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After she fastened the necklace around my neck, she led me to the car.
You’ll be safer with your new family.
And in the blink of an eye, the memory was gone. A disturbing sort of irritation remained that made me rub my shoulder. “What happened?”
Bruise stroked my cheek. “Nothing that you won’t miss, munchkin.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Adam snapped.
Bruise retracted their hand and bowed their head respectfully toward Adam. “My apologies, beta. I’m only trying to comfort your beloved.”
“I’ll comfort her.”
I blinked rapidly. “Okay, this isn’t helping.”
“Sorry, Lottie,” Adam apologized. “Let’s just get this over with, okay? I’m getting grumpier by the second.”
I snapped my fingers. “You need food.”
“I need sleep.”
“We’ll get there, Adam. Food first.” I smiled at Bruise. “And information, please.”
“Yes, of course,” Bruise agreed. “During my time with my elders at theArchives, I came across a series of unlisted burial sites. Many of them weren’t claimed by clans or packs, or any species for that matter. There’s one I remember distinctly that sounds like what you’re looking for.”
I clung to every word, feeling like I could trust Bruise the more I listened to them. While most people could have chalked that up to fae magic, I assumed it was because we shared something intimate a few seconds ago.
If only I could remember what it was.
“The betrayed bride lore has been something passed along in many cultures. We all have our own variation of it. For vampires, this leads to a map.”
“A map?” Adam repeated curiously. “I think Donovan and Sasha located a map in that crypt they visited.”
Bruise nodded. “Sasha informed me of the Castillo crypt, yes. I think that will be your key to finding the burial site.”
“But what is it about?” I asked. “Who is the betrayed bride and why?”
“Legend speaks of a woman who was set to marry a man for the purpose of uniting their families in trade. The woman fell madly in love with the man—but he only had eyes for power,” Bruise explained. “His commitment to gaining glory led to him pushing her to her death.”
My heart quivered. “That sounds dreadful.”
“It’s said her screams can still be heard from the cliffs.”
“Cliffs,” Adam whispered. “Yeah, it’s starting to sound like something from the research.”
Bruise sighed. “There’s not much else I can tell you, I’m afraid. Even those records were incomplete.”
“Strange coming from people who love record keeping.”
Bruise winked. “Oh, you have no idea how much it irks me that the records have been compromised. I can’t even verify this information for you.”
“You seemsopissed off,” Adam said sarcastically. “I mean,reallyangry.”
I steeped my fingers together, pointing them at Adam like an arrow. “Darling, you are not helping right now.”
“I’m just—”
“Mad about Henry,” I finished with a sigh. “I know, pup. We’re getting there. I promise.”
