He had robbed me of any trace of hope, compassion, or emotion—everything that had once made me human.
His beautiful face—more stunning than any marble statue of even the most perfect angels I had ever seen—rose in my memories. His mocking smile, the sick pleasure in his eyes when he had tried to force Thierry and me into bed with him—it was seared into my brain. The way his gaze had shifted from pleasure to murderous fury the moment he was defied.
Dread built in the pit of my stomach.
If he still lived, Eli wasn’t safe.
None of us were.
“Well?” Thierry prompted, watching me intently.
I stared at him, trying to make sense of his question.
“Has this asshole contacted you?” Jeremy said, frowning at me. He shot Thierry a strange look that seemed to convey volumes.
Thierry glanced back at him and nodded slowly, as though Jeremy had spoken aloud.
I gave a start. They were blood-bonded?
But what could they possibly mean? If Magnus still lived, why on earth would he reach out to me? He wasn’t one for diplomacy. He would have started with violence.
“No,” I said at last, fighting to keep my voice calm.
“He’s here,” Thierry said, still studying me. “In Los Angeles. We believe he’s looking for you. We think he may attempt to form an alliance with you.”
“An alliance,” I repeated, revulsion twisting in my gut.
“He’s attempting to rebuild what he once had,” Godric said softly. His gaze slid from me to Eli and then back again. His expression grew more thoughtful. “He’s seeking an ally. A creature who would help him kill anyone, anywhere, anytime, without a shred of mercy.”
“And he came here. To me,” I said, my voice dull. “Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“But—wait. No! That’s not Nicolas,” Eli said immediately, his voice going hard. “It’s neverbeenNicolas.”
Thierry’s brows shot up at the heat in his voice. But based on the incredulous expression on his face when he studied Eli, he disagreed wholeheartedly. Of course he did. Because no matter what Eli believed, I had been capable of taking any life that suited me up until about two months ago. It didn’t matter that it was true—the idea that such a thing could have changed just by meeting the lovely Doctor De La Cruz was laughable.
“Okay, fine,” Eli said, glaring at me. “Yeah. Sure, you werecapableof taking any life you wanted. But youwouldn’thave. Innocent people don’t fit your victim profile.”
Surprise flashed through me. How could he have intuited my thoughts so accurately?
I shot Eli a narrow-eyed look. What else had he sensed from me? Was he even aware he was picking up on my thoughts?
“You’re already blood-bonded,” Thierry said, his voice dropping to a whisper. His eyes went wide, and his hand flew to his mouth. Then his gaze met mine, the corners of his lips turning down almost comically. “Nicolas. Are you… did meeting Eli…”
He swallowed hard, his eyes turning glassy all over again.
Jeremy automatically put a hand on Thierry’s shoulder, the expression on his face filled with such tenderness that I almost had the urge to look away, as though I were seeing something immensely private, meant only for them.
“Are you experiencing emotions, brother?” Thierry finished, his voice dropping to a choked whisper. His gaze slid to Eli and then back to me again. “For him, perhaps?”
I could see the centuries of grief and pain in his eyes, mingled with his hope—his horridly fragile and perfectly human hope. And I understood what my brother was truly asking me: was Imyselfagain?
“Yes,” I said, not liking the disbelieving note in his voice. I locked eyes with him defiantly. “I am.”
Thierry stood, his expression becoming unreadable.
I stood as well, mirroring his movement.
