Page 29 of A Bloodline Redeemed

I arched a brow at her.“You’re here because you think one of us can read minds?And you arestillinsisting that I get involved in your stupid, dangerous schemes?After both of us have lost so much?Are you absolutely fucking insane?!”

She narrowed her eyes at me.The only feature we really had in common.“Oleander Lovell,” she snapped.“I saved your petulant ass from the whims of our coven.I have protected your secrets while you hide here like a spoiled child in your little fantasy world.But I willnotlet Junaid’s death go unavenged.He will not have died for nothing!”

The man she was holding whimpered and a thin trickle of blood dripped down his throat where her knife had apparently slipped during her rage.“You will help me, little sister.Or I will slit this maggot’s throat right here and now and use the blood magic our dear parents forced me to learn when I was ten years old to bring down every last one of your wards.”She grinned.“One way or another, you are going to come out of hiding and end this evil.”

I gaped at her.“Are you fuckingthreateningme right now?In my own home?”

She growled, clearly completely out of patience with me.“Inourhome, Oleander.The one I fucking gave up so I could live on the run while you were well taken care of.The mansion you lounge in while the world falls apart because you can’t be fucking bothered to lift a finger.Myhome, which I would have inherited by right if I hadn’t given it to you.I will level it.I might not be as clever as you are with your magic.My well might not be big enough or my mind flexible enough to create or destroy an entire pocket world by myself.But I doubt you want to live here in a smoking pile of rubble.”

I glared at her.“Fuck you.”

She glared back and tightened her grip on her captive.“Five.”

“You won’t do it,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and acting like I wasn’t the least bit concerned.

“Four,” she snarled.

“Andy,” Zhong said softly, “Maybe we should—”

“Shut up!”we both snapped at him in unison, neither one of us looking away from the other.

“Three,” Bella bit out, bracing the knife more firmly against her victim’s throat.

“If you kill him, you won’t get information,” I said dryly.

“Two,” she warned.

I rolled my eyes.“If ruin our sanctuary youdefinitelywon’t get any fucking help from me.”

“One,” she whispered.

“Go to hell,” I snapped.“I’m sure mom and dad are waiting for you with open arms!”

“Zero.”She moved without hesitation, slitting the guy’s throat with one vicious motion and reaching for her magic in the next instant.

I blinked, feeling a little disoriented.

“Two,” Bella warned.

River was somehow standing between us.“Stop it.Both of you just stop acting like bratty kids fighting over a toy and listen to yourselves!You’re both acting like complete assholes, and I know both of you well enough to know that’s not who you are.”

He glanced my way and lifted an eyebrow.“Especially you, Oleander.”

“One,” Bella whispered.

I rolled my eyes.“Oh, fuckingfine!I’ll listen to whatever bullshit she has to say.But that’s it.”I pointed at Bella in warning.“I’m not agreeing to fight your stupid war for you.”

Bella yanked on her captive’s hair, dragging him to his feet.“Up.”

I shook my head at her and gestured toward the kitchen.I didn’t want to do this shit in there, but there were herbs there, and the floor was marble, like out here, easier to mop up blood than the other rooms that had rugs or hardwood.“Fucking bullshit,” I muttered as I stomped off, leading the way.

But under all my bluster was adrenaline and sheer panic.I recognized the sensations of River’s time jumping.If he had intervened, that probably meant things had gone horribly wrong the first time around.Or maybe the firstfewtimes around.I would have to ask him about it later.But one thing was clear.I couldn’t trust my sister.Not if what I suspected was true and she really had attempted to destroy our sanctuary.

“Goddess fuck my life,” I muttered to myself.“I knew this whole fucking day was too good to be true.”

Chapter 17

Andy

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