Oh, fuck no. This bitch did not just sell out my girl.
Rage explodes through my veins like a goddamn wildfire. I can't believe what I'm hearing. This treacherous cunt just threw Dani to the wolves. And for what? Because she's jealous?
My hands ball into fists, claws digging into my palms. It takes every ounce of self-control not to lunge across the table and rip Izabelle's throat out.
I catch Erik's eye, seeing my own fury and disbelief mirrored in his gaze. We both know what this means.
I give Erik a slight, almost imperceptible nod. He returns it, his face grim and his eyes hard as flint.
We're ready. Ready to fight, ready to kill. Ready to do whatever it takes to keep Dani safe.
"Go find her." Bloodbane nods to one of his crew. "And bring her to me."
I bare my fangs in a deadly snarl. "You won't fucking touch her."
Beside me, Erik bares his fangs.
I see a flash of fear in Bloodbane's eyes for a split second, quickly replaced by pure, unadulterated hatred. "And there it is," he sneers. "What have we here, boys?"
"Dani—"before I can even warn her, Bloodbane moves.
And then it's just fucking chaos.
Danica
13
Nixie turns over the next card, and I lean forward eagerly, my heartache momentarily forgotten. "The Emperor," she intones, tapping the stern-looking figure on the throne. "Your vampire has a hidden power, a legacy waiting to be unleashed. Lightning courses through his veins, the blood of a powerful ancestor."
I bolt upright, curiosity burning hot. This is the third time someone's gotten cryptic about Rhyland's supposed "hidden ancestor" and mysterious powers, and I'm tired of being left in the dark.
"But what—?"
"The Hierophant," she says, cutting me off and turning over a card with an old man in robes. "To find his true heritage is to find the answer."
"Well, that's about as clear as mud," I snap. "What ancestor, who—?"
"Patience, my dear," her voice soft and soothing. "The answers will come in due time." The gypsy gives me that same enigmatic smile.
I huff in frustration. "Due time, my ass," I mutter. "I've got a mate with a mysterious past, supernatural baddies on my tail, and powers locked up tight. I don't have time to wait for the universe to get its shit together."
Nixie sighs, shaking her head. "You young people, always so impatient," she mutters, but there's amusement in her eye.
"Can't you give me a hint, at least? A name, a place, something to go on?"
She shakes her head, her expression serious. "To give you too much too soon would rob you of the journey," she says solemnly. "The discovery of one's heritage, of the power that flows through one's veins, is a sacred thing. It cannot be rushed or forced."
This makes me wonder how much Rhyland knows about his past and heritage. He's given me the SparkNotes version of his mortal life, but what about the prequel?My brain is now in full-on sleuth mode. Unraveling the mystery of someone's past, their lineage? That's catnip for my curious mind.
I mean, it's my job description back home.
But given Rhyland's past, I suspect a simple blood sample in my lab won't cut it. This will require a full-on deep dive into the supernatural world—time to channel my inner Scooby-Doo and crack this case wide open.
We're talking about a guy who's been around for centuries, seen empires rise and fall, and probably has more secrets than the CIA.
Does Rhyland share the same fate as me, clueless about his real parents?
If so, Rhyland and I are fated with the same messed-up history—just in different periods. The universe really has a sick sense of humor.
