Page 69 of Resurrection
“I don’t envy him.” Andrei chuckles, his demeanor returning after snapping out of his shock.
“I wouldn’t want to be in her line of sight right now, no.” All amusement leaves me when we round the corner.
Andrei rushes to the bodies of the two Guardians that we saw a moment ago. Wooden stakes protrude from their chests with runes carved on them on all sides. Their bodies shrivel into husks before our eyes. Kneeling, Andrei tries to pull the stakes out, hissing and snatching his hand back as soon as his skin makes contact with the wood. Angry blisters cover his palm, and his eyes flash with burning rage when he looks at me.
“Unless that mage can magically grow a leg and an arm, we still have infiltrators in our midst.” Pushing the words through clenched teeth, he lifts up.
“They must’ve snuck in while we were busy fighting the mages. Collect the Guardians, only those you personally trust, and meet me back at the pool room.” Already turning away from him, I don’t need to look at Andrei to know he will do as told. “I’m not leaving April unprotected.”
Storming back, I fling the door open and walk inside to find April glaring at Marcus with her hands fisted on her hips. The dog is curled up at her feet, covering his face with his paws like he can’t watch Marcus’s embarrassment. It would’ve been a funny sight if I didn’t have an assassin running unchecked through the building. She rounds on me, but whatever she sees on my face stops her from snapping at me as well.
“We have an assassin in the building.” Marcus snaps his head in my direction, looking comical standing in his boxer shorts with a glower on his face. April frowns.
“I thought we got them?” she says, more as a question than a statement.
“Obviously not.” Pacing in front of April, my hands itch to wrap around the asshole that dares to come inside my nest. That dares to kill my people. “Two Guardians are dead, stakes carved with runes stuck in their chest. It prevented Andrei from touching it.”
“I wanna see it.” Pushing past me, April bolts through the door, the dog on her heels.
Marcus and I follow behind, dread pooling like lead in my gut. I want to grab her and hide her somewhere until all this is over. I know better than to try, the bond pulsing like a living thing in my chest. What bad timing to let her have all the control. I’m not even sure she knows what she did.
Rounding the corner of the hallway, April drops on her knees, hesitantly reaching for the wooden stake closest to her. Moving around, I kneel opposite her, ready to snatch her hand back at the slightest discomfort. I can feel the presence of others at my back, Andrei amongst them. Through the bond, his fear that she’ll get hurt stabs me like a hot poker. Grinding my teeth, I poise my hand, ready to pull her back.
April’s hand stops, not touching the stake for a second. Her eyes glow brighter, the golden glow reflecting on the wood before her fingers close around it. My lips part in an astonished sharp intake of breath when the runes light up like fireworks in her hand. With a firm press of her lips, she yanks the wood out of the dried-up husk, watching it with her head tilted and her eyebrows furrowed.
“I remember this…” her whispered words trail off, sending chills crawling over my body.
Before I gather my wits about me, she rips open her wrist, holding it above the dried-up parted lips of the Guardian. A collective gasp echoes around us when what was supposed to be a final death is but child’s play for her. In front of my eyes, the Guardian comes to life. His back bows off the floor as he takes a sharp breath, clutching his chest. The more disturbing fact is his eyes, a golden flash shining from then right before they lock on hers.
“Mother!” The guardian gasps, a look of reverence and love I’ve never seen radiating from his face.
April smiles at him hesitantly before reaching for the second stake and repeating the process. The same thing happens with the second Guardian as well. My hand trembles unbidden when I reach to take the damn wooden stakes from her, but she pulls them out of reach.
“You can’t touch them.” Searching my face, her eyes soften slightly. “Yet. You can’t touch them, yet.”
“Irina.” The first Guardian scrambles on his knees, staring at April. “Irina is here. We didn’t hear her coming.”
“Just who I’d love to see.” My insides shrink from the smile on April’s face.
Chapter Sixty-Six
APRIL
I have no idea what I look like, but if the fear flickering in Sebastian’s eyes is any indication, I must not look very pleasant at the moment. The two parts of me have been molding together rapidly, and somehow having Sebastian inside me while I drank from him sped up the process. Was it him, or was it the sex? The monster is sharing the same space in my head, not trying to push me away, but I don’t feel like clawing out of my skin because I’m surrounded by males. Muscled, chiseled males that I’ve been hiding from for over a week. Going on killing sprees apparently helped me to steer clear, and although it would’ve sickened me just last night, I don’t feel disgusted by it anymore.
The feeling of Sebastian inside me like a spare passenger is much stronger, too. Through it, I get glimpses of Marcus and Andrei, their emotions muted but there for me to see. Their combined worry and protectiveness would’ve brought me to my knees if I wasn’t on them already. Warmth spreads through my chest. I’ve been alone for what feels like forever, always running, always hiding, scaring people away from the fear of them leaving just like my family did that day. I never knew how badly I wanteda family until this very moment. Until I feel their unfiltered emotions.
Stronger than all of it is Sebastian’s pulsing need to protect me. His guilt and shame for tricking me. It doesn’t excuse his actions, and I’m not as good at anything as I am at holding a grudge, so I’ll pay him in kind. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I offer him a small smile, his intent gaze unfurling butterflies in my stomach. I’ll sate that need after I’ve dealt with Irina. Speaking of a grudge…
“I have a plan.” Sebastian doesn’t move or speak, still searching my face, feeling that I’m not telling him something.
My smile grows.
How does it feel to be blind of others’ intentions?I want to ask him, but I don’t. Instead, I look around at the faces watching us wide-eyed and openmouthed. They think I performed some miracle here by offering life to those not really dead. What have those miserable eight scums been teaching these people? Have they shared nothing that will guide them in their immortal lives? After everything, I don’t know why I’m surprised, but there you have it. I guess I thought the hatred was simply aimed at me. At who I was, or am, I guess.
“A plan for what, mia redenzione?” Sebastian finally finds his voice, hunger and unease warring in his gaze.
My redemption,I repeat his words in my head.You have no idea, tesoro,I want to say, but I don’t speak my thoughts.
