She couldn’t manage to touch the sigil on her side, not until the intense spasm faded. The fractured part of her mind in control at least remembered some of her Lamaze breathing, and after a few moments, the pain subsided.
Footsteps rushed down the passageway, Celia, Freya, and two of the Thirteen’s lackeys entered her cell. Celia pressed hands to Mara’s belly, pushing and prodding the baby while Mara could do nothing but sit there with tears running down her cheeks.
“She was further along than we thought,” the coven leader said as she yanked the loose dress up and peered at Mara’s panties. “Her water hasn’t broken yet, but I have to return time to what it should be so we can prepare the ritual space. You know where the conduit is?”
“Yes, Mistress. I could see into her mind when those imbeciles dropped the protection spell. They will bring her right to us.”
“When?” Celia asked as she drew a symbol over Mara’s belly. A flash of heat burst through her, and the baby kicked, hard, as if she were objecting to anyone touching her mother.
“They have a vampire with them. I doubt they will risk travel before dark.”
“You doubt?” Celia rose, Freya following closely, and the two practitioners stepped aside so one of the black-robed minions could set a tray of food in front of Mara. Sandwiches this time. And a glass of greenish liquid. “Be certain. We must be ready to end the wolves if they attempt to rescue her. Use the ancient one if you must,” Celia snapped.
“He is no longer beholden to the magic of the creators. He is lost to us.”
“Then track the conduit’s movements.” Celia peered through the bars at Mara, still seated on the mattress, arms cradling her belly, staring at straight ahead. For once, she was relieved that what remained of her sister’s consciousness was still in control. They were talking aboutendingher mate. Her family. More tears gathered in her eyes, making everything shimmer. She had to try to use the sigil again. To contact Cade and warn him. To dosomething. He’d already suffered so much because of her and Katerina.
“I promise you, Rachel. I won’t let anything happen to your daddy if I can help it.”Another kick, softer this time, and the briefest hint of determination flowed from the child she feared she’d never have the chance to know.
With a wave of her hand, Celia murmured a few words in Gaelic, then focused her glowing purple eyes on Mara. “Enjoy your meal, elemental. And drink up. When the moon rises tonight, you and that mangy wolf of yours will be reduced to ash, and your child will be ours forever.”
The four of them left her alone, trapped in the small cell with a tray of sandwiches and that disgusting green juice on the small tray. Mara railed against the control her sister’s energy had over her body, and as she took the first sip from the plastic cup, she wanted to retch. Spinach and celery and something bitter she feared wasn’t natural in the least.
Before the second sandwich was gone, Mara started to feel woozy. Were they drugging her? Why? They could compel her to sleep just by turning off the light.
What does it matter? You’re going to die anyway in less than a day.
Her sister’s energy fled, leaving Mara in control, but she couldn’t hold on to any coherent thought for more than a moment. Even her baby calmed.
The baby. The Thirteen couldn’t control the baby with the sigil.Oh, God. What had they just done to her daughter?
Mara rocked up to her hands and knees, intending to crawl to the toilet and force herself to vomit up whatever they’d given her, but all of a sudden, she couldn’t remember what she’d been about to do.
Absently, her fingers brushed the symbol burned into her side. Pain lanced through her, and for a split second, the fog muddling her thoughts faded. But just as quickly, it rushed back over her, and she sank down onto her side, staring at the rough stone wall outside the bars, and waiting. If only she could remember what she was waiting for.
Chapter Fourteen
Cade
He couldn’t understand why Liam and Farren were being so fucking stupid. The three of them had been arguing for an hour—an hour his mate might not have—rather than listening to him and piling in the cars to head for the vampire’s private airfield.
“Paddy knows somethin’,” Farren insisted. “I’ve never seen him like he was today.”
“He sure as shit doesn’t know how to give a straight answer. ‘Fire consumes but doesn’t die’? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Cade shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans—he still hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt—and his wedding ring hanging from the chain around his neck caught the light. If he didn’t get to his mate soon, he’d lose her forever, and then he’d lose himself.
“I think he means Mara’s stronger because she has two elements in her,” Caitlin offered, stifling a yawn.“‘In that strength all hope lies.’Or somethin’ like that.”
“Aye. Ya’ understand old Paddy now.” The elderly man’s whisper startled them all, and Cade whirled around, grabbed him by the arms, and hauled him up to sitting. He wanted to shake Paddy. Hard enough to rattle some sense loose, but given how frail the soothsayer appeared, Cade would probably crush him instead.
“Explain the rest,” he growled. “We need to get to Mara.”
Paddy shook his head and pointed to one of the windows along the far wall. “Day breaks. There’s no winnin’ without the blood of the stone.”
“The blood of the stone—holy fuck, old man. What do you know about that?”
The sight of one who has not seen will find the blood of the stone.
The words of the dying practitioner in the dungeon haunted Cade every waking minute. The only way they’d find Mara. They all agreed the‘one who has not seen’had to be Peter’s mate, but the blood of the stone? What the hell was that?
