Page 97 of Promised in Blood

“And you think such people exist?” I ask.

“Enora and Osiris,” Ophelia answers for him.

He drops a kiss on her head. “Yes, little one.”

“I think we should tell Cadence and Sienna too.”

The fuck we will. “No, princess.” I growl a warning.

She untangles herself from his arms and steps into mine, and despite the raft of negative emotions still hurtling through my body, some of which are unfairly directed at her, I soften for her immediately. “They’re my friends, Axl, and I trust them.”

I bury my face in her hair, inhaling her comforting scent.

She plays you like a fiddle, you know that, right?Xavier says.

“I heard that, Xavier,” she huffs.

He laughs darkly. “I know, Cupcake.”

I glance over her head at Alexandros. No matter how pissed I am at him, I still seek his reassurance, and he offers it with a single nod. “I guess we tell them our girl’s an elementai then, huh?”

She melts into me, her body molding into the shape of mine like she’s a part of me. And I think she always has been a part of me—a part of us—and I have spent the last two hundred and forty-seven years simply waiting for her.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

ALEXANDROS

Osiris paces the room, and Enora regards me from her armchair. “Do you recall me asking you to look into the person responsible for Ophelia’s attendance at this institution, Osiris?”

He pauses his steps and nods. “And I found nothing. I used all my usual resources and couldn’t get anything more than what I gave you. Like I told you before, whoever was responsible hid their tracks expertly.”

“Nazeel Danraath admitted that it was she who was responsible for Ophelia coming here, but I believe there are others who wanted her at Montridge as well.”

His piercing eyes narrow. “But what does this have to do with Esme?”

“I believe it is all connected. The witch being killed here last week, Esme today, the poorly disguised attempt to frame me and then the Onyx vampires. All of it is linked to Ophelia.”

I feel Ophelia bristle beside me, but when I glance sideways at her, she has her shoulders rolled back, and she meets the suspicious gazes of both the wolf and the witch with a fiery determination that makes pride swell inside me. Such a fearsome creature, but nobody would ever suspect it.

“How? Why is everyone so interested in this girl, Alexandros? You, Nazeel Danraath?” Osiris takes a step toward her.

I growl a warning at him along with Axl, Xavier, and Malachi, which increases the tension in this small room one hundredfold.

“We are all on the same side here, aren’t we?” Ophelia says, her jaw tilted defiantly. “And I would also love to know why anyone would take an interest in me, Professor Brackenwolf.”

Her confident tone does something to soothe his anger. “You may call me Osiris.”

She offers him a single nod and a faint smile that has the possessive beast inside all three of my boys wanting to break free. I warn them to control their tempers and focus on my old friends. Two people at Montridge who are amongst those I trust most in this world. As much as I would prefer to keep Ophelia’s identity to myself, I meant what I said earlier—we need allies to help us ensure her safety.

“It’s a question that begs to be answered,” Osiris goes on. “Why are people being killed for this girl?”

An intense wave of guilt washes over her, so profound that she sways on her feet. I place a steadying hand on her arm. “Nobody is being killedforher.” The warning in my tone is abundantly clear, and Osiris doesn’t push further.

“Can’t we just ask this Nazeel woman why she wanted Ophelia to come here?” Axl asks. “If she’s interested in Ophelia, maybe she knows who else is.”

Enora shakes her head. “You cannot simply speak to a member of the Order. They are supposed to remain hidden away. Their identities are a closely guarded secret. At least they are supposed to be.”

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