Page 10 of Bound By Love
“How long will it take?” Declan asked.
“At least three weeks, if not a month. I can work on four at a time, but anything more might compromise the quality.”
“Understandable,” Willow said.
“You’ll make as many as you can without exhausting yourself,” Saber growled.
Caro rolled her eyes. “After what you saw last night, exhausting myself won’t matter if the whole world is on fire.”
Declan dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop. He removed the wrapper as he spoke. “Brie told us about the vision you both had on our way here. You’ve never experienced something like that before?”
“No,” Saber said.
“You’ve never been mated before either,” Brie said. “When did that happen?”
Saber shot her a look. She was his sister, but his relationship with Caro was private and something he’d protect with his life.
“Last night,” Caro answered. “Before the vision.”
“The mate bond makes vampires stronger,” Brie said pointedly.
Saber remained straight-faced. He recalled the question he’d pointedly ignored from her last night.
“It’s never unlocked visions in vampires who have never received them before,” Saber retorted.
“That we know of,” Brie said in the same clipped, irritated tone he’d used. “Have youknownevery mated vampire throughoutallof history?”
Caro had to bite back a smile as the siblings glowered at each other. They weren’t as close as when they were children, but Saber and Brie sure had the sibling dynamic down, even if they didn’t realize it or preferred not to acknowledge it.
“The vision might be about more than the mating and more than a vision. You both might have received it because it was so important that you saw what our future could hold for the world,” Willow said. “No one else in the Alliance received it, including Kadence. However, Brie’s ability to see things is stronger than hers, and you’re siblings; there’s a bond between you.”
Saber didn’t look happy to hear this, but he couldn’t deny it.
“I’ll get the stones,” Brie said when no one else spoke.
As she and Asher walked over to the vehicle, Declan leaned against the workshop wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Most of the stones have been claimed by members of the Alliance. Only two remain unclaimed.”
“Who do the other five belong to?” Saber asked.
“Nathan’s is the navy blue stone, the blood red one with a yellow center is Ronan’s, the pure white one belongs to Kadence, Killean has claimed the yellow one, and the violet one is mine. Before leaving, the others made it clear they weren’t happy about being separated from their stones, but you said you didn’t want a lot of us here.”
That he had. He wasn’t ready to share Caro with so many, and he knew she wasn’t prepared to have her home invaded by dozens, if not hundreds, of strangers she didn’t know.
“When it’s getting closer to the time when we face the demons, we can have more come here,” Saber said.
Caro hadn’t realized he’d told them not to bring a bunch of vamps here; she inwardly smiled. Maybe they’d all be safer with a huge army here, but she didn’t think the demons would find them, and she wasn’t ready to share her home and her parents’ things with so many.
“It’s understandable,” Declan said as he studied them. “Besides, some had to remain to guard the prisoners, and it’s best if we’re not all together now. We have to spread out to keep from being ambushed and possibly destroyed if the demons happen to find us again.”
Saber watched as his sister and Asher removed the stones from the car. “Which stones remain?” he asked.
“The rose pink one and the citrine-colored one.”
“We have to find the rightful owners of those stones. I have a feeling that all those stones together, and in the hands of their rightful owners, will be a lot more powerful and lethal to the demons.”
“I have the same feeling,” Declan muttered as he stuck the lollipop in his mouth.
No one spoke as Asher approached with a safe securely tucked in his arms.
