Page 23 of Immortal Hunter
Maybe, if he could work circulation back into his arms and legs, he’d have a chance.
Ewan gritted his teeth and raised himself up on the balls of his feet. The pain arced from his ankles all the way up his back, and he couldn’t stifle his scream. But Hagen had gone to sleep in another room and wouldn’t wake until the sun was close to going down.
“Ya’ can do this,” he managed when his thighs started to tremble. “For Kára.”
* * *
Kára
Her dreams left her unsettled. So many times in the past few hours, she’d almost felt connected to Ewan. As if she could sense him. But according to Celia, Brue was more powerful than even Vesper.
Kára paced the small room. Celia had locked her in with wards and runes, and Kára hoped she hadn’t—once again—trusted the wrong person. But she’d seen no deception in Celia’s eyes, and as she watched the clock turn to 5:00 p.m., a warmth washed over her, and the door opened.
Celia, wearing a severe black dress with her hair pinned in a tight bun, slipped through the door. “It is almost time.”
“Were you able to talk to Vesper?” Kára tugged on her weapons belt, checking to make sure her knives were securely tucked in their sheaths.
The young witch’s cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, and when she met Kára’s gaze, anger had turned Celia’s eyes almost black. “Vesper refused to listen to me. She told me I was jealous of Brue and that I would have to work at my magic if I wanted to secure my place in this coven.”
Oh, shit.
“So we are on our own.” Kára held out her arm, and the moonstone on her bracelet caught the light. “I do not suppose you are strong enough to remove this cursed thing?”
“No. Only Vesper can remove it. But…” Celia stepped forward and whispered a few words Kára couldn’t understand as she cupped her hands around Kára’s wrist. The constant burn from the silver lessened, and the vague nausea that had been Kára’s constant companion for the past day eased. “This spell won’t diminish the bracelet’s powers. Merely protect your skin.”
“Thank you.” Kára cradled her wrist to her chest and froze.“Helvete.”Shock pulled the curse from her lips.
“Are you all right?” Celia asked.
Kára’s smile stretched so wide, she felt it all the way to her ears. “My heart. It beats.”
“I’m sorry…does that mean something?” Celia frowned. “I know little of vampires, Kára.”
“It means Brue’s spell backfired. Ewan remembers me. This heartbeat,” she thumped her fist against her left breast, “means I can track him.”
“But your sire is going to tell you where he is in—” Celia checked her watch, “—just over an hour.”
“That he is. But if we can get to Ewan first…perhaps Hagen will be ill prepared to fight the both of us.”
“What about the sun? You will burn. I know this much of vampires,” she said with a nervous little smile.
Shrugging into her coat, Kára smoothed her hands down her hips. “I have an idea about that. Take me to Vesper. Now.”
* * *
Celia wovea spell around Kára to protect her from the last rays of sun streaming through the windows of the coven house and led her to Vesper’s suite of rooms on the second floor. The coven leader had a ritual room just off her lavish parlor, and as Celia opened the door, a plume of white sage smoke escaped into the hall. Kára wrinkled her nose.
Inside, the air was thick, so thick Kára couldtastethe magic. She pulled one of her blades and threw it, end-over-end, so it embedded itself in the wall only a hand’s width from Vesper’s head. “Vesper. If you do not want the blood of an innocent on your hands, you will grant me an audience. Right fucking now.”
Vesper turned, her sightless eyes completely white, and her hair floating around her in a snowy cloud. “You think you can take me, vampire? I dare you to try.”
Kára smiled. With her heart beating steadily in her chest, she drew upon the strength of her mate bond, rushed Vesper, and wrapped her fingers around the witch’s throat. Shock had Vesper gaping.
“My mate still lives. Not only that, but he has broken your spell and accepted our bond. We may not have sealed the union, but I have the strength of the both of us now.”
Those white, unseeing eyes widened, and Vesper almost deflated in Kára’s grip. “What do you want?”
“My sire will kill him tonight to force me back under his control. If that happens, I promise you, whatever evil you fear is coming will be nothing compared to us. You say you want to stop this terrible magic from being loosed into the world? Then help me stop Hagen and save my mate.”
