Blood Bond

by Shannon K. Butcher

  Joseph’s posture softened, as did his tone. “I’m sorry, Justice, but Hope hasn’t faced what you have.”

  “Maybe not,” Ronan said, “but she did wake up with no memories of who or what she was. Brenya told us there were more women here like her. It’s not a stretch to think Justice is one of them.”

  “Who is Brenya?” asked Justice, frowning.

  “A powerful woman from another world,” Ronan answered.

  Joseph scowled at him for speaking so openly. “Forget about Brenya. What proof do you have that Justice is like Hope, beyond amnesia, I mean?”

  “Her blood,” Ronan said. “It’s powerful beyond anything I’ve ever experienced—the way Logan describes Hope’s blood.”

  Justice turned to him, frowning. “Is that why you chased me all over the country? For my blood?”

  There was more to it than that, but Ronan wasn’t about to spill his guts in front of Joseph and Lyka. He wasn’t even sure he understood why he felt so possessive of her. All he knew was that he needed her. She was his. He’d kill anyone who tried to get in the way of that.

  She already thought he was a bloodsucking leech. Saying that he wanted to claim her for his own was going to make him sound like a bloodsucking barbarian leech.

  He settled for, “Your blood was only part of it.”

  Joseph looked at Lyka. They spoke no words, but it was clear some kind of silent conversation had passed.

  “Okay,” he said. “She can meet Hope, but not until she and Logan are done with their work. Nika and Jackie come first, then the kids who need healing, then Justice.”

  Ronan nodded as Joseph stood and helped his wife up.

  Justice stared at her plate. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since anyone offered to help me. It’s nice to know there are still people on this spinning rock that still give a shit about someone other than themselves.”

  Joseph nodded once in acknowledgement. “Stay with Ronan. He goes where you go, understand? I don’t want you roaming around unescorted.”

  She nodded. They left.

  Ronan stayed seated next to her. He liked feeling her warmth against his side, having her close enough to touch. He’d like it more if they weren’t surrounded by so many people, but he’d take what he could get.

  “Joseph is a good man,” he said. “But we’ve been through a lot lately. He has reason to be mistrusting.”

  “It’s okay that he doesn’t trust me,” she said. “I wouldn’t trust me, either.”

  “Give him time. He’ll warm up.”

  “I really don’t care if he does or not. I won’t be here that long.”

  “You need to recover. Rest.”

  “I’m fine. Whatever you did to patch me up worked wonders.” She lifted her head, and her eyes hit his with the force of a meteor. “Thank you for that, by the way. I’m not used to saying those words, but it seems I’ll be getting some practice with you all.”

  She was so amazingly beautiful, he almost lost track of the conversation. The full curve of her lips made his blood heat. The warm caramel color of her skin contrasted with her pale eyes until they seemed to glow. Her dark curls framed her face, swaying and bouncing as she moved. Everywhere he looked, she was smooth and silky, and all he could think about was how he was going to find an excuse to touch her again.

  “You should eat,” he said, because he didn’t hear a word she’d said as he’d stared at her, and food seemed like a safe response. “You need to rebuild your strength.”

  “I feel fine.”

  “Because I set in motion your body’s natural healing mechanisms. But if you don’t feed the process, all that effort will go to waste and your speedy recovery will grind to a halt.”

  She shook her head in wonder. “How the hell do you do that? Is it magic?”

  “I suppose. It’s more about the transfer of energy than anything.”

  “How does it work?”

  She genuinely wanted to know. He could see the inquisitive spark lighting her eyes, so he explained it the best he could.

  “There’s power in blood—Athanasian blood to be specific.”

  “What’s Athanasian?”

  “Athanasia the source of all magic, another world that’s linked to ours through a series of gateways. They came here, mingled with humans, had children. The gates were all closed long ago—we thought permanently—but the bloodlines remained. Human descendants and Sentinels held the magic of that world in their blood, and as they had children, they passed it down. Now, centuries later, that power spread out among humans until only tiny traces of it remain in some people.”

  “That’s why you drink blood?” she asked. “You can somehow harness the magic in it?”

  Ronan nodded. “I’m able to extract power from blood cells and convert it into other forms of energy. Healing, strength, speed, stealth,” he caught her gaze, “restoring lost memories. I may even be able to find a way to block these fates as you call them from compelling you to act.”

  She went still. “You think you can fix me?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Logan was able to restore Hope’s lost past.”

  She was silent for so long his ears began to ache for her response.

  “So this whole time, you’ve been chasing me because you want to help me?” Some childlike desperation filled her gaze, as if his answer could undo a lifetime of wrongs.

  “Partly,” he said. “But that’s not the whole story.”

  “Then what is?”

  “My people are starving. When I tasted your blood, I was blown away by the sheer power you hold. A single drop from you is like a gallon from someone else.” He swallowed, hoping he didn’t sound desperate, but knowing he was. “One drink from you, and I was no longer starving, no longer weak. I was as I was born to be.”

  Her voice was quiet but determined. “Do you want to kill me? Drain me dry?”

