“Mistress. Wait. You promised me a reward. My heart’s desire.”
She turned back to him. Afanasiv again wanted to spare his lifemate. He edged just a little in front of her, but didn’t entirely take her field of vision. He knew if he did, she would immediately fight to see what her aunt was doing. Olga had turned back with a cruel, evil lookhe had seen many times throughout the centuries. It was a look of pure maliciousness. This woman was corrupt right through to her soul.
“You want your precious reward? Your heart’s desire? You worked so hard for it, torturing those young women for me. Enslaving my nephews. But you missed with Vasilisa, didn’t you? Do you think I should reward your screwup, Hattie? My niece is very dangerous. If she ever finds her Carpathian lover, she would be doubly so. She was the ultimate prize to me.”
The demon dropped to his knees. “Please, mistress,” he whined.
“Perhaps it wasn’t your fault. She is very astute and difficult to trick. Her downfall will be her brothers. She has always been too sentimental. I will get her that way.” She beckoned to the demon. “Crawl to me, Hattie, and you shall get everything coming to you.”
The demon immediately dropped all the way to his hands and knees and crawled through the snow to his mistress. She reached into her very chic jacket and pulled out a dagger with a spiral blade and a wicked point on the end. It looked suspiciously like the ones Afanasiv had seen in the caves the dark mages had practiced their arts in. She plunged the blade into the back of the demon’s neck, severing the spine.
The demon’s mouth gaped open wide in a silent scream. Olga twisted the spiral dagger out of the demon’s neck and plunged it into the middle of his spine. There was a cruel smile on her face as the dark blood bubbled and sprayed up like a fountain. Three more times she repeated the malicious action. She appeared to be in a state of animated bloodlust.
Afanasiv couldn’t help turning Vasilisa’s head into his chest and using his superior strength and his larger hands to keep her locked there.It is not necessary to witness any more of her evil depravity.
I need to determine if she is under a spell.
Afanasiv studied the cruel woman. He could distance himself from her actions, when he knew Vasilisa couldn’t. This was her beloved aunt.Olga was no longer that person. Who knew how long ago she had succumbed to her baser desires and sought out a master of the dark arts to help her achieve her goals? She had sold her soul to the devil. She served him—or his wife—now. There was a conspiracy against the royal house of wolves, and Olga was a major part of that conspiracy.
Olga shoved the body of the demon away from her with one foot. “You fool. I need blood fromallof them. Vasilisa cannot escape us. As long as she is out there, no one is safe.”
Olga waved her hands in the air in a complicated pattern, chanting as she did so. The blood disappeared from her face and clothing where it had splattered over her. Afanasiv recognized the pattern. It was an old one the high mage Xavier had used often when he sacrificed animals or humans on his altar and the blood splashed over his robes. Siv had seen this in the minds of young mages who had practiced under Xavier but deserted when the Carpathian race realized he was trying to wipe them out.
Xavier is dead and no doubt is in the underworld, gnashing his teeth and desperately thinking of ways to return. Xavier was killed by Ivory and Razvan while Natalya and Vikirnoff guarded their backs. Xavier is one of triplets. His brother, Xaviero, has also been defeated and sent to the underworld by powerful Carpathian women.
I have heard of Xaviero. He tried to start a war between Carpathians and Lycans, and very nearly succeeded,she acknowledged.
Skyler was one of the women to defeat him. Ivory was also one of the four. The other two were Branislava and her twin sister, Tatijana. Three of the four women come from the legendary line of Dragonseekers. Razvan also comes from that lineage. They have powerful ties to the land. It is said that no Dragonseeker has ever turned vampire.
Vasilisa rubbed the heel of her hand along her forehead and down to her temple. She didn’t ask Afanasiv to remove her headache, but then, maybe she was unaware that he could.These two mages are no doubt in the underworld. They can wreak havoc from there?
Demons do, why not mages? Wouldn’t you enlist anyone who could forward your cause? Lilith would believe she could control them, just as she believes she can control the beast enclosed behind the gates. He is a prisoner for a reason.Afanasiv rubbed the back of his neck.We didn’t expect living so long to affect us so adversely. Once our soul is in tatters, scars begin to develop. They cannot be healed, even by our lifemate. If we find her, that is the miracle, but she cannot remove the stain on our souls. Those remain to remind us we crossed a line. Each time I go into battle or take blood to sustain my life, my soul is at risk.
Vasilisa once again reacted to his confession in an unexpected manner. Instead of pulling away from him in utter disgust and horror, she leaned her body into his and wrapped her arms around him.You have fought with honor your entire existence, Afanasiv. I do not think you would succumb to temptation now, when you have a lifemate. You aren’t going to give in to temptation while you are taking blood to sustain your life.
She was amazing. No condemnation at all. He searched her mind to see if any was hidden from him, but there was nothing but compassion and admiration. He shook his head as he placed his fingers on her temples and briefly chanted a plea to the universal gods to remove her headache. He wasn’t a master healer, but he could get the smaller jobs done.
Xaviero had a son who not only watched him and recorded every dark spell but also did the same with his uncle Xavier. When I say recorded, he had a good memory, and he would write the spell in his book when he could. Unfortunately, as you know, sometimes you forget a small important detail unless you have a photographic memory. Even that can be unreliable when under stress.
Great. Now there’s four of them. I presume he’s just as bad as his father and uncles.
Afanasiv nodded slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on their prey. Olga was busy ensuring there wasn’t a drop of blood on her anywhere to be seen.
Yes, Barnabas is a cruel man and yet appears to be civilized and young. He often chooses to play the part of a college professor. Once he invades the woman’s life, she is lost unless she seeks help and someone powerful enough can drive him away.
Could he be behind this? Could he have tricked my aunt?
Anything is possible, my lady.He kept his voice as gentle as possible.
You said “triplets.” That means they have another brother, but you didn’t mention him. Is he dead, as well?
Xayvion. As far as I am aware, he still lives. He was with his brother Xaviero when the trap was set once your people were attacked. He begged his brother to flee with him, but Xaviero refused. Xayvion is able to continue with the original plan if he wishes to do so, which is to wipe out your species and mine, and conquer the human race so the mages rule.
I am grateful Xaviero didn’t even come close to wiping out our species. Fortunately, we have council members who worked it out with your prince.
Abruptly, he changed the subject.Did your aunt Olga die? It is possible her form is being used as a different kind of puppet, one we have not seen before.
No, she is alive, or at least she was. She plans all the balls and events the royal family holds. We would never think of them, and the family really needs to entertain, not just sneak around fighting off enemies no one ever sees or knows about. My parents and then Aunt Olga always said it was important that we made certain to create good times for our people and share those good times with them.