Page 53 of Wicked Bite
For a moment, no one moved. My uncle had never done such a thing before—ended court well before it even started. I glanced to Sav, hoping he would give me a clue as to what was happening, but all I got was a shrug as he turned for the door.
“Not you.” I grabbed the collar of Sav’s shirt and pulled him back to stand next to me. My mother didn’t move, either. “Leave us” never applied to her, either.
When they began to move slowly toward the door, Titus waved his hand and a red mist drifted from his fingertips over the entire crowd. They all went with vampire speed out the door, leaving us within seconds. My eyes widened. I’d never seen him use such an easy display of power.
“So, I see things have changed.”
Titus turned and strolled across the room. He picked up a glass and filled it in the blood fountain. “They grow restless and are waiting for a moment of weakness. Which we will not give them.”
When he turned and met my eye, the message was clear. Which we will not give them . . . GRAYSON. “Why have they grown restless?”
He shared a glanced with Sav then took a deep sip. Blood dotted his lip as he spoke. “The prophecy is upon us, and it brings uncertainty.”
“Perhaps they should try and see what it feels like to live it?”
“They are living it.” He strolled back toward us. “What happens to The House of Shade affects them all. We must endeavor to remember that.”
“How could I forget?” Everyone has reminded me day and night I was to return home, and was needed here. But I was out protecting my people from an immediate threat, not some prophecy lingering for hundreds of years.
He took a step toward me and spoke the words that’d haunted my dreams.
“Born in blood of the human vein,
Bound in death she’ll rise to reign.
By the crown, an heir will mark,
For in the sun, she’ll bring the dark.
Lost in thirst, she’ll kill for sport,
Seek the prince who guards the court.
Mind the curse, yet hear her call,
For in her hands, we rise or fall.”
“I know what the prophecy says. I have eaten, slept, and bled it. She is coming. Whoever she is. The question is what are we to do about it?”
“There is only one who is named.” He held his finger up then pointed it at me. “You.”
I gave a soft groan. “And yet I do not wish to be named.”
“Wish it you may not. But live it you shall. I love you, my boy. And your adventures with the Witch court are now legendary among our people. I thank you for them. You have done wonderful things.” He took another step toward me and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and forced his gaze to meet mine. “Play time is over, Reluctant Prince. Now the work begins.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
DICE
“So, what you’re telling me is that I’ve been waiting to file this missing persons’ report it’s now Saturday. Two days . . .” I held up two fingers. “Two days since she’s been missing, and all you’re going to do is issue a missing persons report and kind of spread her picture around?”
“Ma’am, try to stay calm. We don’t just kind of spread their picture around.” The sergeant sat behind his desk filling out the paperwork I needed to report Piper missing. I’d brought pictures, all of her physical description information, medical records, and even her cell phone, which I’d gone through a million times looking for a hint of where she might’ve gone, and yet there was . . . nothing.
I slammed my hand on his desk, and the precinct went silent for a half a second before everyone started buzzing about again. The phones kept on ringing and people walked all around the aged desks. Officers milled about in their navy-blue uniforms with steaming cups of coffee in their hands. Sergeant Larceny cleared his throat. “We are going to do everything we can to find your friend.”
“No, you are not!” I rose to my feet. “I want bomb-sniffing dogs, teams of people scouring the entire town looking, fliers on every window and every telephone pole. And I definitely do not see agents from Interpol standing here ready to follow that Brit to the ends of the earth to find her and bring her back, damn it!”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. “Yeah, I made a few phone calls. No one has ever heard of a Grayson Shade anywhere.”
