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He groaned, slid deeper into the soft leather, and closed his eyes hoping that sleep would come. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually slept.
Down below, sleep brought nightmares, the kind that you could feel, the kind that left you bloody and banged up when you awoke.
“A bitch, isn’t it?”
He ignored Declan.
“You asleep?”
Julian exhaled loudly.
“Didn’t think so.”
“What is it that you want?” he asked roughly, his eyes still closed, though he knew any thought of sleep was nothing more than a far-fetched dream.
“I want . . .” Declan’s voice trailed off, and Julian cracked an eye open. He was astounded at the raw display of emotion that blanketed the sorcerer’s face. It was etched into the depths of his eyes.
Declan turned to him, and, in an instant, it vanished, leaving nothing but the cold, calculating man he’d become in its place.
“I want peace,” he said simply, “and I’ll get it.” He turned away, his face half-hidden as he gazed out the window. Julian saw his long fingers tremble as the sorcerer grimaced. “The moment I rip Cormac’s heart from his body, that’s when I’ll have it.”
Julian said nothing. He closed his eyes once more. For the sorcerer’s sake, Julian hoped like hell Declan would be able to find his peace, that revenge would fuel his road to recovery.
His gut told him otherwise. He had a feeling that even when it was over, it would never end.
Chapter 20
They landed in Canada in the middle of a snowstorm. It was mid-December and to be expected, but after spending the last nine months in either the hot jungles of Belize or the burning fires of hell, the cold and snow were not really things Julian was excited to experience.
A blast of frigid air greeted him as he exited the plane and kept his head low, trudging through slippery snow as he followed Cracker and the others. Jaden was still avoiding him and kept close to Nico. Their whispered words had ticked him off the entire trip. He’d pretended sleep but in reality nearly lost the battle to smash his fist into Nico’s cranium.
The thought alone brought a half smile to his face.
The wind was cu
tting, lashing at his skin with snowflakes that felt like bullets. His shoulders were wound so tight, he winced in pain as he stopped in front of a large SUV.
The door flew open, and he stepped back as a set of lean legs encased in skintight jeans and tucked into boots—which were totally inappropriate for the weather—slid from the truck. The small, trim woman who stared up at him was something fierce to behold, her long, amber waves billowing around her delicate face. Her pale skin was a dramatic contrast to the crimson shade of her lips, and a glimpse of fangs could be seen as she smiled.
She squared her shoulders and nodded to him as her focus shifted to the man at his side.
Julian glanced at Declan, then slipped past Ana before disappearing into the truck. He slid into the far corner, his eyes drawn to the driver. He didn’t recognize him, but the smell of otherworld clung to his frame.
Cracker slid into the passenger seat up front, and Julian watched in silence as Jaden climbed in. Her dark eyes caught his, and for that one brief moment, the craziness inside him subsided, like the layers of noise and pain had suddenly been peeled back.
She paused in the doorway, her body still, though he could see her pulse beating fast against the crook of her neck. He wasn’t aware of anything but Jaden, her long hair, the small tilt of her nose, and the generous curve to her lips. Her dark eyes glistened eerily in the late-afternoon gloom, and he focused on one solitary snowflake that lay against her cheek.
It was perfect, the design brilliantly displayed against her golden flesh, and he envisioned his tongue licking it from her. The taste and smell of Jaden invaded his nostrils, and they flared as his heart sped up, and his breaths came in rapid spurts.
Slowly, her hand reached for her face, and she wiped away the snowflake, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Her eyes widened, ever so slightly, and she looked away, cleared her throat.
“Jaden, I’m freezing my ass off, so it’d be great if you could get that pretty butt of yours moving.” Declan’s sarcastic voice ruined the moment, and Julian looked away as she slid into the seat behind him, Nico and Finn following suit.
Ana stepped in and sat next to him. “Damn, Julian, if your board of directors could see you now, they’d be crapping their pants for sure.”
Julian glanced at Ana but remained silent.
He noticed the tense set to Declan’s lips as he closed the door and sat on the other side of the vampire.
