A Cursed Bloodline (WG 4) (10 page)

Syrup and whipped cream soaked Bren’s face, but he’d eaten. Emme wiped his beard with a damp cloth. “Do you think he wants more?”

A low growl from his stomach answered her question. After some bacon, eggs, sausage, and more pancakes, Bren finally seemed satisfied. I turned up his IV to give him more fluid while Emme busied herself washing his face. He smiled at her with his eyes closed…and raised another flag.

Emme’s jaw dropped. “Do you think he’s doing it on purpose?”

“Maybe he can’t help himself….” My cellphone rang, stirring my already sensitive nerves. “Hello?”

“Everything is ready,” Danny said. “I’ll meet you on the west corner of Misha’s compound.”

Sweat slid between my breasts. I worked my throat, but couldn’t swallow. “O-okay.”

Emme stopped adjusting the pillow behind Bren’s head when she caught the misery etching its way across my features. “Celia, you don’t look well. What’s wrong?”

“I feel sick. I need some air. I’ll be back later.” Almost robotically, I grabbed my jacket and dashed through the kitchen door. Raindrops splashed against my nose. I wanted to turn around and rush back inside. Instead, I started toward the lake. “Hello, Michael,” I said when I scented him.

Michael’s dark mocha skin glistened from the rain. He’d been standing by the boathouse for a while. “Where are you going, Celia? The master doesn’t want you to leave the premises without escorts.”

“I’m going for a walk.”
Then a ride.
“I’m not feeling well.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

“No. I can’t have anyone with me right now.” Michael raised his chin, already suspicious. “What I mean is I need time alone.”

Michael hadn’t been a vampire long. In fact, he was probably only twenty-six, like me. And yet his maturity and wisdom far surpassed that of the other vampires. So did his kindness. “Will you stay on the grounds?”

I nodded.
For the next few minutes I will.
I ambled onto the dock and stared at the lake for a long while. Waves splashed against the smooth boulders, one after the other. I counted to a hundred before I finally forced myself away and into the large patch of woods covering Misha’s thirty-acre estate.
God, give me the strength to keep Aric safe.

I sprinted through the thick trees as soon as I lost Michael’s scent, using my powerful legs to leap over the great stone wall. I landed almost atop where Danny idled my car and hurried inside it, taking care to avoid his stare. He drove off without a word. Perhaps he hoped I’d change my mind.

“Where do you want to do this?” he asked when we turned off the road leading to the compound.

“There’s a small estate nearby that has been on the market for a while. Misha thought about buying it to house his mistresses, but decided against it.”

“What made him change his mind?”

I blew out some air; this was just another burden I carried. “His vamps told me it was his way of committing to me.” I tried not to react when Danny cringed. “Turn right here. It’s just up this street.”

Danny parked in front of the large metal gate just as the rain dwindled to a halt and the sun broke through the clouds. The house, although about five thousand square feet, was minute compared to some of the opulent mansions circling Lake Tahoe. Hell, Misha’s house alone was six times that size.

Danny’s gaze scanned the exterior. “What about security?”

“From what I remember, the house has an alarm system, but the detached garage doesn’t. Come on.” I scaled the gate and leapt over in a graceful flip. I landed in a crouch, rising smoothly.

Danny crashed next to me with a loud thud and a pained grunt. I helped him to his feet. “I’m okay,” he mumbled. His face reddened, but he didn’t pull away until he steadied himself.

“You’re just off balance because of the backpack you’re carrying.”

He bowed his head, clearly humiliated. His struggles to master the strength and powers of his beast deeply affected his self-esteem. I patted his back, wishing I could help him, before leading him forward.

I
shifted
underground when we reached the detached garage and let Danny in through the side door. The vast empty space was big enough to house four SUVs, and although well kept and relatively new, it carried an eerie vibe. I wiped my sweaty palms against my jeans. “Will this do?”

He nodded slowly and pursed his lips. “I have to ask you one last time. Are you sure? I mean, is there no other way?”

Tears filled my tired eyes. I sniffled, trying to keep my nose from running. “What do I have to do, Danny?”

