Blood Seeker

by Lexi C. Foss

  “You knew I would escape,” Sethios said, voicing his thoughts.

  “Of course I did,” he replied. “It afforded me an excellent opportunity to test Astasiya, who proved to be just as magnificent as Skye predicted.”

  “But you didn’t know about her,” Caro interjected, her confusion palpable.

  “Not until recently, no,” he admitted. “However, I’ve since learned quite a bit about her. Such as she’s the one destined to pose a threat to me and all of Seraphim kind.”

  Sethios and Caro remained silent, already aware that Osiris had misunderstood Skye’s prophecy from all those years ago.

  “I’ll admit, I was extremely impressed that you both kept that from me. All this time, I thought I’d nullified the threat when I removed you from the equation. Then the council dragged you off to reformation, and I assumed it was a result of your failure.” He shrugged again. “Of course, when Astasiya revealed herself to me, I started to understand the truth.”

  “And you made me bury myself in concrete as a punishment.” Sethios’s skinned burned with the memory of the excruciating sensation of hot cement touching his flesh.

  “As both a punishment and a test of strength—one Astasiya passed beautifully. Not only did she fight better than I could have imagined, but she also managed to fracture my hold over you. Fascinating, really. Not even Skye could foresee that outcome. I mean, she failed to mention Vera’s interference.”

  “Or she kept that detail from you,” Sethios suggested.

  “Yes, that, too. She has a penchant for twisting her visions. As do many of the Fates.” He slid his hands into his charcoal dress pants, his white button-down shirt reflecting in the sunlight streaming in through the skylights above. “Did she mention what the Fates would do to Elizabeth’s child?”

  “They took her,” Sethios said, feigning boredom. “I imagine they intend to raise the child within their rules since she’ll be a genetically modified Seraphim. It’s exactly what we didn’t want for Astasiya.” It also wasn’t what Skye predicted. She’d stated the council would kill the child. Sethios hoped like hell that wasn’t true.

  “An intelligent decision for your progeny,” his father replied, the compliment actually surprising Sethios. His father never praised his choices. “But your assumption is juvenile.”

  And there was the follow-up insult.

  Sethios refrained from rolling his eyes.

  “The council would never want the child to live,” his father continued. “She’s my creation, and they frown upon those.”

  “So you also think they’ll kill her,” Sethios said, displeased with the notion of such a meaningless death. Humans died early and young. Immortals did not—should not.

  “Yes. And Elizabeth, of course.” He uttered the words as if that outcome meant nothing to him. Which, Sethios guessed, it wouldn’t. His father could just create more life—that was what he did.

  “Why are we here?” Sethios asked. “Everything you’ve told us just confirms what we already know.”

  “Directness would be more suitable if used sporadically, not in every conversation tactic.”

  “The same could be said about dramatics,” Sethios deadpanned.

  His father dipped his chin. “Fair.” He turned on his heel. “Follow me, then. No fighting me or misting.”

  Caro and Sethios exchanged a look, then their feet began to move of their own accord—compelled by Osiris. He led them through the downstairs of the beach house, alongside a myriad of windows. The home boasted opulence, the light coming in from above highlighted the gold accents, white framework, and sleek marble floors.

  They wandered by a double kitchen with two islands, multiple ovens and stoves, and two sets of sinks.

  “Are you planning to host a party?” Sethios asked, noting the lack of people and the abundance of space. They were moving through yet another living room toward what appeared to be a back staircase.

  “No, I manufactured this home for the future owner.”

  “Future owner?” Sethios repeated.

  “Keep walking,” his father replied, leading them up the stairs to the second floor. Several bedrooms adorned the floor, each equipped with balconies that overlooked the ocean on one side and a vast field of exotic plants on the other.

  They were clearly on an island somewhere. The turquoise colors of the water suggested the Caribbean. Perhaps a private estate in The Bahamas. It seemed like a place his father would favor.

