Page 72 of To Crave Deeply
“Why can’t I feel my demon?” Iveri asked with a tremor in her voice.
Selene flicked her eyes between the two of us and I swear I saw a hint of regret sparkle in those piercing blue orbs. Shit. What had she done now?
“A demon needs someone alive to live inside. The demon stayed with Lori. I’m sorry, Iveri. Until we can find someone who can wield the scintillam vitae, the demon will be unable to live within you.”
Shit. I still had the Sin Reaper. Did that make Iveri human? What the fuck was a scintillam vitae? I cast my mind back to the Latin I learned at school. Vitae meant life but I couldn’t remember what scintillam meant. Something to do with fires, I think. Ignition? Damn, but that was going to annoy me. I’d have to look it up when I got back.
“Put me back!” Iveri roared and I could feel her pain and desperation.
“I can’t,” Selene said with a shrug as if she couldn’t care less. “I thought you’d be happy.”
“Happy?” Iveri shouted. “Would you be happy if you’d been ripped away from your magic on someone else’s whim?”
“I’d be happy that I had my own body to control and my own mind to think in. I’ve said I will help you get your demon back, so calm down.”
Iveri marched over to Selene, and I could see a blood bath unfolding before my very eyes if we didn’t get this under control.
“No one but the Divine and Lucifer are known to carry the scintillam vitae, and I don’t think either of them will be willing to help me.” Iveri jabbed her finger in Selene’s chest as she spoke, but the witch brushed her off.
“There have always been others that carried the potential; we just need to find one, and I promise I will help you.”
“You’d better because I am not living like this. I hate you,” Iveri said, sounding like a brat.
Selene stepped closer to her, removing all traces of personal space. “Well, boohoo. Do you see any tears? No? I guess I just couldn’t care less, then.”
And now I had to deal with these two squabbling like sisters. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I almost wished for the distraction of the Witch Queen, just so I didn’t have to deal with this pettish shit.
“Are you alright?” said a deep rumble to my left.
“I will be,” I replied softly over the bickering. “I have to be.” I turned my back on Iveri and Selene and looked up at my protector. His eyes were warm with concern and a little bit of the tension straining my shoulders melts.
He was about to say something else but there was a whoosh and pop followed by a bright light that cut off his words. Someone was opening a portal.
Please be the team. I couldn’t deal with any more surprises today.
My prayers must have been heard because out jumped Alec, Saskia and Fenris. The portal closed behind them.
Wait.
“Where’s Jasper?”
***
ALEC
Shit. How was I supposed to answer that question?Sorry, we left him in a cave to fend for himselfjust wasn’t going to cut it.
“He’s occupied,” Fenris stated smoothly. As if lying to Lori was nothing to him. I didn’t know how he could do it. How was that not eating him up inside? The mere thought of lying to her made my stomach churn.
“What do you mean occupied?” Her eyes flashed with fury. She knew he was lying. Shit.
“I mean exactly that. He’s occupied. He’ll be back soon.”
Lori marched closer to Fenris, murder blazing in those demonic eyes. The ring of fire around those black orbs were raging with her temper.
I needed to get us all on the same page here. I had no idea what was going on, and I needed to be prepared for whatever was going to happen next when we faced the Witch Queen. Although why blondie over there was wearing her crown was beyond me. And who the fuck was the tall chick? And why did she look like she’d just stepped out of the Renaissance?
“Lori,” I barked. Infusing the word with some of my alpha presence. I might not lead my own pack of hounds, but at the moment, this team was my pack. And I was a natural born alpha, even if I wasn’t in charge.
