Page 113 of Promised in Blood

He nods.

“There is one in particular that speaks of a child.”

“Who shall be our ruin or our redemption,” he says quietly, as though he is afraid the words may grow wings and fly into the night, thus alerting others to this most clandestine of conversations.

I have read the prophecy so many times, the words that come next flow effortlessly from my tongue. “Bringing balance to the new world order.”

“Be it through peace or total annihilation.”

“I refuse to believe that such great power can be gifted to one who would choose to use it for evil, Giorgios.”

He runs his tongue over his bottom lip, revealing a glimpse of his fangs, and his eyes seem to sparkle. “Does the prophecy not allude to the child being a…” Pausing, he frowns. “A blank canvas?”

“It refers to her powers being neutral until she is forced to make a choice.”

“She?” His frown deepens. “I do not recall the child’s gender ever being specified.”

My haste has made me reveal too much too soon, but I will scold myself later. “I believe the chosen one will be a female,” I reveal. “An elementai.”

His right eye twitches. “Elementai no longer exist. They were?—”

“Giorgios!” Time moves rapidly, and there is no more of it to waste talking in riddles or fearing the inevitable. Ophelia’s powers are not fully awakened, and that is a danger to us all. “I know about the girl. I know about her and your brother. You have met with him four times these last months, Giorgios, so I know that you know too.”

He shakes his head, his eyes darkening and his fangs protracting farther. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

He makes to walk away, but I grab his forearm, gripping him tightly through his thick coat. “The Skotádi grow in power. If they find her and have the opportunity to corrupt her before her powers are fully developed, then all hope will be lost. She must claim her power. All of it. And she must do it now.”

“Ifyou speak the truth, Nazeel, then know that my brother would never allow that to happen. They have a bond. She will not fall prey to the Skotádi so easily.”

My fingertips dig deeper into the taut muscle of his forearm. “You know they are master manipulators, Giorgios. You know they are capable of breaking bonds. Ifthey should find her before she reaches her full potential…” I let that thought hang in the air.

He wrenches his arm from my grip, but I know I have gotten through to him by the way his shoulders slump. “What is your favor?”

“I need you to help unlock the full potential of her powers.”

“Me? Why?” He scowls. “How?”

I wet my lips and tip my chin, prepared for him to try to tear out my throat when I tell him what must be done.

Chapter

Forty

ALEXANDROS

Iam unsurprised to find Giorgios already in the library waiting for me. His request to meet was full of urgency, so much so that I stopped feasting on Ophelia to answer him. Whatever he needs to see me about must be of the utmost importance, given our father’s visit the other day and our subsequent agreement that we would limit our face-to-face interactions.

I take a seat across from him and study his face. The lines of worry marring his expression make me wary. “What is it, brother?”

His eyes dart nervously around the almost-empty library. “I believe I know where Lucian is.”

I rear back, feeling like I have taken a hit to my solar plexus. Surely I misheard him. “Lucian?”

He nods solemnly, his tongue darting out to moisten his top lip.

I screw my eyes closed for a second, trying to fight off the barrage of questions that immediately plague me, or at least get them into some semblance of order. “Where is he?”

“Europe. In the old country.”

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