  Osiris continued onward to the fourth or fifth bedroom in the middle and opened the door to reveal a nursery. “This will be useful in a few hours,” he said, causing Sethios to frown.

  Then he opened the door directly across the hall from the nursery to where an unconscious Elizabeth lay in the middle of a large white bed.

  Caro gasped at the sight of the very pregnant woman, her body angling toward her. “You can go to her,” Osiris said, releasing Caro from his compulsion. “But don’t mist her anywhere. She needs to remain here.”

  “Jedrick would probably disagree with that statement.” Sethios folded his arms. “What the hell is this about?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Osiris asked. When Sethios said nothing, he heaved another of his dramatic sighs. “I saved her from the council. Were you not listening to anything I’ve said? They would have killed her. I brought her here, to a warded home with all her favorite luxuries, to protect her. Obviously.”

  Sethios’s brow furrowed. “Why would you be so magnanimous?”

  Osiris snorted. “It’s not about being magnanimous. It was practical to protect my lucrative investment. Particularly now that the CRF labs were destroyed. It will take me decades to create another being like Elizabeth, and given the recent events, I may not have that much time left. So I need to keep her alive, as well as her progeny.”

  “To prove she can carry a son for you? To replace me?”

  “Well, that was my original intent, yes. But you’ve proven useful lately, particularly in the matter of procreation. Astasiya will be most valuable in our battle against the Seraphim.”

  “Assuming she agrees to help you,” Sethios reminded him. “Kidnapping her best friend isn’t going to win you any favors. Or did you not hear what Gabriel told you?”

  The warrior Seraphim was seriously a genius. He’d created the dialogue surrounding Astasiya’s willingness, which provided Sethios with the platform he needed to stand on and reprimand his father.

  Elizabeth seems fine, Caro breathed into his mind. She’s just asleep.

  He probably compelled her, Sethios thought back at her.

  Probably, she agreed.

  “She’ll never trust you after this,” he said out loud, his words for his father.

  “I took Elizabeth somewhere safe to guard her. I also barely wounded her midwife, thereby assuring she would be fully recovered before her labor started. These are all done in the best interest of her survival. Astasiya will understand that.”

  “Will she?” Sethios countered.

  “Yes. You’ll ensure she does,” his father replied.

  “Because you’ll compel me to?” he guessed.

  “I won’t need to. You’re going to call the Hydraians as soon as I leave and allow a few of them to arrive to help Elizabeth give birth in this heavily warded home, where she won’t be found or discovered by the council. And after that, Astasiya will realize I am not the evil man she thinks I am.”

  “You dumped me in the ocean and forced her father to do unspeakable acts for nearly two decades,” Caro said, her voice carrying a touch of anger in it. “You expect her to forgive you for that?”

  Osiris didn’t even hesitate. “Of course I do. She’ll one day see that those trials were meant to strengthen you both, not torment you.”

  Sethios huffed a humorless laugh. “Right.”

  His father arched a brow. “Caro survived reformation. Do you know how many other Seraphim can claim the same? None. And do you know why she was able to survive? Because of your tor
mented bond. That pain you experienced the last eighteen years was what kept you glued to her. It was what made you fight for her, too. You may not see that now, but you will.”

  “And sinking me to the bottom of the ocean?” Caro prompted. “You claimed that was your way of removing the threat to your life.”

  “Initially, yes. But it also served as a way to strengthen my only progeny.”

  “Your definition of torture differs from mine,” Sethios deadpanned.

  “It tested the limits of your bond,” he continued, ignoring Sethios’s commentary. “Each day you became more resilient, remembering her faster than I could keep up with.”

  “You let me remember her.”

  His father smiled. “Sometimes, yes. Other times, no. You broke my compulsion through force of will.”

  Sethios tried to recall those instances; however, they all blurred together in a convoluted web of anguish. His father had forced his body through unspeakable acts—all of which he couldn’t perform, and that had created an agony unlike any he’d ever felt.

