Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,103

text message was because she couldn’t be bothered to care. But after spending the summer with her on the road, I knew better than that now. “I know what you’re dealing with out there. I didn’t want you to lose focus.”

“I can walk and chew gum at the same time, you know.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “You know what I mean.”

“I appreciate you looking out for me, Jem, but it would’ve been nice to hear this from you and not the Council.”

“Right.” She had a point. “Sorry about that.”

“So, what are doing at Trace’s anyway? And where’s Dominic?” she asked, looking thoroughly confused since the last she’d heard and seen, me and Dominic couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

“I guess Gabriel didn’t tell you.” Pulling up my legs beside me, I relaxed into the thick cushions.

“Tell me what?”

“Dominic’s Sire showed up in Hollow Hills a while back,” I said and then let out a heavy breath, not especially thrilled about having to recount that particular story.

“And?” she prompted when I didn’t add anything more.

I swallowed against the burn at the back of my throat and composed myself, refusing to let myself cry in front of my sister. “And she made him shut off his emotions. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.”

Her eyes widened because she knew exactly what that meant. “Jesus, Jemma. I’m so sorry.”

I went on to tell her about everything that had come after, including what happened in the woods last night. As much as I had tried to block out that terrifying night from my mind, it was right there with me no matter where I went. Oddly enough, it felt good to finally be able to talk about it.

When I was done recounting that whole mess, I moved on to what was going on between Trace and me and how we had been slowly rebuilding what we had, and of course, Nikki’s very open threat on my life because of it. Not wanting to leave anything out, I also told her about my meetings with William and what they wanted me to do, making sure to include the part about how they had no idea what would happen to me if and when I agreed to do it.

Her shoulders dropped as she heaved out a heavy breath. “How long have I been gone?” she asked, looking exhausted just hearing about everything.

“That’s life in Hollow Hills for you. Never a dull moment.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” she said as she sank back on the couch, her mind a million miles away.

“I’m guessing you think I should do it, right?”

“Do what?” she asked, distracted.

“Let them anoint me as the Fourth Horseman, or whatever they called it.” Honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I was asking her. Of course, she would agree with them. Tessa always put duty above all else.

Her and Gabriel were two peas in a pod like that.

“Actually, no. I don’t.”

I jerked back at her words, certain I’d heard her wrong. “Come again?”

She studied me for a harrowing moment. “Listen, Jem. I’m all for kicking ass and taking names, but this is taking it a little far, even for me. There has to be another way—something else to try first. Preferably something tried and true.”

“If there was another way, they would’ve mentioned it,” I said, despondent. “There would’ve been something in the books about this.”

“Well, maybe this isn’t a books kind of problem. Maybe this is a throw-everything-you-have-at-the-problem-and-hope-for-the-best kind of problem, and I think I should be the one doing the throwing.”

My shock at her disagreeing with the Council’s wishes quickly switched to horror as I understood what she was saying. “You’re not going to be the sacrificial lamb here, Tessa. Apart from the fact that I’m not okay with going after a pregnant girl regardless of who’s baby she’s carrying, she’s already too powerful. And that’s without siphoning the baby’s magic or the hordes of demons protecting her. You won’t be able to get within a mile of her. It’s suicide.”

“Better me than you,” she answered, unfazed, as though her mind had already been made up. “I have more experience than you. Besides, I’m your big sister. I’m not just going to let them throw you to the stake.”

“So, I should let you throw yourself on it instead?” I shot her a pointed look. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Were you always this stubborn?”

“Mostly.”

She smiled, though it didn’t quite make it up to her ash colored eyes. “There’s something else I’ve been meaning to talk