I’m part immortal, remember? If I get a little banged up, we can fix it. Plus, I’ve got my witchy freak gene we’ve yet to identify. I’m a force to be reckoned with.”
Dane rolled his eyes. “Let’s not get too cocky.”
“I’m not saying it to sound cocky. I feel more powerful than I’ve ever felt. There’s something strong hiding inside of me.”
“Yeah, it’s called immortal blood. We all feel like that after we feed. Then it fades.”
She shook her head. “No, this is something else.”
Juniper hadn’t told them about the presence of spirits she’d felt recently. Mostly because she wasn’t sure if they’d believe her. Her aunts used to talk about ghosts, and it was the fastest way to clear a room. But now, Juniper believed they were telling the truth.
Spirits helped witches. They supercharged magical energy like no other element could. The more she welcomed their assistance, the easier it became to call upon them.
Some of the spirits were even developing personalities she recognized, sort of like auras that gave away secrets about their lives when they were living. Those secrets whispered to her through visions more than words, but Juniper was getting pretty good at reading the imagery they shared.
One spirit was burned. Another had indigenous roots that pre-dated the discovery of America. And one was a feisty Creole woman steeped in voodoo practices. Her name was Jacinta and she had been born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She died hanging from a branch, and her last sight on Earth was the Mississippi River swaying under a sky full of stars.
They all had tragic endings, but none of them were evil spirits. If anything, they wanted to help her defend Adriel because they, too, had suffered unjustly in their lifetime.
“That may be true, but you would still be risking your life, June. It’s too dangerous.”
“We’re already risking our lives by simply sitting here. Cerberus could strike at any moment, so the best plan is to be prepared. Dane’s right. We need to consider his weaknesses and our personal strengths.”
She understood Adriel was scared and did not want to jeopardize their safety, but their lives were already at stake. Juniper was not going to sit idly by while some deranged vampire fuck tormented her like this.
“Do I have a voice here?” Adriel asked, with notable irritation.
“Of course.”
“Then why can’t anyone hear me?”
“We hear you, Ade—”
“But you’re not listening. I know him better than anyone. He has no weaknesses, and he won’t stop until he has me. Then he’ll hurt me. The fastest way to do that is by going after you two or my son.”
“Adriel,” Dane said calmly, “If that were true, you never would have escaped him the first time.”
“It is true. He’s done it before. He went back and slaughtered my siblings to punish me. We cannot underestimate his cruelty. And I only managed to get away the first time because I had the help of the elders. They’re not helping anymore because they know there is no escaping an immortal’s destined fate.”