LOGINI still knew every word.“Mom.” Max’s hand tightened on my arm. “Drop it. Look at me.”I looked at him.He had dirt on his face and his lip was split and his eyes were wide and scared and absolutely certain, all at once. He looked eleven years old and he looked forty, and I loved him so much in that
Natalia’s POVI fought like hell.My arm shook from the strength it took not to let that blade drive down toward Andrei’s chest. Max’s screams faded into the distance. The knife hovered six inches above Andrei’s chest, getting closer with each second.I had both hands wrapped around the handle now,
Natalia’s POVIt all happened so fast—a flash of movement at the edge of the platform, a small hooded figure vaulting up the steps, and then the knife coming down in a quick, hard arc that made the blade catch the red light overhead.Andrei threw himself sideways just before the knife collided with
I straightened up. My heart was pounding. I looked around the room and for a single, disorienting moment, I had no idea where I was. The black stone walls, the red sky beyond the window, the dead air of this place—none of it felt right. None of it felt like mine. I felt like a man who had woken up m
Andrei’s POVThe collar of my shirt was pissing me off.I had fastened it twice already and it still insisted on sitting crooked, pulling too tight on the left side. I undid it a third time and redid it, slower, watching my hands in the mirror rather than my own face. My reflection had been botherin
Natalia’s POVHe didn’t hesitate.The moment I swung the rod toward him, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist like a vise. My arm wrenched sideways, and I felt the bones grind together under his grip, and the rod fell. It clattered somewhere on the stone floor, rolling away into the darkness
AndreiSomehow, we managed to get out of that blasted Thornwood with our hides intact, although it wasn’t easy. It took twice as long as I expected to navigate the dark, misty forest, and the constant rogue threats weren’t any help.By the time we left the woods, agreeing to meet the escorts back he
“They don’t like me,” Andrei pointed out.I had noticed the same thing, of course. My father and brother—it was going to take a very long time to get used to that—clearly had qualms with Andrei. It likely had something to do with the fact that he hadn’t marked me yet, I figured. Perhaps they were tr
NataliaAndrei and I had dinner privately that night. Since we were all together again, and Max was well enough to sit at the table with us, my father and brother didn’t protest when I told them we wanted to be alone.We shared a small but delicious meal in my private chambers, watching as Jane cont
NataliaI stared up at the man who claimed to be my brother, my mind reeling. The resemblance was undeniable—the same eyes, the same bone structure, even the same stubborn set to his jaw that Damon always made fun of me for.“Who are you?” I blurted out.“David.” He took a step closer. “My name is D







