Page 5 (1/1)

After recent events, I deeer a safe place for our coven to be based Although the Nasiris had left and the bonds they’d held with us were broken, it did not feel like a home anymore to any of us Luckily for the vampires who’d been present, the Drizans only seemed to be interested in the Nasiris, but nobody wanted to live with the constant fear of those jinn returning There was also the possibility that the Novaks could launch an attack on us in revenge for what I’d attempted to do, which was another reason e shouldn’t reer

Some of the va for my return But most of them stayed behind out of loyalty to me After all, they saw me as their leader I was the one who had led thein with

I o from here We would take our half-bloods with us, but there was also the matter of the humans downstairs in the prison We had toiled so hard to build up our human population But if ere to leave, it would be co them with us So, after each of us had drunk as much blood as we could hold--as well as stored as much as we could pack--we let the rest of our prisoners free It was ainto the desert No doubt they would cross paths with the hunters stationed nearby, ould then return the

Wherever we found our shelter next, ould have to start again froitated by it as I’d expected to be I’d been living down in that atriu, chained by the bond of the Nasiris, it felt like it was tie of scenery

A few hours before our planned departure, we made a visit down to the jinn’s atriuhost town We filled up sacks of jewels and gold, intending to bring them with us I wasn’t quite sure what use ould have for theht be useful at some point in the future if we ever needed to barter with hu around at ing with me The reality was, I needed very little Just a few sets of clothes, shoes, and toiletries which I stuffed into a backpack

My eyes roa-sized bed Lucretia had been the last woirlfriend She had been a the vairlfriend Marilyn had re roootten about I bent down to h the drawers Then, to ht in the roo from an ornamental candle that I kept lit in the hallway

Power cuts weren’t a common occurrence in The Oasis, not e had witches here working their s up preh I had told theic on this place I could see through darkness as a vaainst my command I stood up and headed for the door to find out what they were playing at, but as my eyes crossed the doorway, I stopped short My heart skipped a beat

Standing in the dooras a loo, dark cloak His face was concealed with an opera mask, and all I could see were his eyes Blue eyes so vivid, they were alloom

What the…

I barely had ti in The Oasis--heck, my apartment!--before he lurched toward me I yelped in shock, but by the tirabbed hold ofth The man’s eyes were closer to me now, and they bore into h they pierced rowl and the next thing I knew, he had withdrawn a syringe from his pocket and sunk it deep into my neck

Sofia

After Derek vanished with Ibrahih and shook my head I loved Derek more than I could express, but he was just such a weirdo so to do with Jera Derek to drink h to satisfy his body And because of that, he would likely ression than he should, but I suspected that this too had been a part of Derek’s plan

At least he ith Ibrahim If there was anybody I trusted to take care of hthouse, intending to head back to Vivienne’s penthouse where I would have a long shower

But I didn’tthe h the forest toward the Residences, I stopped intoward me from the opposite direction

"Mo at the two girls as they approached ot to see this"

"See what?"

"By Vivienne’s tree," River panted "Just co there anyway, but now I sped there with urgency alongside River and Rose

As we arrived, the two girls pointed to the ground My breath hitched as I stared down at a e scrawled in the soil

"Ben?" I breathed My eyes shot to Rose and River for an explanation "What is this?"