Danny knelt on the floor and removed his supplies from the bulky navy pack. “According to the book, breaking the bond is emotionally and physically painful. You’re…
destroying
the spiritual link that connects you as mates. I’ll have to bind your hands and legs to keep your body from turning against you. You’ll also be opening your soul to the Native American
weres
who used to inhabit the area. The ring of salt I’ll surround you with will keep those spirits from entering your body and speaking through you.”

At that point, I was having a hard time worrying about me. “Will this cause any permanent injury?”
God, what if I hurt our child?

Danny examined the pages of the book carefully. “You won’t be physically harmed, Celia. It’ll just feel like you are.”

I nodded. “If that’s the case, I want to take the brunt of the pain. I don’t want Aric to suffer.”

Danny met my eyes. “Celia, that’s not possible. You’re severing his connection to you. I’m afraid there’s no way around it.”

I buried my face in my hands. “What about his soul? Can spirits possess him?”

Danny’s voice shook and I could taste his fear. “Aric will be spared. Only the one who breaks the bond is vulnerable.”

I sat on the floor and hugged my knees. Danny riffled through the pages. “It took me a long time to find the right book because mated couples just don’t do this. In ancient times, when a pureblood and a non-pure were discovered to have mated in secret, the Elders would use this to force them apart. The spell was written in a rough form of Latin. I translated it into English as best I could.”

Danny handed me an old weathered book. The worn and yellow-stained pages had already begun to disintegrate at the edges. He pointed to a handwritten passage. The illustration beside it was less than encouraging. Two naked beings reached out to each other, unable to touch. Their asexual faces contorted with agony and desperation so gut-wrenching I almost wept for them.

“I’ll say the verses in English first and then you’ll read them aloud in Latin. This way you’ll understand what you’re saying.”

“I don’t want to understand.” It was cowardly of me to say it, but a future without Aric seemed unbearable.

“Celia, you’ll have to. Otherwise they’re just words and the spell won’t work.”

I pressed the book against my chest and squeezed my lids tight.
They are just words. I’ll find a way back to you, Aric. I swear it.

When I opened my eyes again, Danny’s face was shadowed with dread. His voice cracked. “Are you ready?”

I placed the book down on the floor and knelt so Danny could bind my hands behind my back and fasten the ties to my ankles. When he was done, I crouched on my heels and he encircled me with salt. “Keep her safe, keep her strong,” he muttered over and over.

I stared at the open book in front of me.
God, I don’t want to do this.
Some time passed and my legs fell asleep. The sun moved across the room and still I did nothing. As if on cue, Anara’s hateful glare blazed across my mind like the flare of a match. I startled, realizing my time was up. Anara made it clear he’d soon choose his next victim if I didn’t act. I gritted my teeth and bowed my head.
Aric…I love you. Forgive me.

Celia?

I forced myself to ignore Aric’s voice and nodded to Danny. His shoulders drooped. He’d likely hoped I’d change my mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “I ask you, Great Protector, to break our bond.”

I bit into my lip so hard it bled. Tears blurred my vision making it hard to read the words on the page.
“Ego scisco…vos valde…patronus ut…effrego nostrum…vinculum.”

“By my blood break our bond.”

“Per meus…cruor effrego…nostrum vinculum.”

“By my spirit break our bond.”

“Per…meus…phasmatis…effrego nostrum…vinculum.”

“By my will break our bond.”

“Per meus…mos effrego…nostrum vinculum.”

“Let the love of my love inhabit me no more.”

My cries ripened into painful sobs. Every word, every syllable hurt to say.
“Permissum…diligo of meus…diligo…commoror mihi…haud…magis.”

“Let our spirits go their separate ways.”

“Permissum…nostrum…phasmatis…vado…nostrum…separate…mores.”

“Let our love no longer be one.”

“P-p-p-p-ermissum…nostrum diligo…exsisto…haud…diutius…unus.”

Lightning flashed in the garage. My flesh ripped away in one vicious pull and my world exploded in pain. Every nerve in my body screamed. And so did Aric.

Celia! Celia! Nooooooo!

His screams echoed in my head and morphed into the pained howl of a wolf. My tigress roared in agony. Needles, ablaze with fire, punctured my form, searing and piercing my organs. My muscles ripped from my body, piece by torturous piece.

