Knowing they had a physical relationship made anger burn a hole where my heart was, and I didn’t understand why that pissed me off so badly.
But it did.
“You will be dropped off in the coldest part of Cursinia, on the Frozen Peaks,” he explained.
A chill shot down my spine already at the thought of those snow-blasted mountains. The wind cut like blades up there, but we had our suits on to mitigate the effects of the climate.
“The snowy mountain is known for slippery terrain and sound-enchanting frost wards that amplify footfalls, breathing, and heartbeats. A courtesy from the ice fae.” Bloodwyne rolled his eyes. “Silence is survival up there. The creatures on that mountain arenotfriendly. The saber-tooth tigers and polar bears alone are a threat, but your main threat will be the Cult of the Blood Moon.”
“Saber-tooths?” Eleanor gasped. “I’ve never touched one of those before…”
“No way,” Lorian scolded her. “You’re not getting close enough to one to touch it. I’d…lose it if you were hurt, Elle.”
My brows raised. Those two really did have a connection.
She blushed but nodded. “I understand. The only predator I’ve had the chance to touch is a black bear.”
“Not a grizzly?” He frowned. “If you want, you can touch me in my shifted form.”
She giggled, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “I have to touch real animals, not shifters. But…thank you, Lorian.”
His face went red as he nodded.
“What are the cult’s beliefs?” Slater tilted his head, pocketing his phone after he finished sending what looked like an email.
“First rule of being an agent: don’t ask questions.” Bloodwyne narrowed his eyes at Slater. “You will have to work with the intel you’ve been given. You may do your own research in the field, of course. But never ask questions during a mission brief as an agent. Once you are promoted, you will get those privileges.”
“Ah, sorry, future Pops-by-mating.” Slater shot him a sheepish smile.
He leveled him with a glare. “It just so happens that youdoget briefed on the cult’s beliefs before the mission, but don’t get used to getting all of this information in the future.”
Slater gave him two thumbs up.
“The cult’s belief is that vampires should not be bound to the Fates because it makes them weak and predictable. The cultists sever their bonds to the Fates by physically removing their index toe bone and casting the intent before destroying it,” Bloodwyne explained.
My heart dropped.
The Cult of the Blood Moon.
Thatwas where I’d heard it before. My grandparents had been members before the cult was destroyed by the council. My parents still held those beliefs, but they hadn’t severed their bonds to the Fates…that I knew of.
“The cult is in possession of a magical artifact that warps emotional bonds,” he continued, running a hand through his red hair. “It’s able to amplify fear, lust, jealousy, and anger. It can even turn longing into raw hatred, and it allows the cult to weaponize those emotions against their enemies. It doesn’t just warp emotional bonds, though. It’s dangerous because that artifact affects the supernaturals who are more in tune with the Fates. It feeds off the proximity between fated mates the most, but emotionally linked supernaturals feed it well enough. You need to get the artifact away from the cult as soon as possible.”
“The cult isn’t just a threat to Kalista, but to the Fates,” I muttered, remembering all the shit my grandparents used to spew.
No wonder my parents were insane.
“SimulationCult of the Blood Moonactivate,” Professor Bloodwyne said before fading into the simulation.
The cold, barren landscape of the mountains formed around us, and the wind sliced the exposed skin of my face and fingertips mercilessly. Icy fog curled from my lips with every breath.
“Fates, it’s cold.” Rune shivered, but her golden eyes were calculating as she scanned the ridge line.
Chanting threaded the air, and I couldn’t tell if it was near or far. It had a double sound from the fae enchantment.
“Crevasse,” Hawk whispered, pointing with two fingers to a deep, open crack in the glacier. “It’ll give us a break from the wind.”
“Th-thank g-goodness.” Aura’s teeth chattered.
