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“Fayla,” Adam whispers, gently pulling the sword away.
“I don’t know you, I’m speaking to my father!” she growls, her eyes boring holes into her father’s head with all of their intensity.
“I’m your brother, Adam. That man holding you—”
“Is the leader of the Blood Knights,I know,”she hisses, sparing her brother a glance. “Do you know his genealogy, Father?” She raises an eyebrow, sliding her bloody hands over mine.
“I do!” someone chirps, and I look up to see the formidable wives of the Cadell family descend the stairs together. Kiera leads them, her confidence radiating as she stops with her hands on her hips and glares at me.
“Sebastian Bane, as I live and breathe…” My eyes dart behind her, settling on a woman I used to consider my friend.
“Dominique…Cadell now, isn’t it?” I say, dry humor in my voice.
“Takes one to know one!” she snaps back, spinning a bloody dagger in her hand.
I have to chuckle, if what I feel for Fayla is the Forever Bound fable then she’s right. I’m just as much a part of this family as I am a Blood Knight.
“What does genealogy have to do with this?” Zarius asks Kiera.
She rolls her eyes. “You know my career, obviously, that I trace genealogy spanning all throughout history? Zarius, smell your enemy. Tell me you don’t sense it,” Kiera demands.
Zarius curls a lip in disgust at me. Angrily, he closes his eyes and breathes deeply through his nose.
“No…” he whispers, eyes flashing open in shock.
“That’s right, old man. You killed my ancestors at your last ‘wedding,’” I spit on the floor at his feet, hatred boiling inside me. “We spent our lives trying to pay you back for that!”
Fayla twists in my arms, cupping my face and making it so I can only see hers. Only look into her eyes. “Had that horrible day not happened, we may not have ever met…” she whispers, and my heart softens a little more for her.
“You see, Zarius, your senses weren’t wrong,” Kiera says. “The bloodline was destined to join yours, just not until much, much later.”
I turn my head slightly to watch her put a comforting hand on Ever’s shoulder. I blink, this man here is the closest living relative to the original Blood Knight leaders. My oldest ancestor. I swallow hard, trying to choke down the rising admiration I have for him. These people are my enemies…and I’ve claimed their youngest daughter, their sister.
“Well, if that isn’t ironic!” Dixie laughs, slapping her hand on Zarius' shoulder, completely fearless. “Your biggest enemy is now your son-in-law!”
Zarius shrugs her hand off and steps away with a growl, but his eyes are soft when he looks at her. “Angelica has made more vampires without the bond!” he fumes.
“None of them have powers bestowed by the bond though, Father…” Ever says, pointing out the fact that my skin was impenetrable silver just moments ago.
That was unexpected, and pretty fucking cool, if I do say so myself. A vampire hunter who can become silver? Fuckers better watch out…
“And what of my daughter? The women get extraordinary powers, not the men,” Zarius hisses.
“I don’t know, Dad. Devion got wings when he bonded with Lilith…” Ever muses.
Kiera shrugs. “Maybe it’s different because Fayla’s the born vampire and Bane was human?” she says, walking through all the men and stopping in front of us. She stares me down, not even trying to hide the glint of hatred in her eyes, but when they dart to Fayla, she sighs. “Had I known you existed, sister, we would have been able to prepare you better for all this…”
“Speaking of Angelica?” Dom interrupts everyone, cracking a whip by her side for emphasis. “The castle won't protect her little demons if we tear it down, the sun is rising.”
“No!” Fayla cries. “Wait!”
“What is it?” Kiera asks, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Mara, she did it to Mara…” Tears fill my woman’s eyes and my heart breaks for her. I hold her tighter, watching as Kiera’s face contorts with grief.
“I was afraid of that, we saw her take her. Brec and Xanthe are looking for her now. They will be horrified to learn she's…” Kiera’s voice drifts away.
The entire Cadell clan is mourning for this girl. For the first time I see a side to these monsters I never thought I would. They miss the girl, mourn her, as if…well Fayla can’t be the only one who can feel emotions…
