“And what if some choose to leave?”Isla asked, her voice shaking with the worry that filled her eyes.“What happens if they tell human authorities?”
“We must trust our Visata,” Crew spoke up.“He has not only our best interest at heart, but that of theanimias well.We cannot control everything.Even if we may want to.We lay it at the feet of our Creator and trust Him to take care of us.”
Roan stood with the rest of the Shaman.He felt shaken to his core.Though there was peace, there was still a lingering doubt he knew came from his own failings.His own fear he would fail Visata and his people again.
“Don’t worry about what you cannot change,”his Creator’s voice filled his mind.“Instead, focus on what you can do to right your wrong.Focus on not allowing your own nature to separate yourself from Me.For it is My conviction inside of you that points you in the way of righteousness.”
Roan closed his eyes and nodded.He let out a deep breath and headed for the door.His eyes met Link and then Nico’s.“Let me report back to the Kingdom of Claws and then I will meet you in New Orleans the day after tomorrow.”
“Ready to be the sword of Visata?”Nico asked, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.
“How about we be slow to draw the blade and quick to listen?”Roan suggested.
Nico shrugged his broad shoulders as he turned walking backwards towards the door.“You do your thing and I’ll do mine.As long as both result in saving innocent victims.”
“Why do I have a feeling his idea of saving innocent victims and my idea of saving innocent victims varies greatly?”Link muttered.
“Could it be the fact that he looks a tad deranged?”Roan suggested.
“That could definitely be it.”
“You’re getting too bold,” Zeena said, as she walked slowly around the room staring at the monitors on the walls.
Azure, King of the Kingdom of Venom hissed as he turned to look at his Queen.“I am being exactly as bold as I need to be, my love,” he said as he moved towards her.He knew he walked with much more grace than any earth being, they were clumsy compared to his kind.Though he much preferred to be in his animal form, it wasn’t conducive to doing business when around humans.So much of the time he was stuck in the flesh with his snake just below the surface, always waiting to be set free.
She stepped back before he could wrap an arm around her.“You’ve taken too many women.Many of which aren’tanimi.”
“We couldn’t only takeanimi,” he told her.“Then itwouldlook suspicious to the Shaman.We had to take a blend.You know this.”Azure didn’t add that he needed the human women to experiment on.He had yet to mention to his mate he’d sought out humans that used magic to help with a plan he’d formulated.Over the past couple of months, Azure had been thinking ofhowanimiwere created.They knew, based on what Shaman could see in the females, that they were altered by the magic from the beast-walkers.It stood to reason that if he had a concentrated amount of his magic, then he’d be able to create ananimuswithout waiting for whatever amount of time it took for her genetics to be changed.
Zeena lifted her chin, and pulled her shoulders back.She’d always looked so regal and proud.It was one of the first things that drew his eye to her.She was also one of the most stubborn females he knew, which at times Azure found attractive and at other times, vexing.“Regardless, you shouldn’t have taken them in such close intervals.Taking our time and being careful means less of a chance of getting found out.”
“We can’t just take our time,” he snapped.“The more mated pairs we have the stronger we will be.”
“That may be,” Zeena said cooly, “but if you’re found out by the Shaman Council then it won’t matter the number ofanimiyou’ve captured.They’ll take them and there will be consequences greater than just losing theanimi.”
“You forget, my love,” Azure stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her pulling her tightly against him.“We’re not the only ones that have some of theanimiwe’ve found.So, even if they do take the ones we have, there are still the others we’ve sold to the other kingdoms.”
She looked up at him and pursed her lips.“If you get caught and something happens to you, I will spend the rest of this life and the next making you miserable.”
Azure smiled.“Is that your way of telling me you’re worried for my safety?”
She glanced away and rolled her eyes.“I shouldn’t have to tell you.We’ve been mated for centuries.”
“It’s still nice to hear.”He pressed a kiss to her forehead.“Worry not, my love.I’m taking care of everything.”
Chapter 13
Depends On The Size Of The Spiders.
“Before I met her, my life was a monochrome of duty.I didn’t realize I was walking in perpetual darkness with no hope for anything else.I thought I had everything I needed, letting my responsibility act as the only thing that mattered.Then she appeared, and from one breath to the next, she illuminated the shadow world I’d been living in.Abruptly, my life had new meaning, a reason to keep going, something more valuable than mere obligation.I know with her at my side, each moment has greater significance than ever before.”~ Callon
"Where are you taking me?"Lola asked, her excitement evident as she bounced in her seat beside Callon.He shifted the car into second gear, but due to the NYC traffic, he had to downshift moments later."I can't believe you have a car, not to mention a car this freaking nice," she continued, not waiting for him to answer."Who has a car in New York?I mean, where do you park it?How can you afford to park it?Do you know how expensive it is to pay for a parking place in this city?"
Callon's lips curved slightly.Earlier that morning, Lola opened her window and practically jumped out to make sure he was still waiting for her, as he had promised.He had winked at her, which had made her cheeks blush a delightful two-toned shade, something he found adorable.
"I do live here," he reminded her."So, yes, I'm aware of the expense."
“So, you're rich," she said simply, without judgment, merely stating a fact she learned.
