Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,79

and suddenly the vampire was floating off the ground heading directly for the fire.

“You will take me home, Chaaya. Or I drop the vampire,” Greta warned.

Terror blasted through her. Basq had always seemed invincible. Like a mountain. Solid and utterly indestructible. Now the stark realization that he was a breath from being destroyed ripped through her with a jagged fear.

“Basq.”

Chaaya started forward only to be snapped to a halt as the same bonds that held Basq wrapped around her. A frustrated scream ripped from her throat as she glared at her aunt.

Wait.

She frowned as she realized that Greta wasn’t moving. It wasn’t like she was simply concentrating on holding Basq with her magic. Or smirking at her ability to hold Chaaya captive.

No. It was like she’d been frozen in place. Along with Basq. Even the flames were static.

What fresh hell was this? Chaaya furiously struggled to break free, but it was impossible. She was stuck.

“Easy, Chaaya,” a soft female voice pleaded.

“Who…” Chaaya tumbled forward as the bonds around her suddenly loosened. Swiftly regaining her balance, she spun around, her spear in her hand as she studied the intruder who was stepping out of one of the huts. Shock jolted through her as she caught sight of the features that were eerily similar to her own. For a crazed second she thought Greta had somehow managed to duplicate herself, like a doppelganger. Then she noticed the narrow golden crown on top of the woman’s long, glossy black hair and the simple white gown that fell to her bare feet. “Mother?”

The woman nodded, moving forward. “Yes.”

Shaken to her very soul, Chaaya backed away. “No. This is just another trick.”

“Not this time,” her mother assured her, her eyes dark with a wistful yearning.

Chaaya stubbornly shook her head. “You’re not here.”

Keyrah spread her arms. “Only in spirit. My body was returned to the earth centuries ago.”

Chaaya paused, forcing herself to study the woman. Her memories were vague, but the intruder looked like her mother. More importantly, she smelled like her mother.

The faint hints of rosemary and ginger laced the air, bringing unexpected tears to Chaaya’s eyes.

“What’s going on?” Her words came out as a soft plea.

Her mother cautiously stepped toward Chaaya, her features twisted into a haunted expression.

“Oh, daughter, how my heart has longed to see you again.”

Chaaya squared her shoulders, shaking off her weird sense of unreality. If this truly was Keyrah, then she’d deliberately allowed the witches to take Chaaya from her bed, haul her to the burrow, and slit her throat. Not the sort of thing that created a warm and fuzzy mother/daughter reunion.

“Yeah, right,” she muttered.

The woman faltered, her hand pressing against the center of her chest. “It’s true, although I know it must be hard for you to believe me.”

“Try impossible.”

Keyrah glanced away, but not before Chaaya caught the immense sadness in her eyes.

“I’m afraid my time here is limited, so I can’t convince you of my sincerity,” she said, her voice not entirely steady. “I can only reveal why I made the decisions that caused us both such pain.”

Chaaya snorted. “Both?”

She held up a slender hand. “Please, just listen, Chaaya. You are in great danger.”

Chaaya wanted to argue. Hell, she wanted to throw herself on the ground and pound her fists like a child having a temper tantrum. Instead, she forced herself to glance over her shoulder to where Basq hung over the frozen flames.

This wasn’t the time to try and punish her mother for the decisions she’d made centuries ago. She had to find out what was happening. And more importantly, find out how she could free Basq and get the hell out of there.

“Fine. I’m listening.”

Keyrah waited until Chaaya glanced back at her before she began to speak.

“I was very young when our high priestess became ill. Barely eighteen. At the time it was expected Greta would take her place.”

Chaaya squashed her flare of impatience. After endless decades of pretending not to care why her mother would choose to offer her as the sacrifice, she had the opportunity to discover the truth.

She had to know.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Adryn called me to her hut,” her mother said, presumably referring to the previous leader. “I thought she needed me to help with her dinner. Or perhaps read to her as she rested. Instead she told me…”

“Told you what?”

Keyrah grimaced. “That she suspected she’d been poisoned.”

“Couldn’t she heal herself?” Chaaya asked in confusion. “I thought druid priestesses were impervious to poisons?”

“She should have been able to,” Keyrah agreed. “The