  “You did it as a punishment.” It didn’t matter how he tried to sugarcoat it now; Sethios knew the truth.

  “When have I ever done something for one reason alone?” his father countered. “There are always multiple angles and benefits. You know that. And all of those experiences have strengthened you, not weakened you. They even helped Caro survive reformation.”

  Only his father would believe that torture could amount to a strengthening exercise. However, he wasn’t necessarily wrong. The experience had empowered Sethios. It’d also enraged him. Nearly destroyed him. Made him hate his father even more. And about a dozen other results.

  This is why Seraphim often slumber, Caro breathed into his mind. Living forever can alter mindsets, erasing all semblance of humanity from the thoughts.

  I don’t think my father was ever humane or sane.

  True, she agreed. But he’s also not wrong. Our sacrifices have strengthened us. I feel now more than I ever have before.

  Sethios understood what she meant. It was as though they’d bonded all over again, on an even deeper level.

  He could sense her every inhale, could almost hear the beating of her heart, and could nearly read her mind. Not each individual word, but her emotions were very much tied to his. As though their souls had married one another on another plane of existence, creating a bond that was so much more intense than their initial mating.

  Perhaps because they’d imbibed so much of each other’s blood.

  Yet they often did that during sex.

  So maybe his father was right. Maybe he had somehow emboldened their relationship through his fucked-up trials.

  Osiris smiled. “Your bond is going to prove most useful in the times ahead.”

  Sethios gritted his teeth, holding back a retort about how unlikely it was that his father would ever be able to use their bond to his benefit.

  “Well, my task here is done. You’ll both ensure Elizabeth survives her childbirth. Then I’ll be in touch with next steps. We have a war to prepare for, something you’ll better understand soon. Until then, I’ll let you keep Skye. You’re going to need her.” He flashed them both an indulgent smile, then vanished without another word.

  Sethios gaped at the vacant space, the compulsion surrounding him disappearing in a whisper of power. “That’s it?” He’d persuaded Sethios to come here... to take care of Elizabeth and her baby?

  Caro walked over to him, her frown matching how he felt inside. “I agree. That felt rather anticlimactic.”

  “He wants something,” Sethios replied. “This can’t be as simple as just bringing in a few Hydraians. He’ll be back.”

  “Should we move her?”

  He palmed the back of his neck, considering their options, and glanced at the stirring female. His father must have released her of the sleeping compulsion. “We might not have time,” he muttered, noting the fluttering of her red lashes. “I think he means for Astasiya to come here. He knows she’s loyal to Elizabeth. The moment she learns of her location and condition, she’ll want to be here for her friend.”

  “Then we could mist Elizabeth to Hydria quickly,” Caro offered.

  Sethios shook his head. “Osiris wasn’t wrong about the council. Skye said they know and would kill the child. They’ll find her in Hydria. The one thing I think he didn’t lie about was the wards around this property. He built it to protect her because he needs something from her.”

  “So you think we should stay here?”

  He hated his answer, but he had to be honest. “Yes. I think she’s safe here.”

  “And Astasiya?”

  “I think she’ll arrive the second she knows we’re all here,” he admitted. “Which will likely play right into Osiris’s plans. But I don’t think he wants to hurt her. Not yet, anyway. She’s too valuable to him.”

  “He could take her.”

  “Yes,” Sethios agreed. “But—”

  A shriek sounded from the bed, forcing them both to move toward the writhing redhead. She wasn’t fully aware of her surroundings yet, but the child inside her certainly was.

  It seemed Skye was right.

  The day Sethios learned how to mist was the same day Elizabeth went into labor.

  There was only one thing he could say. “Fuck.”

  “Caro and Sethios should be here by now,” Gabriel said, pacing the length of Balthazar’s living room. “Something’s wrong.” He disappeared without another word.

  “Yeah, that’s helpful,” Stas muttered, glancing at Issac. “Can I punch him again when he returns?”

