the Nightingales left our world, my father began to act in a brutal manner, killing without mercy, slashing humans and leaving them to bleed dry.”
With hands on his hips, he glances down, letting out a shuddering exhale.
“I’m so sorry, Sax.”
“I didn’t know what was happening to him. No one did. Then I was captured by Lucca’s party. I was twelve at the time. Lucca was older and already a highly trained warrior. He could have killed me on the spot. He had every reason to do so. I was the enemy.”
“But he didn’t.”
Saxon shakes his head. “No. I was his prisoner for two weeks, but he didn’t treat me as such. Spending that amount of time with him, Ronan, and Manu far from my father’s dark influence made me question my blind loyalty to him and the merit of Tatiana’s claim.”
“That’s when you became part of Lucca’s inner circle?”
He laughs without humor, scratching the back of his neck. “No. Two weeks wasn’t enough to completely enlighten me.”
Shaking his head, he focuses on the wall opposite him almost as if he’s looking for the strength to continue. His beautiful face is contorted in so much pain that all I want to do is reach over and erase that expression.
“There was a huge fight and I managed to escape. It wasn’t until months later, when my father finally committed his most atrocious sin, that I finally woke up. He killed my sister, tore her to pieces when he found out she had fallen in love with one of King Raphael’s soldiers. My sister’s murder broke my mother. She met the sun the following day.”
Fat tears roll down my cheeks when Saxon wipes his wet face.
“Saxon…” The words get lodged in my throat. Nothing I could say seems appropriate.
He turns to me, not hiding the pain in his tear-filled eyes. “I wanted to make my father pay for what he’d done, but I knew I wasn’t strong enough to challenge him in a fight. I had to wait for the right moment. You have no idea how much it killed me to pretend I was still a loyal son after what he’d done to my sister.”
“When did it happen?”
“A few weeks later. My father had caught up with Lucca’s small group. He outnumbered them three soldiers to one. It seemed an easy victory was within his grasp, but my father underestimated Lucca’s, Ronan’s, and Manu’s fury.”
Saxon’s gaze becomes unfocused. I can tell he’s right back in that memory.
“Despite their skills, my father did manage to corner Lucca. He might have succeeded in killing him if I hadn’t chosen that moment to exact my revenge.” His voice grows cold and his nails become sharp talons. “Lucca was down, injured. I asked my father to deliver the killing blow. But instead of dropping my sword on Lucca’s neck, I swung it in a different direction. The bastard died instantly. My only regret is that he didn’t suffer. Didn’t even have the chance to scream as my blade severed his head, unlike my sister. To this day, I can still hear her desperate cries for help.” His voice becomes choked up. Shaking, he covers his lips with a fist.
I walk over because despite Saxon’s warning about his hunger, I’m not afraid of him. He won’t hurt me. I pull him into a hug, and when his arms circle around my waist, he hides his face in the crook of my neck. I melt into him, soaking up as much of his warmth as I can. The bond’s magic flares up, enveloping us completely. It seems much more potent now, almost complete. But there’s the pesky blood vow magic, trying to disrupt the moment.
No. I’m not going to let this damn pact ruin this for us. I use all the power I have in me to keep the magic from blasting Saxon away. It’s hard, though, and I understand now the spell isn’t coming from me. The source of magic that feeds it is foreign. It belongs to Elena Montenegro. Son of a bitch. I’m clenching my jaw so hard it hurts. There’s a ball of energy swirling inside of me, ready to be unleashed. Shit. It’s too strong to be contained without the use of a crystal or magical stone. I begin to tremble with the effort.
Saxon pulls away, looking worried. “Rora? What’s going on? Is it the blood vow?” He tries to step away from me, but I don’t let him.
“Yes, but I’m fighting it.”
“Your