crowds and was off hiding, but she seemed to think they’d made a small inroad to building a relationship. Although she still wasn’t sure if she liked him or not yet; he was ‘damn weird’ had been the main observation she’d made.
Lucy was by my side absolutely fuming mad that she wasn’t allowed to go with us to the vampire planet. She was starting to look like a green glitter sprinkler. I could barely see her through the mist. She wasn’t really talking to me as we stood near the war council area.
The entire camp was a little messy at that moment, filled with fighting, confusion and unease. Everyone striving to be the leader, but there were too many different groups, all of whom wanted to be heard. I hoped when we returned they were a little more organized. I felt uneasy leaving before having a chance to speak with Josian, but I hadn’t been able to find him. Despite the fact I’d searched for a few hours.
Just as I had that thought, my head whipped to the side as his energy drifted toward me. Five seconds later he stepped out from behind the Doreen tent, an area which had been set up for our new princeps and his council to confer.
“Give me a minute,” I said to the others, before marching across to Josian.
He was not looking in my direction as he strode in slow deliberate motions across the space. His expression was that of a shattered man and that hurt my heart all over again.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, coming to a halt a few feet from him.
His head flew up and bronze eyes locked in on me.
“Baby girl,” he croaked out, his voice low and rough. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m about to head to Dronish with the other half-Walkers.”
He reached out and grasped my hand.
I squeezed it tightly in return.
“I tried to talk with your mother. She’s still fairly upset. But …” He cleared his throat. “Do you have any time for me to explain a few more things before you leave?”
I nodded. “I always have time for you, Dad.”
Under the watchful eyes of my friends, their mates and a few other onlookers, Josian and I made our way out of the main area. We stopped near the waterfall and lake.
He started slowly. “I’m going to say it again, because you deserve to hear this more than once. I am so sorry, baby girl. I know it’ll take me a lifetime to make this up to you, for you to trust me again –”
“No!” I said, my voice fierce. I was on my feet, hands on my hips. “No, you have to stop saying crap like this.” My hands went from my hips to waving wildly in the air. “Are the lalunas still gone from your head?”
He nodded twice. “Yes, I haven’t felt their presence since we left the stone world.”
I reached out and grabbed onto his forearms. “I don’t forgive you, Dad.”
His face fell so I hurried to finish.
“Because there’s nothing to forgive. In my mind you did nothing wrong. This is all on the lalunas, and they’re going down. Now tell me what we need to do to beat them?”
His bronze eyes hardened, the gold threading through. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and … the only way to limit their power is to lock them away, in the same prison as the Seventine.”
“What?” I said. He’d taken me by surprise. “Is it a wise idea to place two sets of the most powerful entities in our star systems close to each other?”
Josian shook out his very dark red hair. “Once they’re imprisoned, they’ll have no power. We’ll use the lalunas to strengthen the protections on the prison. If the stones are part of the wall, then I don’t think the Seventine will ever be able to escape again.”
I mulled his words over. “And if they’re locked away they’ll no longer have power over you? Or anyone?”
“They’ll have no power unless they escape.”
My bracelet warmed then. I gasped, holding it up in front of me, but thankfully there was no pain. Just a sudden burst of warmth. Then it started to melt again, dripping off my hand and
Lucy was by my side absolutely fuming mad that she wasn’t allowed to go with us to the vampire planet. She was starting to look like a green glitter sprinkler. I could barely see her through the mist. She wasn’t really talking to me as we stood near the war council area.
The entire camp was a little messy at that moment, filled with fighting, confusion and unease. Everyone striving to be the leader, but there were too many different groups, all of whom wanted to be heard. I hoped when we returned they were a little more organized. I felt uneasy leaving before having a chance to speak with Josian, but I hadn’t been able to find him. Despite the fact I’d searched for a few hours.
Just as I had that thought, my head whipped to the side as his energy drifted toward me. Five seconds later he stepped out from behind the Doreen tent, an area which had been set up for our new princeps and his council to confer.
“Give me a minute,” I said to the others, before marching across to Josian.
He was not looking in my direction as he strode in slow deliberate motions across the space. His expression was that of a shattered man and that hurt my heart all over again.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, coming to a halt a few feet from him.
His head flew up and bronze eyes locked in on me.
“Baby girl,” he croaked out, his voice low and rough. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m about to head to Dronish with the other half-Walkers.”
He reached out and grasped my hand.
I squeezed it tightly in return.
“I tried to talk with your mother. She’s still fairly upset. But …” He cleared his throat. “Do you have any time for me to explain a few more things before you leave?”
I nodded. “I always have time for you, Dad.”
Under the watchful eyes of my friends, their mates and a few other onlookers, Josian and I made our way out of the main area. We stopped near the waterfall and lake.
He started slowly. “I’m going to say it again, because you deserve to hear this more than once. I am so sorry, baby girl. I know it’ll take me a lifetime to make this up to you, for you to trust me again –”
“No!” I said, my voice fierce. I was on my feet, hands on my hips. “No, you have to stop saying crap like this.” My hands went from my hips to waving wildly in the air. “Are the lalunas still gone from your head?”
He nodded twice. “Yes, I haven’t felt their presence since we left the stone world.”
I reached out and grabbed onto his forearms. “I don’t forgive you, Dad.”
His face fell so I hurried to finish.
“Because there’s nothing to forgive. In my mind you did nothing wrong. This is all on the lalunas, and they’re going down. Now tell me what we need to do to beat them?”
His bronze eyes hardened, the gold threading through. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and … the only way to limit their power is to lock them away, in the same prison as the Seventine.”
“What?” I said. He’d taken me by surprise. “Is it a wise idea to place two sets of the most powerful entities in our star systems close to each other?”
Josian shook out his very dark red hair. “Once they’re imprisoned, they’ll have no power. We’ll use the lalunas to strengthen the protections on the prison. If the stones are part of the wall, then I don’t think the Seventine will ever be able to escape again.”
I mulled his words over. “And if they’re locked away they’ll no longer have power over you? Or anyone?”
“They’ll have no power unless they escape.”
My bracelet warmed then. I gasped, holding it up in front of me, but thankfully there was no pain. Just a sudden burst of warmth. Then it started to melt again, dripping off my hand and
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