AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Secreted on Scath, Dolph’s grandmother Seraphine never again saw her dam Niviane, but the aunt who brought her to the realm carried a loud and clear message of hate. With the prophecy unveiled, the truth became evident. Seraphine birthed Echidna, who birthed the male who would become Cerberus, a warlock destined to return the Aeternals to their rightful place at the head of all species.
In the portrait beside his mother stood his father, the warlock Garvin, a pitiless male who loved his mate, supporting her abuse of his son. Oft was the time he spied his youngling’s cuts, bruises, and black eyes only to chastise the child for failing to please his mother.
He once said, “You unappreciative whelp, don’t you know what your dam has sacrificed for you? Yet you continue to give a lackluster performance. Stop whining. Learn. Your destiny awaits you as do all Aeternals.”
But the small boy who cowered in the dark recesses of a damp cellar with blood pouring from lashes across his back still whimpered in his mind, still sought the love, the praise of his departed mother. Cerberus would obliterate the boy, bring him to heel in order to accomplish a goal. Weakness had no place in his destiny. Long ago, he learned to ignore the cries of the helpless child. Though his skills grew during his time with Karla, his mage trainer, he soon outdistanced her. To this day, he continued to grow. When victory was his, he would wash away the boy’s tears with the blood of his enemies.
Absolute supremacy was worth his suffering.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Roark circled the area for the fifth time, flying under the clouds. He was twitchy ever since Cerberus announced his intent to off Indigo. His twitchiness turned into a full-on case of the heebie-jeebies when he was assigned the task. Lucky for him, he was skilled at masking his reactions.
While he searched for the witch, he persuaded himself he needed to scratch an itch rather than make sure she was okay.
Spotted.
There she was, wearing a path in the grass, doing a one-eighty, walking off paces, and repeating.
The raven shifter arrowed into a steep dive, plunging beak down toward the banks of the river. At the last moment, Roark thrust out ebony wings to float to a soft landing. The surrounding air shimmered when he morphed.
Indigo pierced him with a glare while she stopped the back and forth.
“Hello to you, too. Indy, isn’t it?”
“You know it’s Indigo, and I have questions.”
Roark arched a brow, curious.
She held up an index finger. “One, you’re trespassing on my riverbank. Again.” When Roark opened his mouth to speak, she raised a second digit. “Not finished. Two, you led me to believe you were a Firebrand.” Indigo paused, as if expecting him to object. He didn’t. More fingers. “Three, you work for the bad guys. You forgot to mention this last time. Four, your aura is confusing. Five, you leave no clothes behind when you shift. And when you should be naked now, you’re wearing duds. I’m very puzzled. Six, you call me Indy. Seven, you piss me off.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you finished?”
She nodded, her bare toes tapping in the grass.
“Those aren’t questions.”
Indigo’s chin popped up.
Roark shrugged. “Okay. I’ll let that issue go. One, we’ve covered before. Not your river. Two, a misbelief on your part. Three is iffy. Four, I’m a shifter mix. Only a bigot would disparage my confusing heritage. Five, are you sure? Six, you’re Indy to me. And seven, no I don’t. You think I do because you have the hots for me and don’t like the feeling.”
“Hmm.” Her index finger stroked her luscious lips. “I’m mostly bent you’re an Arisen Dawn soldier.”
Roark agreed she looked a bit steamed. “Do I get a chance to explain?”
“No.” She inhaled, the swells of her breasts showing above a low-cut T-shirt. Flicking an ankle-length skirt, she flopped onto the ground, glancing at her watch. “Oh, well. Will this be a long story?”
“Depends.” Roark squinted, weighing whether it was safe to sit beside her.
Her eyes daggered toward his heart. “Are you going to tell me you didn’t know I was on side good?” She patted the grass next to her. An invitation.
Roark shifted from foot to foot. “Truth? I know nothing about you. Except what you shared last time. Though honestly, I was staring at your tits rather than listening.”
“Pig.”
“Raven.”
“Scavenger.”