My screeching burned my ears yet Aric’s anguished cries thundered above my wailing. A chilled wind whipped around me, lifting me off the ground and thrashing me against the floor. The pain was unbearable. I couldn’t endure it and yet I did, until my rib cage was cracked open and my heart was clawed from my chest.

Darkness covered me. It lifted in time for me to see the sun set against the garage wall. My face rested in Danny’s lap. I was crying, cold, shaking, and alone.

“Aric’s dead.”

Chapter Nine

Danny stroked my soaked hair. “No, Celia. He’s not.”

“He is. I…
killed him
.”

Danny sat me up. My bindings had been cut, but I couldn’t support myself. He held me tight. “The bond broke and you felt the effects of losing him. As his Warrior, I can still sense his presence.”

He lifted me and carried me outside. His body was warm, while I remained unbelievably cold. I felt lighter—hollow—as if only my skeleton remained. Yet the loneliness was worse. It scratched at my decrepit bones, searching for where my heart had once beaten only to discover a cavity of gaping emptiness. I shuddered, mourning my loss and fearing I’d never again be whole.

Danny’s eyes took me in. “My God, Celia. What have I done?”

We reached the gate and he sighed. “Celia, I don’t think I can jump us both over without hurting you. Can you manage?”

My mind wandered back to my baby. “Can I manage?” I repeated aloud. “I guess I’ll have to for both of us.”

Danny answered me, believing I meant him. “Don’t worry about me, Celia. I’ll get over.” He placed me on the ground and graciously hung on to me. My legs wobbled like rubbery strands and it took me a few moments to straighten. I lacked the breath and energy to
shift
, so I moved a few steps back and leapt over.

My jump lacked grace and I had to roll to break my fall, unable to stay on my feet. Danny crashed next to me with a loud grunt. I scrambled to his side, my voice trembling. “Are you okay?”

He held on to his side. “I broke a couple of ribs, but I’ll be fine by the time we reach Misha’s.”

“Danny, you’re not taking me back to Misha’s. I can’t risk anyone seeing us together—including the vamps.” I searched my pockets. Misha always snuck money into my clothes. Usually I snuck it back into his house, but I hadn’t worn this jacket in a few days. Sure enough, there were several hundred dollar bills. I shoved them into Danny’s hand. “Here. Go to a hotel, shower, and buy some new clothes.”

He shook his head. “I can’t leave you, Celia. You look…
terrible
.”

A couple of tears leaked out. “Believe it or not, I feel worse. But I have to go on, Danny…
I have to
.” The talk was for both of us except neither of us seemed very encouraged.

Danny pulled me tight against his side and kissed the top of my head. “Be careful, Celia.”

I nodded numbly and backed away, forcing my legs into a sprint. My movements were awkward at best, like a newborn foal rising to stand. My limbs no longer felt like my own, more like strange appendages on a foreign body.

I tried to focus. My tigress had always made me light on my feet. This time I felt as if I trekked on air, sensing nothing but the breeze against my cold cheeks. I forced myself to hit the ground harder so I would feel something besides the implausible bareness. It didn’t work, and I feared nothing would.

My speed and all the grace of my inner beast remained. It took me mere minutes to reach the stone wall surrounding Misha’s compound. I didn’t slow down and used my speed to propel me. I landed and kept going, maintaining my pace until the excruciating cries of my sisters ground me to a stumbling halt.

Oh, God.

I staggered toward the guesthouse, terror stabbing my skull with each step closer to the door.
I was too late. Someone was dead. Anara had struck again.

My hand shook violently as I reached for the knob and threw open the heavy door. I lurched forward, gripping the granite counter to keep me on my feet. Koda sat on the chocolate-covered love seat, his face shiny with tears, holding Shayna, who was beyond hysterical. Taran and Emme clutched each other on the opposite couch, where Bren continued to lie in a comatose state, crying so hard their bodies heaved with each wretched sob.

My sisters and Koda looked up, their eyes widening when they saw me. For a moment no one moved. They just stared. Shayna was the first to react, rising slowly before rushing to me and throwing her arms around my neck. “Oh my God. We thought you were dead!” She kissed my face and bawled against me. Taran and Emme encircled me, speaking and screaming through their choked moans.