  “Never. I won’t lie to you and tell you that your blood is not a dangerous lure. It would be easy to go too far, but if I kill you, the source of all that power would be gone. I’m far better off if you live a long, happy, healthy life.”

  She stabbed an uneaten bite of steak. “Milk from a cow, rather than beef.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You think you can use my blood to drive the fates out of my head?”

  “Perhaps. I could try.”

  She lifted her eyes and what he saw there startled him.

  She was exhausted. Desperate.

  “All I want is to be free, to make my own choices, go where I want, when I want. If you can do that, you can have as much of my blood as you want.”

  Maybe she hadn’t meant it to be a promise, but it was one all the same. He felt the weight of her vow wrap around him and hold him tight. It gave him hope for a future free of starvation and weakness. A future so much brighter than his past, he couldn’t help but accept her offer with a smile.

  “It’s a deal.”

  Chapter Four

  Joseph kissed his wife and left her to get in a few more hours of work before he called it a night.

  Dabyr was filled to the brim with people, and every one of them depended on him to keep them safe, clothed and fed. Thanks to Lyka, he was able to focus on his duty now, free from pain and so deeply in love, he knew he’d never surface.

  He was the luckiest man on the planet, and despite the challenges they faced, he’d never felt stronger, never felt more whole.

  When he opened the door of his office, Sibyl was waiting for him.

  Not long ago, she’d been a small girl with ringlet curls, dressed in frilly lace and satin. Since the death of her parents a few months ago, and the destruction of the curse that kept her looking perpetually eight years old, Sibyl had aged rapidly. She now looked to be in her mid-twenties.

  No matter how old she looked, her appearance had always been a lie. With over two centuries under her belt, she was a formidable ally with the uncanny ability to see into the future.

  She sat across f
rom his desk, wearing jeans and a pale blue T-shirt that perfectly matched her eyes. Her blond hair was a bit darker now but hung all the way to her hips in loose, casual curls. She was as pretty as her mother had been but would be stunning if she ever smiled.

  She certainly wasn’t smiling now.

  Joseph sat behind his cluttered desk, covered with maps, suggestions and complaints from Dabyr’s residents, and an endless string of purchase orders for food and supplies.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked.

  “Something is wrong,” she said in a quiet, husky voice so unlike the childish one she’d had only last spring.

  “What’s that?”

  She shook her head slightly and gave him a troubled frown. “I’m not sure.”

  “You’re going to have to elaborate if you want me to help.”

  Sibyl tilted her head to the side. “There’s nothing you can do. I simply thought you should know.”

  “Know what? All you’ve said is that something’s wrong. I hate to tell you this, Sibyl, but something is always wrong.”

  “Not like this.”

  Impatience prowled beneath his skin. He knew she wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions, but vague worry wasn’t going to help anyone. “Tell me what’s going on. Why are you here?”

  Sibyl stared out through the window behind him. It overlooked the training yard where Theronai practiced combat, lifted weights, and kept their skills honed for the next battle.

  He feared it would come sooner rather than later.

  “My sister has always been impatient,” Sibyl said.

  Maura, Sibyl’s twin sister, had long ago shunned her people and gone to fight on the side of their enemy. Rumor had it she was some kind of queen among the Synestryn now, but no one knew for sure.

  “Have you heard from her?” Joseph asked.

  “Not for a while. I tried to convince her to come home, but she believes she is where she belongs.” The sadness in Sibyl’s voice helped Joseph gather his patience and give her a chance to speak.

  Paperwork, bills and defense plans would all wait a few more minutes, even for a man who was anxious to be back by his new wife’s side.

  “She’s made her choice,” he said. “I know it breaks your heart, but you can’t dwell on it. You have your own people to think about. Have you had any luck finding a compatible male?”

  Anger sparked in her blue eyes, turning them cold. “I told you not to rush me. I will take a mate when I am ready and not a moment before.”

  “I’m sorry. Rushing you wasn’t my intent. I know you’re aware of your duty and will step up when you’re ready.” He only hoped that she didn’t take too long to do so. They needed every bonded pair of Theronai they could get. With luck, one of the men under his command would be compatible with her.

  “I will, but I’m not even used to this body yet. I certainly am not ready to invite a man to share it with me.”

  That image made Joseph’s cheeks heat. Even though she hadn’t truly been a child for a long, long time, he had seen her as one his whole life. That kind of sudden shift was hard to make.

  It was probably much harder for the person living it.

  “Fair enough,” he said. “Let’s talk about why you’re here.”

  “As I said, Maura has always been impatient. Our gift of sight is shared between us. We each take turns. Usually, when it’s my turn, I wait to use the gift until absolutely necessary, denying her access to it for as long as I can.”

  “So, she can’t see the future and use her visions against us,” he guessed.

  “Exactly. She’s always quick to act, as if eager for the next tidbit of the future. Then it’s my turn again, and I hold out as long as possible so that our power remains with me.”

  “Seems smart.”

  “Only this time, she’s waiting. It’s as if she’s using my own tactic against me.”

  “Maybe she learned some patience when her body aged.”

