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"I never knew these were scales instead of feathers," she told hiood look at the backs of Vrekener wings"
He appeared troubled "That’s because no Vrekeners ever retreat fros were contorted in places She’d always iined the bones had been set badly, but up close, she could see that they’d ht lines Maybe theher bottom lip, she dared to reach up and touch a pulseline Its beat accelerated, and his grip tightened on her
The first time she’d ever voluntarily touched hiain rese" His silvered talons glinted, as ominous as a sword blade "Why did you do that?" he demanded
"You used to like me to touch them"
Voice brusque, he said, "You assume I reht have been injured For some reason, the idea of that made her chest ache She reardless of their history, she found herself thinking of theained altitude to crest another mountain, her ears popped Rain fell even harder, drops pelting her, winds buffeting the waves They’d reached the far coastline? She blinked against the rain, saas following the shore north Or south Who kneith her wretched directional skills?
He looked as if he were trying to scent so He flew the farther in the opposite direction Again he repeated his pattern, clearly growing more frustrated
"Even if your senses are as keen as a Lykae’s, you can’t scent through pouring rain"
"Silence" He dove to circle a tree at the very edge of the storm-tossed peak
The tree swayed in the winds, the top like the deck of a pitching ship Yet the bastard tossed her onto a thrashing li for a hold
If she fell, she’d tumble down the otten how susceptible to injury Sorceri were!
Or otten
Once she’d steadied herself, she eased around to crawl along the li before the trunk, she stabbed her gauntlet claws into it, then peered up, blinking against the downpour No leaves screened her froale Above, bare li for the sky’s arteries of lightning
Thronos stood at the very top, easily balanced, rising to his full height to ride the aze froods that he got struck up there, her teeth began chattering She soon shook until her head bobbed, and not just because of her fear of heights She hadn’t had more than an hour or two of sleep at a tiruel they’d been served
Right now, she should be tucked in bed in her war DVDs on her solar-powered TV and enjoying sumptuous foods and sweet Sorceri wine--while waited on hand and foot Instead, she was trapped with her worst night with the need to kill hihter left her lips Lanthe and Thronos, sitting in a tree, k-i-l-l-i-n-g
Damn it, why the hell hadn’t Sabine found her? Maybe the double-dealing N&iu Thronos detailed directions to find Lanthe
If Sabine found out he had her sister, she would unleash hell
That night so long ago, when Thronos had led others to the abbey, Sabine had noted the way he’d stared at Lanthe: "The young Vrekener looked at you with absolute yearning His people must have somehow discovered you are his fated ’s future, to groom you To break you As they do with so many other Sorceri children"
Which Lanthe had supposed was true But she’d remained silent, and to this day, Sabine had no idea of her sister’s connection to Thronos
What was he planning for Lanthe once he’d gotten her off the island? Did he expect to have sex with her? She recalled the way he’d kissed her in the s as he returned to stand behind her She chanced a look over her shoulder, hating hoas totally in his elehtning illus
A true de He’d been horror-struck, hadn’t come back to the meadow for three days Later she’d realized he’d flown home with the question: "Mom, Dad, am I a demon?"
When he’d finally returned to Lanthe, he’d been quick to present all the inforathered about how Vrekeners were coe demons
Vrekeners couldn’t teleport like derow black with e While de rituals (Thronos had blushed at that), Vrekener horns were only for s were for swift capture of prey, to stamp out evil as quickly as possible--because evil could spread
She’d rested her chin in her hand and asked in a saucy tone, "And your fangs? Do they stamp out evil too?" He’d looked troubled for the rest of the day
Seeing hi, his species was plain to her--just as it was to many others in the Lore When Loreans called Vrekeners deels, it wasn’t because they rese Vrekener origins Rydstrom had said, "They are sanctimonious, maniacal, and deluded My kind claims no affinity with theirs"
Now Lanthe blinked, and Thronos was gone As thunder rocked the night, he hted on one above her Fro the worst of the storm for her, but he was content to watch her suffer
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this helpless, this powerless The key to her collar was on the other side of the island Thronos had separated her fro off her neck Not that she could simply walk up to Emberine and Portia and ask for it back But Lanthe could’ve planned a sneak attack, anything
Her portal power sure would co fro their faces inches apart "I told you that I’d have you soon"
"You also told me you kneay off this island But you can’t find it, can you?"
"We’ll reach it in the morn"
"Uh-huh" Bully for us When she turned away, he vaulted to the other side, leaning in once o of the witch’s hand so she could protect her young Why would soain with the so? You won’t believe a word I say"
"Lies do spill so readily from those red lips But I learn much froauntlet to give hiritted teeth, he said, "Call ain, harlot"
She detested that word! With all the countless ies, as there no ainst her, sending her into a fit of coughing
His voice a harsh grate, he said, "A male shouldn’t be heartened to see his mate’s misery But this pleases ht one of his wings closer to her, easing that talon to her face The silver length was rounded, smooth as ivory on the outside of the curve--but she’d witnessed how sharp the tip was