not being the center of attention any more? That everyone might just stop talking about her for a moment at the yearly Christmas dinner?”
Aidan smiled. “Not quite, babe. Layla was scared she might lose the throne, so she got rid of her half-siblings, but she didn’t move fast enough. Dara saved one son, Seth, and managed to hide his identity until it was too late. Seth’s now a frequent visitor of the Lore court and Layla’s most dangerous competitor for the throne. Under her mother’s protection, he was untouchable. Since Dara’s weak and retired, he’s no longer invincible.”
“Neither’s Layla,” I said dryly.
“Exactly. Layla thinks her half-brother has been planning her demise for ages with the difference that he kept a close eye on her for years and knows her every weakness.”
“She wants you to find him so she can kill him. I don’t like that, Aidan.”
Something sparkled in his blue eyes. “You’re way off track. And good thing too. Do you know how hard it is to kill a demi-deity? She wants him to sign a pact because she fears for her safety and throne. You see, Seth’s father was a Shadow.”
“Sounds like a pact with the devil. I’d run as far away from her as possible.” I raised my brows, not really understanding where he was heading with this.
“So what does all of this mean?”
Aidan inched closer to whisper in my ear, “The supernatural world is split into three courts: the vampires, the Shadows and the Lore court, which is ruled by a deity. A Shadow is granted his power rather than be born with it. Seth is already a deity, and now he’s looking for a way to trigger his Shadow powers. The moment that happens, he’ll tip the scales and one court will rule the world.”
Didn’t sound that bad to me. “Call me ignorant, but since you guys have been at war with each other for centuries, wouldn’t that mean peace?”
Didn’t sound that bad to me. “Call me ignorant, but since you guys have been at war with each other for centuries, wouldn’t that mean peace?”
“Yeah, but at what cost?” His gaze bore into mine and pictures began to flood my mind.
Limp bodies drained of blood; cut off heads with gaping mouths that revealed holes where there once used to be fangs; gaunt creatures clad in rags, with eyes as dead as a corpse’s; and then lots of fire burning down everything in its wake.
I shook my head to get rid of the disturbing images. “I don’t understand.” My mouth felt dry, my tongue stuck to the back of my throat.
Aidan moistened his lips, hesitating. “Legend is, a famous Lore Court Seer once predicted the war between the Shadows, the vampires and the Lore court would escalate into the most brutal bloodbath the world has ever witnessed. This war will see many innocent victims. Two courts from three will perish. I don’t know who will win, but I know it won’t be the vampires, at least not us.”
“And Layla wants to save the supernatural world?” I asked, not quite buying it. The woman loved blood and suffering. I couldn’t see her as the savior she pretended to be.
“No, she’s trying to save her ass,” Aidan said. “Just as much as I’m trying to save ours. If it takes working with that vicious snake, then so be it.”
In other words, we’d stuck with a power driven demi-goddess, who’d never warm up to the idea of me being Aidan’s girlfriend. Sooner or later she’d try to get rid off me. “What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know.” Aidan moistened his lips. I wrapped my arms around him, drawing him close, not really seeing the magnitude of what he was saying. I mean, it was just a legend, and legends are nothing but the figment of one’s imagination. Okay, more often than not, there’s a tiny grain of truth to them, but everyone knows that grain is completely blown out of proportion. So what if that guy, Seth, carried the ancestry of two courts? It didn’t mean anything. He had no powers, and even if he did, he had no idea how
Aidan smiled. “Not quite, babe. Layla was scared she might lose the throne, so she got rid of her half-siblings, but she didn’t move fast enough. Dara saved one son, Seth, and managed to hide his identity until it was too late. Seth’s now a frequent visitor of the Lore court and Layla’s most dangerous competitor for the throne. Under her mother’s protection, he was untouchable. Since Dara’s weak and retired, he’s no longer invincible.”
“Neither’s Layla,” I said dryly.
“Exactly. Layla thinks her half-brother has been planning her demise for ages with the difference that he kept a close eye on her for years and knows her every weakness.”
“She wants you to find him so she can kill him. I don’t like that, Aidan.”
Something sparkled in his blue eyes. “You’re way off track. And good thing too. Do you know how hard it is to kill a demi-deity? She wants him to sign a pact because she fears for her safety and throne. You see, Seth’s father was a Shadow.”
“Sounds like a pact with the devil. I’d run as far away from her as possible.” I raised my brows, not really understanding where he was heading with this.
“So what does all of this mean?”
Aidan inched closer to whisper in my ear, “The supernatural world is split into three courts: the vampires, the Shadows and the Lore court, which is ruled by a deity. A Shadow is granted his power rather than be born with it. Seth is already a deity, and now he’s looking for a way to trigger his Shadow powers. The moment that happens, he’ll tip the scales and one court will rule the world.”
Didn’t sound that bad to me. “Call me ignorant, but since you guys have been at war with each other for centuries, wouldn’t that mean peace?”
Didn’t sound that bad to me. “Call me ignorant, but since you guys have been at war with each other for centuries, wouldn’t that mean peace?”
“Yeah, but at what cost?” His gaze bore into mine and pictures began to flood my mind.
Limp bodies drained of blood; cut off heads with gaping mouths that revealed holes where there once used to be fangs; gaunt creatures clad in rags, with eyes as dead as a corpse’s; and then lots of fire burning down everything in its wake.
I shook my head to get rid of the disturbing images. “I don’t understand.” My mouth felt dry, my tongue stuck to the back of my throat.
Aidan moistened his lips, hesitating. “Legend is, a famous Lore Court Seer once predicted the war between the Shadows, the vampires and the Lore court would escalate into the most brutal bloodbath the world has ever witnessed. This war will see many innocent victims. Two courts from three will perish. I don’t know who will win, but I know it won’t be the vampires, at least not us.”
“And Layla wants to save the supernatural world?” I asked, not quite buying it. The woman loved blood and suffering. I couldn’t see her as the savior she pretended to be.
“No, she’s trying to save her ass,” Aidan said. “Just as much as I’m trying to save ours. If it takes working with that vicious snake, then so be it.”
In other words, we’d stuck with a power driven demi-goddess, who’d never warm up to the idea of me being Aidan’s girlfriend. Sooner or later she’d try to get rid off me. “What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know.” Aidan moistened his lips. I wrapped my arms around him, drawing him close, not really seeing the magnitude of what he was saying. I mean, it was just a legend, and legends are nothing but the figment of one’s imagination. Okay, more often than not, there’s a tiny grain of truth to them, but everyone knows that grain is completely blown out of proportion. So what if that guy, Seth, carried the ancestry of two courts? It didn’t mean anything. He had no powers, and even if he did, he had no idea how
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