  Sibyl shook her head. “No. It’s something else. I know her, Joseph. I shared a womb with her. We are part of each other, split from one whole.”

  “What else could it be if she’s not simply making you wait?”

  Her eyes narrowed in speculation. “She’s hiding something, or planning something—something she doesn’t want me to see coming.”

  “Do you have any idea what that might be?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for days but am no closer to an answer now than I was before.”

  “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

  Sibyl rose to her feet in an angry rush. “If you believe that, then you are a fool. Worry and the action it causes is the only thing that might keep us alive. I suggest that whatever protections you have in place for the birth of the infants, you do more. Much, much more, Joseph.”

  “I’ve been calling in everyone for months. Nearly every man and woman, human or Sentinel, who can swing a sword or channel magic is here. We have armed men patrolling the grounds every second of the day and night, and everyone is on high alert. I know that these babies are targets and have taken every precaution to see that they come into this world safe and sound.”

  She paced in front of his desk, agitation clear in every step. “It’s not enough.”

  “What more would you have me do?”

  “I don’t know. That’s the problem. If Maura would just use our gift and give it back, I’d know what else we should do.”

  “Maybe she’s just screwing with you. If she knows you so well, she has to know that withholding your ability to see the future would drive you crazy. Sisters do that kind of thing, right?”

  Sibyl’s glare was almost painful to witness. “My sister commands armies of demons and thirsts for power. She doesn’t have time for silly games.”

  “She’s never once come after us here. She knows where we are. If she has so much power and hates us so much, then why hasn’t she marched on Dabyr and tried to destroy us?”

  Sibyl shook her head. Her long hair swayed around her hips in a quiet whispering caress. “When the future is your domain, when you spend your life seeing the possibilities that await those around you, you learn that there is a time for everything. My fear is that Maura has now found her time to act.”

  Joseph knew that Dabyr was one big, juicy target right now. Their walls were filled not only with blooded humans who needed their protection, but also with dozens of Theronai, Sanguinar and now several Slayers whose homes had been recently destroyed. His wife’s people had come here so they could recover from attack, regroup and plan to rebuild. But with so many blooded souls under one roof, and with the added bonus of the impending births, this fortress was a giant glowing sign inviting Synestryn everywhere to come take a shot.

  Already, they were fighting off nightly skirmishes at the walls as small groups of demons tried their luck.

  Lexi had done her best to reinforce the walls with magic, but she was only one woman. Centuries ago, a dozen female Theronai would pool their magic to seal even the smallest cracks from invaders. But they didn’t have a dozen women, much less a dozen skilled in the defensive arts. Lexi had exhausted herself warding gerai homes, then gone down to Africa, helping them rebuild a fallen Sentinel fortress there. And even though her work wasn’t yet done, she and Zach had still returned home as soon as they’d heard they were needed.

  After all, Jackie was about to deliver Lexi’s niece. She wasn’t going to hope for the best when she could be here working to strengthen Dabyr’s defenses.

  Joseph didn’t know how to ease Sibyl’s worry. He wasn’t even sure if he should. They all needed to be on high alert. “We’re doing everything we can, Sibyl. If you can think of something else we should do, then we will. But until you know more, I’m not sure what other measures we can take.”

  “Maura is cunning. She is convinced she has no soul and has acted accordingly. She lived with us for years. She knows our ways, our preparations. She’ll look for a weak point and exploit it.”


  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We’ve spent the last several months shoring up every weak point we can find. The walls are as strong as they’ve been since we first erected them. We’ve relocated everyone living out in the cabins inside the main building. Security is tight, with one of my strongest men always monitoring the gates to avoid any dabbling with human minds. We have cameras watching every inch of the grounds beyond the walls. There are traps and sensors every few feet to alert us of approaching armies—which is what it would take to breech the walls.”

  She didn’t look relieved.

  “And if our walls do fall, we have men and women constantly poised to fight. We’re well-stocked, we’re armed and we’re as ready for a fight as we can be.”

  Sibyl’s shoulders drooped and she let out a defeated breath. “Without the gift of sight, without knowing what’s coming, all we can do is pray that will be enough.”

  ***

  The more of Dabyr Justice saw, the more impressed she became.

  These people were ready for war.

  From the grounds outside, well-lit and swarming with armed men, to the cameras inside that kept a vigilant eye on entrances and public areas, to the low hum of readiness she felt in the air itself, it was clear that these people knew that the shit was about to hit the fan. Even the teens were outside, drilling with swords under the watchful eye of big, burly men who corrected their form and pushed them toward perfection.

  With only a few exceptions, the adults who didn’t carry blades carried guns. Even a wizened old lady with a stooped posture and a wispy bun held up with a yellow pencil had a semiautomatic pistol on the table next to her coffee and her open book.

  Ronan led Justice from the dining tables, through an open recreation area overlooking the grounds outside. They went into what she thought was the south wing, then down a long hallway that led to an elevator. He had to swipe his ID and press his finger to a touch screen in order to make the doors open.

  Once inside the polished steel box, he had to go through yet more layers of security before the elevator started downward—security that involved him shedding a drop of blood to identify himself.