Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(69)

“Blackstock.” Lucas didn’t know what to say. Everything in him was searing pain, but he felt like he should say something. “I’m sorry it came to this.”

“It would’ve come to pass no matter what course of actions you chose. As long as a thread-holder exists, The Immortal would’ve tried to come alive. It is no one’s fault.” He paused. The older vampire hesitated, just slightly, before his lifted his head even higher. “Are you ready?”

Lucas nodded. He wasn’t asking him. Blackstock was asking himself. It was time for him to die and he said the words needed. As the last one left his mouth, his head fell back. His arms spread out, palms faced to the sky. A burst of light left him, making his body appear like it was going to blow up, but it shot up in the air and then back down right away. It burst through the invisible barrier and slammed into Roane. He cried out, feeling all of their power inside of him. It was too much. His body couldn’t contain it. He was going to explode. All would be lost, but as he thought that, it was done.

He was the last Hunter. The power settled into him and he could only stand there and watch as one by one, the Hunters’ bodies died. They withered to corpses, and then to bones, and then to dust. They became one with the earth.

A last wind raced across the land, sweeping them up, and it grazed over Roane. It was his last goodbye to them, and with that, as they were carried to be scattered over the lands, Roane was alone.

He saw his sword had fallen to the ground. He bent to pick it up, and as he did, another voice spoke, “You got amped up, I see.”

It was Saren, but instead of the usual sneer on her face, there was wariness. He finished picking up his sword and sheathed it into place. “You’ve been missing.” She was the one Davy talked about.

She didn’t come closer. She remained ten yards away and shifted so her knees were bent and she was on the tips of her toes. She was ready to bolt or fight if necessary. Lucas registered her stance. “Are you fearful of me?”

“She was in your head. She could be speaking through you right now.”

She—The Immortal.

It wasn’t meant as an insult, but Lucas still felt it was one. His eyes flashed in irritation. “I was never under her control.”

“You drank from her. You could’ve been.”

“She forced me to, but I was never under her control. I was still myself.”

“She was in your body and your head.”

She was. Lucas couldn’t argue that. “She’s not anymore. Davy did something. I don’t know what, but The Immortal isn’t in my head anymore. I’m not connected at all to her now.”

At the mention of Davy, Saren’s head popped up. Her eyes grew more alert. “Davy? You’ve been in contact with her?”

He nodded. “I don’t know how. It was when I was sleeping, but when I woke up, The Immortal wasn’t in my head.”

“How’d she react to that?”

“She didn’t really, but I could tell it bothered her.” He shrugged. “It’s probably why she didn’t let me go with her.”

“What else did Davy say?”

“That someone is missing. She said something about being turned and an innocent one.” Talia’s child. Blackstock said the child, but it all clicked with Lucas right then. Talia’s child was here. She was the next thread-holder. It was why they had come to the Mori village in the first place. He couldn’t think about Talia’s child being murdered. He said to Saren, “You’ve been missing. Why?”

Saren didn’t answer at first. She gazed at him, seemingly studying him for something, Then, she sighed and replied, “Jacith was aware of us. He had cloaked himself to my sisters and me. We didn’t proceed until we knew the reason.”

“It was The Immortal.”

“Yes.” Saren nodded, her eyes downcast. “We saw all that transpired. It was alarming to find out that The Immortal betrayed Davy and our sisters. You killed him too early, though.”

Lucas frowned. “What do you mean?”

“She was going to use him to help destroy our line. We think that is why she allied with him. That, and because she needed more power to burst free from Davy. Those were the two reasons.”

“She said she was going to offer me to him. He wanted the Hunters’ power for himself.”

“No.” She shook her head, moving closer to him. Whatever had been holding her back diminished. Her shoulders relaxed, her words came more freely, and the old Saren spark was revived. He saw the flame light up her eyes, and as she spoke, it burned more and more. “We think that was a ruse. We think she took you and connected you two to keep watch if anyone would plot against her. You are the glue. She knew you sent your friends ahead to plan how to save Davy, but if anyone is able to bring her back, it would be you. We think that was the real reason she took you with her.”

“But Jacith . . .”

“If he killed you, her blood would’ve been in him. She would’ve had even better access to his power, and he wouldn’t have known. We think that was the real plan for her to use him and then destroy him when she didn’t need him anymore.”

“So she would’ve killed me?” Lucas’s head moved back. That thought . . . it didn’t sit well with him. “That bitch.”