Page 312 of Bound (A Faery Story 1)

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“I thought you might say something like that,” Meg replied,

heading for the door to the tent. “But, Dante, I’m going to need a cut.”

She let the flap close behind her as she heard the vampire curse.

* * * *

Meg looked through Dante’s binoculars. They gave a close view

of Beck and Cian’s small fortress, even through the rain. Dante eased

down next to her and nudged her carefully. He pointed to a figure

standing mere feet from the green sanctuary. A black cat twitched

anxiously around her ankles. Kitty didn’t like the storm, it seemed.

294

Sophie Oak

It was Liadan all right, but she didn’t look the way she had before.

She stood on the ground with her hands at her sides. Her previously

pristine dress was soaked and caked with mud. There was a deer

walking toward her as though she had called it. In an instant, Liadan

was attacking the gentle creature, slitting its throat from ear to ear.

“She uses the blood to strengthen her spells.” Dante leaned close.

There was a shiver in his voice. “I wish she would use a spell to make

her not look like that.”

Damn, girlfriend was ugly. Liadan had shed the vestiges of her

public persona. Her face was withered and cracked. Her hair, though

still blonde, was gnarled, as though rats had nested in it. She had long

fingernails, and she used them to extract the blood she needed.

The hag began chanting something in a language Meg didn’t

understand. After a long moment, some of the vines protecting the

sanctuary retreated. Now Meg could begin to see the walls of the

structure. The minute Liadan managed to unveil the door, she would

be on the kings.

“She’s been doing it for days,” Dante explained. “She’s getting

close.”

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