Page 39 of Blue Embers
“Who...what was she? She wasn’t human, right? She seemed like a lot more, but Zephyre can’t--”
“She wasn’t Zephyre,” Saxon shook his head. His eyes darted toward Killian again. “Not fully, anyways.”
“I was afraid of that,” Killian groaned softly.
“What’s that mean?” I asked.
“It means Zephyre are breeding with humans and may very well have been doing it for a long time without us knowing.”
“The woman was a half-blood,” Saxon explained to me. “Strong, but inexperienced. She read your sister before she died. In turn, I read her beforeshedied.”
“Before you killed her,” I corrected.
I wasn’t bitter about it. In fact, I hoped Saxon felt my appreciation when I said it. I wanted the bitch dead. I was grateful to have seen him snap her neck.
“So?” Killian said. “What did you find out?”
Saxon took a long, deep breath, raising his chin. “I know who marked Artemis,” he said, a deep sorrow pulling at his words. “And I know why he never came back for her.”
I froze, anxious to hear the reasoning. Killian watched Saxon just as intently, the two of us waiting to know like we thought it would change the world.
“The Draak who marked her,” Saxon continued, “was Valerio Tempest.”
17
Persephone
. . .
I was certain I didn’t hear Saxon right when I heard that name. I knew about the Tempest brothers, Draven and Valerio. Two Ash Bringers from the old world. Twins. Powerful Draak with powerful reputations. To hear that Valerio was the one who had marked my sister all those years ago was like a punch to my chest. Glancing at Killian, I could see the news had a similar effect on him, but he was doing far better when it came to masking his surprise.
I started to laugh and stopped myself, unsure what the hell I was supposed to do with that information. My eyes wandered around the room at the three men, looking for someone to tell me it was a joke, but no one would humor me. The smile dropped from my lips and I felt myself starting to plummet into a sea of new questions.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I said.
“You’re sure about this?” Killian asked calmly.
Saxon nodded. “Valerio acquired it from Diar Bloodborn after the war. It’s why the pendant ensured the safety of Persephone and her sister when they went to Ansdale. Diar’s son, Fenris, must have known Valerio had it. He would have seen the pendant and known who the order was coming from.”
“And what about him and Artemis?” I pressed.
“I saw everything like I was there the day it happened. Your sister’s memories of it were strong. He marked her to save her and the baby inside her.”
“She tried to get it aborted,” I nodded, a swelling in my throat making my voice crack. “She almost died.”
“Valerio’s mark saved her and,” he exhaled, “it saved the child. She had the baby and gave it to a woman named Talia Price, who took it north to the edge of the sectors. Or at least that was the last thing Artemis knew. She admitted to herself that she would never be able to see it the way a mother should a child because of how it was conceived.”
Thinking about the pain and abuse my sister had withheld from me made me pace with discomfort.
“The child may have inherited traits that could put it in danger,” Killian said.
I stopped, turning with concern. “What do you mean?” I asked.
“Valerio’s mark saved your sister and the baby from near death,” Killian explained. “On rare occasions, children born from similar situations are born with Draak characteristics. If that woman from the hospital was willing to end your sister’s life after reading her memories, then we have to assume she was after the child.”
“Why? Why would she want the kid?”
“Because many times, one of the traits children like that inherit, are memories,” Saxon said. “The child would have a strong connection to Valerio. His thoughts and his memories would most likely have been passed to it, even if the child doesn’t know it. Most times, the memories are stored deep in the subconscious, accessible to strong telepaths like the Zephyre.”
