BRIDE OF WRATH のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

Susan was holding two giant drinks like offerings to the gods when I returned. "What took you so long?" she asked, handing me one. "Don't tell me there's already a line.""Oh no," I said, taking a sip. The drink tasted so good. "I kind of… bumped into someone."She didn't look up, wiping a smear off her lid. "Who?"I inclined my head toward the stage just as Marvin walked on, and the crowd lost their minds, erupting into a deafening cheer... Susan, inclusive, until she followed my gaze, and nearly choked."Marvin Hall?!" she shrieked. "You met Marvin Hall?!"I sipped again, casually. "Yeah. He wants me to see him after the show."Susan clutched her chest. "Oh my god. Oh my fucking god."I chuckled. "Does Stefan know you have a crush on a rockstar?"She took a slurp of her drink. "It's not a crush. I just appreciate… his, uh, stage presence."Marvin started strumming his guitar, and immediately, the stage lights dimmed to a soft blue glow.When he started singing, the crowd grew quiet

ZEPHYR.I held the dryer over Lyla's hair, moving it slowly so it could fan the damp strands and we could both finally get to bed.She sat in front of the vanity mirror, wearing tiny night shorts that made focusing impossible and a matching thin-strapped top that left most of her back bare. The top had little pink bunnies on it, meant to be cute, but on her, it might as well have been lingerie. Somehow, she still managed to look sexier than a minx.Once her hair was dry, I switched off the dryer and set it on the table.Then, I picked up the brush and began to run it through her hair, taking my time.She released a soft, contented sound, smiling.When our eyes met in the mirror, the smile widened. "It feels nice."I smiled back at her, still brushing. "I bet it does."We were in the guest bedroom that Stefan had had a staffer prepare for us while we were at the music festival. "It's kind of hot... you doing this for me," Lyla said, tilting her head a bit so I could reach the ends bet

LYLASusan hadn't been exaggerating when she said the shaman was ancient.Her dark skin had folded into deep lines and creases, but her posture was still upright and powerful. Her thick white hair was tied back in two long braids, and strings of traditional beads looped around her neck and wrists.Two incense sticks burned on both sides of her, sending up smoke that filled the room with a strange, earthy aroma. Zephyr sat beside me on the woven mat, his arms crossed, and his face, unreadable. But I could tell he didn't believe in any of this.He wasn't exactly one for mystics and spiritual paths, despite the irony that he and his entire bloodline were living proof of the supernatural. Creatures shaped by forces far beyond science, and still, he didn't believe in "rituals."The shaman's home was small and bare. There were no chairs or modern comforts. Only a single rug covered the cracked floor and a few scattered thingamabobs sat on the corners. Susan had mentioned that the woman ref

(ONE WEEK LATER)The footage from my Luna ceremony played on the wide screen of Zephyr's desktop before us, thanks to Troy who had sent it through a secure, untraceable channel. We'd been combing through it for hours now, sitting side-by-side in his private workstation, paying attention to every detail.Some days back we moved out of Susan and Stefan's place to a penthouse suite in one of the most luxurious hotels in London, so we could have our privacy and plan how we were going to find the person responsible for cursing me. Zephyr already had some of his men tailing our three major suspects: Christina, Alice and Maria.I leaned back into the plush seat, sighing in frustration. "There's no point continuing this." Zephyr didn't even take his eyes off the screen, his face set in a serious frown as he went back through a section of the footage. I watched him click and rewind, pausing on a specific frame."We're never going to know when it happened," I muttered tiredly. My neck and e

The night air seemed colder than it had been during the first ritual.Zephyr held my hand as we made our way back through the forest path. I was more confident this time around, although I hoped I wouldn't have to endure holding a bowl under a bleeding animal's neck or cutting my palm again. The shaman, whose name I'd discovered to be Agnes, was already waiting, dressed in the same haggard, bare robe.A fresh bowl and ceremonial dagger sat on the stone altar, and a few offensive-smelling herbs burned in another bowl.She nodded in greeting as we came into view. "Welcome again, daughter of Selene," she said to me. Her eyes then landed on Zephyr. "And Alpha Wrath. You honor us again."Zephyr gave a respectful nod. He looked around, possibly for an animal, like the last time. "No goat?" He asked dryly. Agnes smiled tightly. "No goat."Then she turned to me again. "I shall need some of your blood, child."I squirmed, glancing at my palm where the wound from the previous cut was. It h