Page 10
My blood snapped together into a blood circle that no thrall could cross. In the middle of Paris, out in the wide-open streets.
Xin, Itztli, and Khalid slammed into the last thralls threatening Carys’ group. The rest of the thralls trapped inside the circle with us were easy to eliminate. Though an angry ravenous horde still milled about us.
For now, we were safe. We could wait until dawn…
My jaw tightened and I opened my eyes, meeting Rik’s gaze. Before I could say anything, he opened the car door, scanned the area, and then helped me out.
“This ends. Now.”
4
SHARA
All my life, I’d been hunted by these monsters. Now I knew why.
The Dauphine had been using thralls to try and run me down from the very beginning. Sending Greyson after me. Using him to create more ravenous monsters. For all I knew, she’d been building an army of thralls here in Paris for decades. Centuries. The thrall we’d killed in New Orleans said legion.
She’d used miles and miles of catacombs beneath the city to hide her work.
If so…
Rosalind would’ve known about it. She might have even participated. The Dauphine’s master thrall had been visiting her nest—and others—before today. Some of her siblings might have also known. Yet no one had done a thing to stop innocents from being slaughtered. A small cost to pay if they could bring me down.
Anger crawled through my veins, sparking in my blood, but I waited until Carys made it to me. My formidable, crusty, grumpy sibling fell into my arms. Sobbing. Shaking with terror and exhaustion. Because of me. Because she’d sworn an oath to House Isador.
“It’s okay. You’re safe. You made it. You did great. Everyone’s safe.”
The others engulfed us both in hugs and tears. Clinging to me. Gina and Leonie joined us too. I held them tightly, silently thanking the goddess they were safe. They’d made it to me. This time.
We ought to be able to go on a simple shopping trip without being hunted. Walk down a busy, beautiful street in Paris without fearing we’d be torn apart and eaten alive.
“My beautiful shoes,” Carys moaned against my throat. “I dropped the bags.”
“They were probably going to be uncomfortable as hell,” Julie said, trying to commiserate.
“Of course they’re bloody uncomfortable,” Carys snapped, some of her fire returning now that they were out of danger. “That’s how you know they’re the best of the best.”
My four-legged canine-adjacent Blood who’d run out to help bring them back to me trotted up with orange and blue bags dangling from their mouths. All pleased enough to wag their tails like Golden Retrievers. Even Xin.
Carys lifted her head and squealed like a child getting a pony on her birthday. “Oh, thank you, thank you. You’re the best Blood ever.”
“Does it make you want to call Blood of your own if they’ll carry your shopping bags?”
“Fuck no,” she said tartly. “No offense, doggies. But thank you for rescuing my treasures. Winnifred will be so pleased.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and get into the car. We’ll head home shortly.”
Carys pulled a handkerchief out of her bodice and mopped her brow. “Do you need to run any strategies by me first?”
“No.”
She cast a wary, fearful gaze at the milling monsters on the other side of my blood circle. “So many, my queen. What can you possibly do? We’ll be here for hours.”
I gave her one more hug and nudged her toward the cars. “You probably won’t want to see. But it won’t take hours. I promise.”
Startled, she stared at me, paling even more. As if she feared me as much—if not more than—the horde of hungry monsters barely held at bay. Without another word, she went to the waiting car, taking the rest of the humans with her.
Leonie stayed, reaching out to grab my hand. She squeezed hard. “I’m not leaving.”
