Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“The room is spelled to be soundproof. The king enjoyed laughing and clapping but sometimes it unnerved the torturers, so he can turn it off or on. He also enjoyed giving orders. What he did not enjoy was getting his clothes bloody.”
Though he seemed to have gotten over it now. Sasha stopped at the sight in front of him. There were two Devinsheas in that dark chamber, though it was easy to tell them apart. One was dressed regally and the other one was wrapped in cold iron, his hands over his head, feet barely touching the floor. A high-stress position that would have Dev’s whole body screaming in moments and would most likely dislocate his shoulders soon.
“Damn it,” Neil breathed as he walked in behind Sasha. “This is why I convinced Danny to check in on Z. If he saw that…”
Devinshea was Daniel’s. Vampires were possessive creatures, and Dev and the queen were Daniel’s precious blood. He would lose his shit. Like Sasha wanted to lose his because Ostara was in the room, too. Her slender form was tied to a chair. She still wore the gossamer gown she’d selected for dinner but it was wrinkled, the hem covered in the mud they drug her through. Her golden hair hung limply around her torso, and she had been crying.
His heart threatened to break.
She was here.
She didn’t look like his Marta, but it was her all the same. If he hadn’t been a vampire, he likely wouldn’t have known, would have merely believed she was some woman he’d just met who touched him in some odd spiritual way.
How many times? How many times had he looked at her face and known they were meant to be?
This time…this fucking time would be forever. This he vowed.
“It’s honestly unnerving being in the same room with him,” the king said as he looked Devinshea up and down. “I think he’s thinner than me.”
“Well, I’m not feasting on the souls of my enemies, you whacked-out bastard,” Dev spat back.
“Please,” Ostara began.
Dev managed to turn his body slightly her way. “Shut up. Let me do the talking.”
It was said in a harsh grind, but Sasha knew the words beneath it. Right now Ostara was a side project. There seemed to be three guards in charge of the dungeons. One was stationed by the door, but the other two were behind Devinshea. It was obvious they were already at work since Sasha’s friend had several round burn marks on his torso. His previously white shirt was in tatters and now a muddy red brown, but he was healing right in front of them.
The king nodded, and one of the guards hauled a long poker out of the raging fire blazing in the furnace. He didn’t hesitate to shove it into Dev’s shoulder, steam rising where it sank in. Dev’s jaw went tight, teeth gritting, but only a low moan came from him.
The guard pulled the poker out and stepped back. In mere seconds it began to heal.
“What is this magic?” the king complained, looking utterly disgusted with the fact that his wounds wouldn’t stay.
A long sigh came from the doorway. Myrddin stood there. “I told you he’s on vampire blood.”
“The vampires here don’t heal others.”
“Because the vampires on this plane are baobhan sith. It’s not the same. They don’t share blood the way the vampires on the inner planes do,” Myrddin said. “Devinshea has been on it a long time, so it will take a lot of damage to get it out of his system. He’s Daniel’s lover, and that means Daniel shares blood with him. Daniel’s blood is powerful. I believe I told you this won’t work right away. Between the god inside him and that damn vamp blood, this could take a while.”
“Or I could drain all the vampire blood out of his body and then the problem is solved.” The king snapped his fingers. “Get me a blade. I’ll slit his throat and this can be over.”
Sasha felt Neil tense beside him and knew they were about to have to make a choice.
Even as the guards handed him a long cold iron blade, Myrddin was shaking his head. “I told you, Your Majesty, if you kill him immediately, the god will flee. You have to separate the god from the man in a very specific way. It’s the only way to take the god’s energy yourself and regain the power of your temple.”
“Bullshit.” Neil’s arms crossed over his chest. “Nothing can hold Bris. I don’t know what the hell he thinks he’s doing, but he’s absolutely conning that king.”
The king sneered and moved in, dagger still in his hand. “Maybe I don’t care about the temple.”
Sasha would give it to the wizard. He was a cool customer.
“All right, but I’m not sure why you need a goddess if you won’t have a temple,” Myrddin said.