Pure Destiny (PureDark Ones #12) - Aja James Page 0,80

perhaps not. Ramses had not been forthcoming about his rather sudden and apparently permanent relationship with the Seer of the Pure Ones. A glorified fortune teller, many of the haughty Dark nobles would say.

And those were just the nice ones.

Jade did not know the woman before her very well. She had not been living in the Shield for long, since Mating the Pure Ones’ Consul, Seth Tremaine. And before that, Eveline Marceau never popped on her radar.

This particular member of the Pure Ones’ inner circle had been all but invisible, reclusive. Though Jade knew from Inanna that Eveline had found a critical clue that led the ex-Angel of Death to the place where her father had been imprisoned.

Invisible but quite useful, it would seem.

Most of the time, Jade helped Rain in the healing chambers, reminisced old times with Inanna, and often, Ishtar would join them. Her unofficial official duties were to help Seth with cross-Kind diplomacy.

Jade was well networked and still highly respected and formidable among the Dark Ones around the world. She had plenty of human followership as well, which she maintained meticulously. Though she’d been a Pure One for a few hundred years of her life, she’d been too much of a loner to make friends, the only one of any substance being Rain. Now, she reestablished some lost ties, or tried to make new ones.

But at her core, even though she’d been born human, reborn a Pure One, then resurrected finally as a Dark One, Jade preferred her current state of being by far. For many reasons. Not the least of which was the use of her sexual powers to torment her Mate in the most tantalizing and rewarding ways.

Once upon a time, in her misguided avoidance of her destiny, she might have considered Ramses for a Consort as she continued to rule over the New England vampire hive. Theirs would have been the most powerful union amongst their Kind, she was sure of it.

If what her comrades said was true—Ramses was an ancient Earth Elemental. Rarer than even majestic animal spirits. So few of them had survived these untold millennia. Those who did had hidden amongst humans, begetting offspring with diluted blood and powers, until barely any magic remained.

But not Ramses. He was an original.

What had such a powerful, dominant, sexual male seen in this small, seemingly humorless erudite whose nose was always stuck in a book?

Jade shook her head mentally. ’Twas a mystery for the ages.

“Wh-what?”

As if hearing her skepticism, Eveline came awake with a start to defend her womanly wiles. Reflexively swiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, as if she did this all the time—come awake in just this way, surrounded by a mountain of loose papers, scrolls and books.

“You must be in dire need of rest, Seer,” Jade said softly, not wanting to startle her further. “You’ve not left this library since arriving at the Shield, have you? Whatever are you looking for?”

The woman blinked big, gray-blue eyes up at Jade, who leaned her lithe, perfectly voluptuous form casually against the edge of the table.

“Oh. It’s you.”

Now it was Jade’s turn to blink in a confused flutter of silky lashes.

“Me?” she queried curiously.

“Yes. The most beautiful vampire queen that ever lived,” Eveline sighed, then added, “One of the Great Beauties across time and Kinds.”

Jade tipped her head slightly to study the Seer.

“Is that a bad thing?”

Because she’d said it like it was. Her tone had been…a smidgeon belligerent.

Eveline shrugged, declining to expound.

“Why are you up so late yourself?”

“I’m a Dark One,” Jade murmured, flashing the tips of her gleaming fangs. “I live for the night.”

“Did you just get back from the Cove?” Eveline asked, unimpressed.

“Indeed.”

Eveline frowned.

“Aella and Inanna returned hours ago. Did you stay behind?”

Jade merely curled the corners of her lips in a small smile.

Eveline frowned harder.

“To visit my…Ramses?”

Jade’s delight grew, though she tried to keep her smile reserved.

Now she saw it. Why Ramses was so enamored with this little sprite.

Flames practically crackled in the Seer’s doe-like eyes as she stared at Jade with growing ire. She fairly singed Jade with the shooting sparks of her displeasure. The placid librarian was a sight to behold when jealousy and possessiveness of her male roused her. Her entire visage, demeanor and aura transformed.

She was rather frightening, truth be told.

Jade was smart enough to tread carefully from here on out. Not the least of which reasons were—if a tussle did break out between the two women, she was in no physical condition