Lisha POVI wipe the tears from my face when I realize Damian left without waking me; it breaks my heart that Damian won't listen to me, and leaving him is the only option I have to keep our baby safe. I climb out of bed and grab a small bag out of the walk-in before hastily throwing some clothes in it; there’s a soft knock on the door. When I open it, I see Lilly waiting in the hall. I hand her the bag and follow her to Jasmine and Tyler's room; Sharna is leaning against the wall tapping her foot impatiently as she growls at Lilly. “What took you two so long?” Lilly snarls back at her and hisses, “We can't look like we are running, you fool; if it gets back to Damian, he will become suspicious.”Lilly knocks on Jasmine's door, and when she opens it, Jasmine ushers us inside. She has a bag sitting on the table filled with clothes and food for Asher; Jasmine refuses to make eye contact with me as she hands me a piece of paper and says, “Once you enter the cave, repeat these words t
Skyla POVWhen Xavier first turned me, it was difficult to control my blood lust; I am ashamed to say I couldn't get enough. I now understand Andras’s addiction to Fae blood; no other species in our world compares to the exotic taste of Fae blood as it tantalizes your taste buds and flows down your throat. The difference between Andras and I is that I only kill the Seelie; I justify my actions to myself by saying I am only making them pay for the years of cruelty they have inflicted on the rest of us. I sneak out of the castle while Xavier is asleep. He didn't know I overheard him talking to our guard. Cassandra’s warriors have been seen in the werewolf village that Xavier and I lived in with Lisha and Tyler; it's not uncommon for the Seelie to be seen there since Lisha’s disappearance. Lisha and Tyler have been gone for twelve months; Allana said she feared they were both dead as she couldn't locate either of them. I still hope they will return, but Xavier keeps telling me it's wish
Lisha POVWe take turns carrying Asher as we run; it takes longer than we thought to reach the outskirts of the village I grew up in. My childhood home is just above the rise in front of us; Lilly, Sharna, and I have agreed to stop there overnight as Asher has been restless all day. Just as we are about to enter the clearing behind the house, I freeze when I see a familiar figure walking toward the spot where Allana opened the portal. I mind-link Sharna and Lilly, screaming, “Stop, don't enter the clearing.” We hide amongst the trees watching as Gabriel and half a dozen Seelie guards search my mother's house. Each of us is exhausted, but we have to keep going. Our plans of resting here for the night have been ruined. We slink back into the thick forest surrounding the house, and I take the lead and run toward Allana’s cave. Once we are far enough away that Gabriel and his guards do not sense us, I stop and sit on a fallen tree to rest. I haven't told Lilly and Sharna that I felt Dam
Skyla POV I knew Allana was lying to us when she said Lisha and Tyler were dead; if Xavier had listened to me, he would be here now and would finally know his sister was alive. Allana always avoided my questions regarding Lisha and Tyler; everything I heard about Allana and Cassandra must be true; why else would she keep Lisha’s and Tyler's whereabouts a secret? I hug Lisha tightly and follow her into the cave expecting to see Tyler; when I realize he isn't there, I ask, “Where’s Tyler?” Lisha shakes her head slowly as she says, “I don't know, Skyla.” I look at Lisha in disbelief and ask, “What do you mean you don't know?” She sinks slowly into the chair, wrapping her arms around her stomach; her eyes glisten with tears as she answers. “After the attack on the village, we were taken to the werewolf realm; a couple of days ago, there was an uprising; Sharna and Lilly helped me escape with Tyler's son.” There are two she-wolves asleep on the floor near the bed; I walk toward
Xavier POV Skyla and I shouldn't be able to mind-link each other, but we can; I have put it down to us both having Fae's blood. Don't get me wrong, being born a vampire has its perks, but being a hybrid makes me much more powerful. I am stronger than any vampire in our realm; my father didn't realize what he had created until it was too late. When my father attacked Skyla, and I heard her screaming in fear, I lost it; my father's addiction to Fae blood was his undoing. I still don't feel remorse for killing the bastard; my only regret is that I didn't prolong his agony by torturing him. When the elders saw how easily I defeated him, no other vampire was courageous enough to challenge me. It took much less time to restore order in my realm than I thought it would. I rake my fingers through my hair, watching Skyla chatting amicably with Allana. Something is up; Skyla always makes herself scarce when Allana is in our realm. Skyla and I watch as Allana leaves the castle grounds. Once Al
Tyler POV It was clear to me that we couldn't win this fight. Theo had too many wolves backing him; as soon as I saw Damian fall, I ran to my chambers to try and get Jasmine and Asher to safety. I thought none of Theo's wolves had made it deep inside the castle; as soon as I opened the door, I realized I was so wrong. The rich coppery tang of blood filled my senses; what was left of Jasmine was scattered across the room; the bastards had torn her apart. I don't have time to grieve for her; I need to find my son. I searched our chambers, looking for Asher; he was nowhere to be found; rage like I had never experienced before ran through my body, causing it to shake. I knew I had to remain calm if I had any hopes of finding him; I didn't realize I was kneeling beside his cot until I looked at my hands. I was clutching his blanket against my chest; I couldn't stop the tears running down my face. The same thought kept playing on rewind inside my head, ‘who had my boy? Where could they have
Lisha POV The first things I noticed when I entered the library were the comfortable sofas in front of the fire, the smoke from the flames dancing on the wood, and the dusty smell of ancient books. Sunlight streamed through the window, and dust particles floated in the air. The room was lit with oil lamps strategically placed beside shelves filled with hundreds of books. A calm, comfortable feeling settled inside me; I could lock myself away in here for days and lose myself inside the pages of a book, leaving all my troubles behind me. I promise myself I will do just that one day in the near future, but I have plans to make right now. I reach out and caress the binding on the book closest to me, jumping when Skyla hooks her arm through mine and whispers, “I love this room; when Xavier first brought me here, I used to get lost in here for days.” Xavier is standing by the window. He turns when he hears Skyla’s voice; I incline my head slightly before sinking into one of the sofas. Sk
Tyler POV I don't know how long I have slept; dreams have haunted my sleep all morning. I kept seeing Jasmine's body strewn across the floor of our chambers. Now and then, Asher's face would cloud my vision; his sweet face was always blurred, I would put my arms out to hold him, but he was always just out of my reach. Sweat has soaked through my clothes, making them cling to me. My skin feels like insects are crawling all over me; my mind is restless. There's no way I will get any more sleep today. The sounds of my wolves snoring bounce off the cave walls. I tilt my head to one side when I hear water trickling down the cave wall; I walk toward the sound and notice a small hollow on the ground. I bend, cupping my hands together, and dip them into the water. The water is ice cold; I take a hesitant sip; it has a slightly metallic taste, but other than that, it's okay. I drink my fill and wash my face trying to clear my head. Then make my way to the threshold of the cave; it's mid-aftern