A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(45)

I pursed my lips and looked over at Bijarki. I opened my mouth to further engage Draven, but the incubus shook his head slowly.

My shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Bijarki,” Draven called out to him.

“Yes, Draven?”

“I need you to go speak to Hansa about the Dearghs and the outcome of that conversation. You can use the passage stone, since you know where the other one is.”

“Yes. But do we know if she’s back yet?” Bijarki asked. “Based on Aida’s account, she was still with the Dearghs yesterday.”

“Chances are she will be back by sunset today,” Anjani replied. “My sister never leaves the tribe for more than two days in a row. We’re in day two now.”

The incubus nodded and headed for the door.

“All right then. I’ll be on my way now,” he said and passed by me, giving me a sympathetic sideways glance.

I didn’t like it. It looked too much like pity. I didn’t need any of it. What was there for him to pity me for?

“Serena, you can leave us now,” Draven said to me, his tone flat. “I have some business to discuss with Anjani in private.”

I clenched my teeth, swallowing back a curse aimed at the Druid. I took a deep breath, gave Anjani a polite nod, and slammed the door behind me.

Anger bubbled up to the surface, burning through my throat and making my eyes sting. An upsetting pressure pushed down on my stomach as I made my way to the greenhouse. He was acting very differently, and it felt like all the progress I’d made in my rapport with him over the past few days had been thrown out the window.

The worst part was that he had completely shut himself off from me, and that hurt. I’d opened myself up to him, I’d overcome my own fears and doubts about him, and I’d allowed him to kiss me and touch me in ways that no one else had before. I felt like I had been tossed aside.

I looked around, my watery gaze passing over the multitude of colorful flowers and lush exotic plants. I leaned against a potted palm tree and started crying, unable to hold it in anymore. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, and I wiped them away angrily, while more poured out of my eyes.

I felt rejected. Worst of all, I felt used. Like he’d gotten close to me for some specific end game that I knew nothing about. Like he was done with me and was back to his old condescending self. And I’d kissed him. I’d felt his fingers digging into my flesh. His hot breath over my face. His body hard against mine. His lips on mine.

I cried for a while, walking around as I let it all out. A lot had piled up inside of me since yesterday, but it had been severely amplified by his behavior this morning. I felt foolish.

It took me a while to calm down, but I eventually found my resolve.

I straightened my back and wiped the last of my tears away.

I didn’t want to feel like this again. I didn’t need that pain.

Most importantly, I was of no use to my brother and friends like this. I reached deep inside my soul for my determination. I found it and pulled it back to the surface. We had a dangerous road ahead of us, and I had to stay strong and focused.

Whatever had happened between Draven and me, as intimate and as troubling as it was, it could wait. I pushed it back, willing it to disappear somewhere in a dark corner of my mind.

We had work to do.





Phoenix





The Daughter and I went out into the garden after breakfast and walked up to the magnolia tree. The egg was still there, cracked open and dried up. She spent several minutes just staring at it, running her fingers along the sharp, darkened edges. It had been her home for many years, so I wasn’t surprised to see her interested in it.

I sat under the tree facing the mansion. I was determined to do a little work on my Oracle abilities without the help of any herbs or potions. After Vita’s visions of the future, I felt like I had to pitch in some more, dig deeper into the past. I wanted to provide the Druid with more information to help us gain a more significant advantage in the fight against Azazel.

There was no way in hell I would give that snake the opportunity to invade my home. It made me angry enough that he was destroying Eritopia.

As weird and as savage as Eritopia seemed, it was unique and had its own peculiar charm. Most importantly, the creatures who called it home did not deserve such a horrible fate. The whims of a power-thirsty Druid like Azazel could never justify these atrocities. And the closer I got to the Daughter, the stronger my urge became to protect her. It was her world, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering along with it.

Draven had told me several times that an Oracle could develop the ability to summon visions at will without any external help. According to him, it required a certain level of focus. I had to shut out any noise or image that could distract me.

I wasn’t sure where to begin, but my goal was simple—tap into a vision of the past on my own. I leaned against the trunk and took a few deep breaths. I closed my eyes and sought out the silence. The noises around me began to fade away.

The bird trills faded, and the rustling leaves and the whispers of the southern wind gradually muted. It didn’t seem difficult up to that point. However, I couldn’t go beyond the darkness. It took me a while to accept that no vision would come to me with my eyes closed.

I tried focusing on something else instead. It was worth a shot. I set my sights on the Daughter, watching as she stood up and looked at me. The wind ran through her hair, lifting it gently in ribbons of hot pink with red reflections. Her violet eyes shimmered in the sun, and the smile she wore sent heatwaves through my chest.