  “Absolutely, love.” He wrapped his arm around her, giving her a slight squeeze. “Let’s return our focus on Elizabeth. Where would the Seraphim take her?”

  “She would be held somewhere near the coliseum,” Leela said from the couch, her eyes closed as she recovered from the bullet wound she’d endured.

  Lara sat on the ground beside her, sweating as she tried to help expedite the Seraphim’s healing. While the rune Vera had created allowed Hydraian gifts to work on Leela, it seemed there was still some natural resistance. Or perhaps it was a result of runes canceling each other out.

  Stas didn’t understand how all that enchantment worked yet. Mostly because her brother had kept her in the dark for months on end rather than using their time together to bring her up to speed.

  Yeah, Stas wasn’t bitter at all.

  Sure, she was being a brat. But the asshole had deserved it and far worse.

  She’d undergone quite a few negative experiences while he’d kept the truth from her. Some of his reasons were legit. That didn’t mean she was anywhere near forgiving him for the hell she’d gone through as a result of his choices.

  “And there’s no way to enter the islands without permission,” Leela continued, her voice hoarse and softer than normal. “The wards will kill you.”

  “I thought they wanted to meet with me?” Astasiya replied.

  “You, yes. Everyone else, no.” She shivered as Lara touched her forehead, her body stiffening on the couch.

  “That’s not an option,” Balthazar said from where he leaned against the wall.

  He’d been abnormally quiet after settling Jayson onto the chair adjacent to the couch. He was still passed out from the bullet to his head, Lara having focused on Leela first. Luc—who stood beside Balthazar—had said Leela needed to recover first because her skills would be needed.

  Stas agreed with that decision. “Leela and Vera could come with me, right?” Assuming Vera returned from wherever she’d misted off to. She’d disappeared almost as soon as she’d finished the rune on Leela’s arm, saying nothing about her intended destination. She seemed to do that a lot.

  Balthazar shook his head. “It’s not a viable plan.”

  “Do you have a better one?” Stas countered, irritated.

  His brown eyes smoldered with an intensity she’d never before seen in him. “I want Lizzie back, too. Don’t treat m
e like an enemy, Stas. We’re on the same side.”

  “Then give me a better idea.” It would be more productive than turning down the only plans she could think up.

  “When I discover one, I’ll share it,” he replied. His tone was one she’d never heard him use. Yet the authority in his voice suited him in his Elder position.

  Although, she didn’t much care for his response. The longer they debated this, the more likely Lizzie would be hurt. And that outcome was unacceptable to Stas.

  He’s right, Aya, Issac whispered into her mind. Going to the council won’t help anything. We need a strategy.

  That could take days to come up with, Issac.

  Look at Lucian, love, he encouraged her. He’s running through scenarios in his head. That’s why he’s so silent. Give him a few minutes to come up with an alternative. He’ll tell us if you going to the Seraphim is the only viable plan or not.

  She knew he was right, that her mind had jumped to a rash conclusion, but she couldn’t think of any other alternative. The Seraphim had taken her best friend. Gabriel had confirmed it by telling them about Skye’s prophecy and her ties to the Fates.

  Stas ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated. I feel helpless.

  I know.

  I hate this feeling.

  I know, Issac repeated, kissing her temple. We’ll figure this out.

  She turned into him, her gaze finding his sapphire irises and holding on for dear life. “How do you manage to remain so calm?” The words were soft, meant only for him. But she knew the rest of the room heard her.

  “Practice,” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. “And trust in those around me to determine a solution.”

  Trust wasn’t Stas’s problem. Concern was her issue. What if we don’t get there in time?

  As you age, you’ll learn that time is relative. He cupped her cheek, his thumb running over her bottom lip. The Seraphim took Elizabeth for a reason. If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her rather than going through the effort of kidnapping her.

  She hadn’t considered that before, her mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusion.