Read Online Forbidden (The Preternaturals) by Zoe Winters - Free Book Online Page B

down,
hiding behind holy actions. He’d kept the darkness buried in the
crevices of his soul, but the vampiric blood had flipped the switch
to activate it.
    His grip on Angeline’s wrist was punishing, even though such show of
force was unnecessary. His mere order for her to stop was enough. The
fear rolled off her. Whatever she’d done to momentarily gain the
upper hand wouldn’t come to her rescue again, and she knew it.
    Before he could question her about the witch, a child walked in the back
door. She wore a simple white dress that was far too big for her. The
clothing was spattered with blood. Fang marks marred her throat, but
they faded before his eyes.
    How was that possible? What human could self-heal like that?
    “Angeline! What did you do?”
    She cowered at the anger in his tone. “She begged me. She put her vein
right in my face. What was I supposed to do?”
    Hadrian rolled his eyes. If she expected him to believe that…
    “It’s true,” the girl said. “I hoped it would work this time, but it
started the cycle over again. She’s not strong enough or old
enough, either.”
    “You thought what would work? What cycle?” Hadrian said, growing more
confused with each nonsensical phrase that passed through the girl’s
lips. Something tickled the back of his mind, something he didn’t
want to admit could be possible. But he knew that golden hair and
those features, though they’d been on a grown woman, not a child.
Hadn’t they?
    No. He’d been lucid enough when he’d risen. He hadn’t only imagined
a fully grown woman.
    “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy,” she said.
    “Hadrian,” he said dryly. “ Father Hadrian to you.”
    “You’re funny. I’m Tamara. I wasn’t able to introduce myself when we
first met.” She turned serious. “You plan to kill her don’t
you? Your sire?”
    “I plan to set her free, yes,” Hadrian said, still pretending it was
about doing something for Angeline’s greater benefit.
    “And yet, you don’t want the same freedom for yourself? Interesting.”
    Tamara was far too perceptive. At the moment, Hadrian sought a different
freedom—one from responsibility and consequences. And the girl knew
it.
    She frowned. “It’s a curse, you know. Immortality isn’t a gift.
It’s a curse. Everything changes around you, and you’re trapped.
You never get to forget or start over. You lose people… things.
It’s all fun and games now, but one night you’ll wake up and
realize it isn’t anymore. Just be glad you have an easy way out
when you need it. The sun or the pointed end of a stake. I want to be
free, and it annoys me that you don’t. You should greet the sun
with your sire. It will save you a lot of pain.”
    When she reached the door, she turned back. A purple ball of light
appeared in her hand. It crackled, sounding like electricity, causing
Father Hadrian to retreat.
    Their eyes met.
    “Are we going to have a problem?” The girl asked. “Will you hunt me?
We both know you can’t kill me, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
get greedy. You wouldn’t be the first to find out my secret and try
to use that to your benefit. Because if you are, I’ll have to kill
you now.”
    “I wouldn’t feed off a child,” Hadrian said, increasingly disgusted
that Angeline had.
    Tamara laughed. “Oh, you are new to this world. This is just a
vessel, part of the loop I’m trapped in. I’m far older and wiser
than you. I’m happy to walk away if I can have your word that you
won’t come after me, that you’ll keep this secret. You do still
have enough priest in you to honor the sanctity of a secret, don’t
you?”
    “Are you doing evil with your powers?” Hadrian asked, unable to let the
issue drop.
    “No. But if I don’t find a way out, and my pursuer captures me, you’ll
see what evil truly is.”
    “Who is chasing you?”
    “Another cycler, like me.”
    “Leave town,” Hadrian said, “and I