Page 20 of Savage Sacrifice
“Aren’t we all?” I ask, tilting my head at her, and she sighs, looking down at her feet for a moment before she focuses her attention on Minnie.
“I’m sorry, Professor Whitmore asked me to encourage you to change your mind,” she admits, and my pulse only runs hotter as I narrow my eyes.
“Why?” I ask, but it’s overshadowed as Minnie shakes her head.
“Never.” It’s a promise, one that fills my soul.
With a reluctant sigh and a tight smile, Bryony glances past us all to focus on the guards, offering a curt nod, and a moment later, the portal appears.
“Why are the guards lifting the veil at your command?” I bark, feeling the same intensity burning from the others too, but she simply shrugs.
“I don’t know. Whitmore just told me what to do.”
“And why would he tell you?” I push, but Blaze grunts before I can get an answer.
“Are we leaving or what?”
8
WYLDER
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Lincoln murmurs, scrubbing at the back of his head as he eyes the row of houses before us.
Each one is symmetrical to the last—the perfect American suburb. It’s awful.
Where is the land? The trees? The animals? It’s not for me. Maybe it’s my wolf talking, but either way, I want the acreage. I long to see Polaris lying on a picnic blanket in a field of wildflowers, smiling up at the sun before I slip a hand beneath her dress and find euphoria.
My heart lurches at the thought. A void of negativity and despair looms over me, but I hold on, refusing to let it cripple me. The reality is, we could be mistaken here; Polaris might truly be gone, but we’re all delusional enough in our love for her to hope it’s a lie.
“This is where we were the last time,” Blaze states, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to look at the rest of them.
Lincoln flanks Minnie on her left and Bryony on her right, while Blaze stands a step ahead, closer to the house, Asher right beside him with his hands folded over his chest, and Tatum hovers behind. I shuffle a few steps closer and position myselfbeside Tatum. If he notices, he doesn’t acknowledge me as Minnie clears her throat.
“What do we do now?” she asks, shuffling nervously from foot to foot, and Bryony drapes a comforting arm around her shoulder. Lincoln glares at the contact. He definitely doesn’t trust Bryony right now, that much is for sure, but I can’t decide if his over-analysis of her actions is something to agree with or let be, since it really could be the blood kin curse consuming his thoughts.
“We stop waiting around,” Blaze grunts in response, and we all wordlessly head for the house. Uncertainty wars inside of me, but it’s outweighed by the hope that takes root.
We’re at the door in a heartbeat and Blaze wastes no time rapping his knuckles against the wood. The second he does, Minnie gasps, garnering everyone’s attention, but her stare is set on the vampire in front of her.
“What if she recognizes you for taking her coin? She’s never going to help us then,” she blurts, and Blaze shakes his head with a small eye roll.
“Please, I didn’t leave a mess. I compelled her,” he insists, and the door opens behind him.
Disappointment floods my veins when Krystal comes into view. Her long hair isn’t silver, her eyes aren’t the sharpest shade of blue, and her nervous smile doesn’t resonate in my chest.
It’s my own fault for subconsciously hoping Polaris would just be here, which would be the end of it all. Unfortunately, life is a little more cruel than that, and I should really know better.
“Is Polaris here?” Bryony asks when no one else says a word, and I peer at Tatum, noting his head tipped to the floor and his hands in his pockets. If I were to guess, I’d say we’re both feeling the exact same thing right now. Maybe the others, too, if their silence is anything to go by.
“Polaris?” Krystal repeats, her eyebrows gathering in confusion, and I clear my throat, but Lincoln speaks before I get a chance.
“Yeah. She’s about this tall,” he starts, measuring his hand against his chin. “Silver hair, shimmering blue eyes, and a pretty pink hue permanently etched in her cheeks,” he offers, and I have to fight against the pull to close my eyes and visualize her for myself.
Instead, I watch with more disappointment as Krystal shakes her head. “I have no idea who that is.”
“Are you sure?” Minnie asks, her voice breaking as a sob threatens to rattle from her, and Krystal’s frown deepens.
“Why would I lie?” She takes a step back, ready to slam the door in our faces, and my heart rate quickens.
