Read Online Blood of an Ancient by Rinda Elliott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rinda Elliott
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comfort. “I saw him.”
He didn’t have to ask who. “How?”
“Blythe’s dream spell worked, but not the way it was supposed to. I went to him and he looked so bad. So damned bad. He’s alive and trapped there and he’s being tortured.” I held my breath.
“You’ll get him back. I know it.”
I fought to bring my emotions under control. Breaking down wouldn’t help anyone, let alone Nikolos.
“Beri.” Castor touched my cheek to make me look at him. “You don’t have to do any of this alone. If you haven’t noticed, you’ve got a whole family now.”
“I’m used to doing things on my own. Most of my life I only had Phro and Fred. I don’t even know where Fred is or who he is… The man was with me since birth and now I don’t know why and I don’t know where he went and—” I broke off, tried to swallow the lump in my throat. What was it about my brother that made me just spill my emotions like this? I shuddered, pulled away from him.
“I love you, Beri. I always have.”
“I’m sorry I can’t remember you.”
He sighed. “I’m not. If I have my way, your whole childhood would be wiped from your memories. Since that’s not possible, I’ll just do my best to make sure there are a lot of good ones from here on out.”
“So you plan to live here. Indefinitely. We’ll probably be stuck in Nikolos’s home for a while.”
“Did you think I was going back to Alligator Flag?” He grinned. “Nah. I missed most of your life so far. I don’t want to miss any more. Besides, I have this feeling we’re supposed to be together. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do. Not yet. I feel kind of useless.”
I frowned at him. “When I get Nikolos back, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do. I can’t really go back to my old life and, well, you do have strength like me. Could help out on my monster runs.” Even as I said it, I knew he needed something other than that. He was a man and proud like any other. I touched his arm. “You’ll figure out what you want to do.”
“I do know I want to stay here. With you and Elsa.”
I grinned. “You know she has this partner who is crazy in love with her, right?”
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Hey, I didn’t say anything about being in love. But I like her. She’s funny. Sarcastic, like you, but with a gun.” He waggled his copper brows.
Groaning, I stood up. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who likes to look at women with guns.”
All he did was blush.
I cracked up.
He leaned forward, eyed me for a long moment. “Hey, Beri? You do know there are different levels of love. There’s being in love with someone so much you want to crawl into their skin or lie next to them in the dark and breathe in their breaths. There’s the love for family and then there’s another kind. When two people click—when they feel a special bond that’s stronger than mere friendship. You have that with Elsa. She’s very good for you.”
“I know. It’s hard to explain how much I care for her.”
“No, it’s not. You literally fought demons to save her. She would do the same for you.”
She would. So would Castor. I was a lucky woman. “I do need to find Blythe.”
“She was watching a movie in here and suddenly jumped up to say she needed to make something for the trip.”
“She say what?”
“No. There was a lot of banging in the kitchen, then a burning smell like she was soldering something. I do know she rerouted a delivery of woodruff here today from Germany.”
“She’s probably making a safety talisman,” Dooby said as he glided into the room on slippers that matched his slithery robe. He plopped elegantly on the couch and propped his feet on my brother’s thighs. Castor merely chuckled and patted a slipper. Dooby leaned his head back on the cushions and looked up at me. “Woodruff is sometimes made into things for protection.”
“Okay, thanks.” I left them lounging there and walked
He didn’t have to ask who. “How?”
“Blythe’s dream spell worked, but not the way it was supposed to. I went to him and he looked so bad. So damned bad. He’s alive and trapped there and he’s being tortured.” I held my breath.
“You’ll get him back. I know it.”
I fought to bring my emotions under control. Breaking down wouldn’t help anyone, let alone Nikolos.
“Beri.” Castor touched my cheek to make me look at him. “You don’t have to do any of this alone. If you haven’t noticed, you’ve got a whole family now.”
“I’m used to doing things on my own. Most of my life I only had Phro and Fred. I don’t even know where Fred is or who he is… The man was with me since birth and now I don’t know why and I don’t know where he went and—” I broke off, tried to swallow the lump in my throat. What was it about my brother that made me just spill my emotions like this? I shuddered, pulled away from him.
“I love you, Beri. I always have.”
“I’m sorry I can’t remember you.”
He sighed. “I’m not. If I have my way, your whole childhood would be wiped from your memories. Since that’s not possible, I’ll just do my best to make sure there are a lot of good ones from here on out.”
“So you plan to live here. Indefinitely. We’ll probably be stuck in Nikolos’s home for a while.”
“Did you think I was going back to Alligator Flag?” He grinned. “Nah. I missed most of your life so far. I don’t want to miss any more. Besides, I have this feeling we’re supposed to be together. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do. Not yet. I feel kind of useless.”
I frowned at him. “When I get Nikolos back, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do. I can’t really go back to my old life and, well, you do have strength like me. Could help out on my monster runs.” Even as I said it, I knew he needed something other than that. He was a man and proud like any other. I touched his arm. “You’ll figure out what you want to do.”
“I do know I want to stay here. With you and Elsa.”
I grinned. “You know she has this partner who is crazy in love with her, right?”
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Hey, I didn’t say anything about being in love. But I like her. She’s funny. Sarcastic, like you, but with a gun.” He waggled his copper brows.
Groaning, I stood up. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who likes to look at women with guns.”
All he did was blush.
I cracked up.
He leaned forward, eyed me for a long moment. “Hey, Beri? You do know there are different levels of love. There’s being in love with someone so much you want to crawl into their skin or lie next to them in the dark and breathe in their breaths. There’s the love for family and then there’s another kind. When two people click—when they feel a special bond that’s stronger than mere friendship. You have that with Elsa. She’s very good for you.”
“I know. It’s hard to explain how much I care for her.”
“No, it’s not. You literally fought demons to save her. She would do the same for you.”
She would. So would Castor. I was a lucky woman. “I do need to find Blythe.”
“She was watching a movie in here and suddenly jumped up to say she needed to make something for the trip.”
“She say what?”
“No. There was a lot of banging in the kitchen, then a burning smell like she was soldering something. I do know she rerouted a delivery of woodruff here today from Germany.”
“She’s probably making a safety talisman,” Dooby said as he glided into the room on slippers that matched his slithery robe. He plopped elegantly on the couch and propped his feet on my brother’s thighs. Castor merely chuckled and patted a slipper. Dooby leaned his head back on the cushions and looked up at me. “Woodruff is sometimes made into things for protection.”
“Okay, thanks.” I left them lounging there and walked
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