Elodie Blackwood.
I should hate her with every piece of me, but every time I look into her eyes, the words from the prophecy kick off, ringing in my ears.
They will rise with fire in their bones and ruin in their wake, step the shadows that you reap and give more than you shall take. Blood shall bind you, love shall break you. Only in the face of death shall the path be clear; the world mourns with the final tear.
Who the hell will rise?
What blood binds me? My family, my dead loved ones?
I refuse to love, to even give it the opportunity to break me.
What path will be clear, and why must death be faced to find it?
And what the hell is big enough to make the world mourn? I lost my entire family, and the world continued to spin without care.
I exhale, frustration getting the better of me. I know why I’m here today, I know what I’m consumed with, what requires me to think harder than I’ve ever thought before, and as much as I don’t like it, I won’t settle until it’s done.
Elodie, in the hands of Jude Forrester, is not for the weak-hearted, and despite the strength she’s shown time and time again, I know she needs me. Kael was a fool to fall under his brother’s command, but it’s no surprise, he’s renowned for being a scary motherfucker. I’m more stunned that I met the infamous man himself without realizing it.
She saved me from him.
I have to return the favor. That’s all this is. It doesn’t mean anything else; it doesn’t have to. I’m simply returning the favor. Or I will, once I catch a clue on where she actually might be. The second she’s back in The Vale, I can go back to being isolated.
Being alone isn’t for everyone, and sometimes I’m sure it’s not for me until I sit here and bask in it. The quietness, thecontentment that radiates through me when I escape here is enough to remind me of the prophecy and what it means for me. I must keep my mind clear and my soul focused.
With that thought, it’s clear that I’m not going to get the answers here as I had hoped. Maybe rousing myself and dealing with the others would be more useful. I’m sure Rion has come up with a ridiculous plan already, one that will only irritate the vampire among us, and I’m more than keen to see that asshole riled up right now; he deserves it.
Sighing, I press my palms onto the stone at my sides, but the sound of someone clearing their throat in the distance makes me pause.
Impossible.
My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I follow the subtle sound, only for my breath to catch in my throat as I spy the source of the noise across the moat.
Strewn purple hair, pale cheeks, and confused eyes collide with mine as my name falls from her lips.
“Thorne.”
I blink at her, sure this is a figment of my imagination, but when she tucks a wayward strand of hair behind her ear as she tilts her head at me, I know she’s not.
Shadows cascade from my hands, sinking to the stone path beneath me as I lower to the ground. Snapping my fingers, the rickety drawbridge lowers, and I cut across the wooden slats far more calmly than I feel inside. My chest rattles with every inhale until I’m standing in front of her, toe to toe, engrossed in every inch of her as she peers up at me.
A warm sensation wraps around my chest, but I swallow it down quickly.
“How are you here?” I grunt, nostrils flaring as I fight against the desire to reach out and touch her for myself to confirm she’s real.
“Where is here?” she mumbles, folding her arms over her chest as she glances around.
“I asked first,” I insist, determined not to get caught up in her attempts at distraction. She might have questions, but I have them too. This is my land, my dream, and I get to call the shots.
“I don’t care,” she retorts, cocking a brow at me, and I scoff.
“My sister would have loved your sass,” I muse, the words slipping from my lips before I can think better of it. The way her mouth curls into a soft, knowing smile makes my heart ache.
“She sounds like good people.”
A pang in my chest grows tighter, but I stop myself from latching onto what ifs and has beens at the thought of my sister. Instead, I zero in on her.
“How are you here?” I repeat, and she shakes her head lightly.
