Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“There is more to it than that.” Luiz spoke with conviction.
“I agree,” Tomas said. “I waited until exhaustion overcame her before I used a sleep compulsion. I wanted her completely out before I made a blood exchange. I thought it best that she stay unaware until I have time to explain Carpathian customs and rituals to her.”
Not one man disagreed with his way of handling the situation with Sarika. She was afraid, but they knew she would be happy with Tomas once she accepted that she was his lifemate. The bond would take care of that.
“When you say ‘exchange,’ ” Luiz ventured, “do you mean enough to begin the conversion?”
There was no challenge in his voice, no disrespect or even disapproval, but Tomas felt the weight of those things regardless. “I thought it best. She is in jaguar shifter territory, and the males are aware of her. With all of us in the ground, she will have little protection should they manage to get to her. The faster she is converted, the safer she is.” He kept his gaze steady on Sarika’s cousin. “Do you have an objection?”
Luiz once again raised his hand to dig his fingers into the back of his neck as if he hurt. That gesture bothered Tomas. He shouldn’t feel pain. And if he does, why isn’t he healing himself? he asked his brothers.
“I would have done the same. I believe she needs to be converted quickly and have as many protections in place as possible, yet I believe by making that decision, there is every possibility that you have made your life much more difficult.”
Tomas’ eyebrow shot up, mostly because he’d come to that same conclusion. “Don’t know anything about relationships but will do my best. I know she’s family to you.” He gestured toward his brothers. “I swear to you, I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy.”
Luiz seemed to accept that declaration, so Tomas deemed it time to move on. “We have a larger problem. We have been attempting to track Justice. He escaped from the underworld and is loose on the world. He isn’t vampire, so there is no way to track him as one would the undead. He’s a shadow. Very hard to track a shadow.”
“He’s recruiting vampires and attempting to bring in ancients.” Mataias took up the story. “He doesn’t necessarily want the ancients to turn. He’s building an army against the prince. Gustov was running the ambush, and he spoke of a weapon his master—that’s what he called him—was searching for. I understand it is in three pieces, and the pieces are in different places, far from one another. They were fashioned centuries ago, before our time even, out of metal from the sky.”
Lojos indicated Luiz. “Technically, you are the oldest of us. Every De La Cruz warrior ever born and who has died throughout the centuries poured their memories into you. The only two Carpathians that I’m aware of that have this advantage—”
“Disadvantage,” Luiz corrected. There was a grimness to his voice. And an edge that told the others the weight of the warriors he carried added to the terrible burden every ancient shouldered the longer they were alive.
Tomas could understand it. He still worried that he had lived far past the time he should have. He knew he was evolving. He hoped his lifemate would stop the process because where he was going wasn’t good. He had thought to give her choices until the moment he heard her voice. Saw in colors. Felt. There was no going back from that. Whatever was taking place inside him, she would have to come to terms with it as well. Did that mean he had already lost his honor as a Carpathian?
“In this case, Luiz,” Dominic said, “you may be the only one to answer the question of what this weapon is and if it really is capable of destroying our prince. If that is the case, we will need to know where each piece is located and what it is we’re searching for.”
Luiz’s fingers squeezed the back of his neck hard. It was all Tomas could do not to go to him and heal him. Why was Luiz enduring something that should be easy enough to get rid of? They healed incredible wounds on their bodies after a battle. He had seen Luiz fight. The man was lightning fast, deadly, and his restorative abilities rivaled some of their best healers.
“When I took Sarika’s blood, she was wearing a chain around her neck with an amulet on it made of ancient metal,” Luiz informed them. “I had never seen anything like it.”
The others looked expectantly at Tomas. “She was wearing it,” he confirmed. “It had the raised image of the face of a jaguar. It would be good to examine it closely and ask her where she acquired it. She has traveled extensively. She could have picked it up anywhere.”