Lothaire (Immortals After Dark #12)(92)

Must I? Ellie didn’t think she wanted to live in a world like the Lore. Where a father would bury his son alive for centuries. Where monsters dwelled. The forked tongue that slithered across my cheek . . .

At the memory, her thoughts grew quiet once more. For how long she didn’t know.

Suddenly Hag snapped, “Who is he, Lothaire? Is this some kind of a joke?”

Another male was here?

A deep voice said, “Name’s Thaddeus Brayden, ma’am. But you can call me Thad.”



Lothaire had snagged the boy straight out of the front yard of Val Hall, saying, “Need your help to fix Lizvetta.”

The Valkyries had shrieked, “You can’t take him! Leave him be, vampire!”

To which Lothaire had eloquently responded, “Go f*ck yourselves!”

“Can you please explain what’s happening?” Thaddeus asked Hag now. “Mr. Lothaire isn’t making a lot of sense. And, uh, whose blood is all over him?”

When the fey glanced at Lothaire, he nodded, trusting the boy. To an extent.

Hag said, “This girl is new to the Lore and has just been amidst a Lore swordfight. Lothaire won, but she saw Pravus creatures.”

Realization dawned on Thaddeus’s face. “Gotcha. That’s all it took for me to clock out.”

And Thaddeus was a Lorean, even if he hadn’t known he was at the time. Elizabeth was a mortal. She’s so weak. Weak!

What if he never saw her stubborn gaze again? Felt her passion? You were going to end her anyway, his mind whispered. She might be my Bride, but she cannot be my queen.

Struggling to control his tone, Lothaire said, “Then what did it take for you to clock in, Thaddeus?”

“A few weeks, and the care of a nice Valkyrie and a fey.”

“Weeks!” To Hag, Lothaire said, “It’s back to you, Venefican.”

She peered down at her spell book as if willing it for an answer.

“Uh, just a suggestion, Mr. Lothaire,” Thaddeus began, “but shouldn’t you be, like, holding Lizvetta or something?”

If I took her in my arms, I’d squeeze her so desperately, too hard.

“Wait!” Hag cried. “The ash vines help mortals as well. I could clear her mind with the potion I’d intended for you.”

“Excellent idea, Hag. Only one problem—there were no f*cking vines to be found!”

“There is one other source. I hadn’t bothered to mention it because it’s so impossible—”

“Tell me!”

“Nereus.” She said no more.

The sea god. “He owes me a blood debt.” But fearing Lothaire’s arrival—no doubt assuming I’ll come for his firstborn—Nereus had recruited guards to protect his lair, some of the most ruthless immortals ever to live. “Hag, get started on the potion once more.”

“But how will you get past his sentries to collect your debt?”

“I likely won’t.” And with that, Lothaire traced to the edge of a mountainous, perpetually storm-tossed coast to confront a god.





37


Where has Lothaire gone? Ellie wondered.

Was he in danger? She didn’t know why she should give a damn. Apart from her catatonia, nothing had changed between them. Right?

That young man bent down in front of Ellie, then gently moved her head until she was facing him. But she still couldn’t focus her eyes.

“So you’re Lothaire’s Bride. I knew he’d let me meet you! No matter what gruff front he put on.”

I’m not his Bride, just a peasant pet he uses to get off with until he can kill me. At least, that’s what she’d thought just hours ago as she’d cried in his arms.

But considering Lothaire’s reaction earlier . . . ?

Now she didn’t know.

“Lizvetta, is it?” the newcomer asked with a southern drawl. Not a mountain accent, but definitely from the South.

Hag said, “She prefers to be called Ellie.”

“And you? I just can’t call someone as pretty as you . . . Hag. Maybe you have a middle name?”

Ellie thought he was grinning when he said that.

“Lothaire wouldn’t like you calling me—”

“You just let me worry about him.”

“Very well. My name’s Balery.”

She’ll tell him but not me?

“Nice to meet you, Balery.”

“And what might you be, Thaddeus? You look mortal.”

“Thanks. But I’m actually a vampire and phantom halfling.”

Hag—Balery—sucked in a breath. Why?

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Again Ellie heard amusement in his tone. “Since I’m wicked powerful and rare and all.” Then to Ellie, he said, “My name’s Thad. I’m a friend of Mr. Lothaire’s. And I’m going to help you through this.”

Was this guy for real? His deep voice was filled with kindness, but if he was friends with Lothaire and part vampire, wouldn’t that make him evil?

“Mr. Lothaire came and got me because I was human a little while ago. Or at least, I thought I was. And I went catatonic when I saw some of the creatures you met up with today. Creepy stuff, huh.”

The things I saw . . .