Page 21 of Wicked Savior
She gives me a speculative look. “Maybe there’s a tie between you and Druids that you aren’t aware of… did you reproduce during your time with the humans?”
Words escape me for a second, and I simply stare at her. Laughter bursts out of me. “I can assure you, I don’t have any bastard children who went on to give birth to Druids. My children weren’t born until a few hundred years later.”
Interest flashes across her face and she opens her mouth to speak.
I hold up a hand to stop her. “My daughter was a witch and human, like my wife. My son… his birth created a new race—vampires. Although he’s still one-of-a-kind compared to the others.” None of the others have magnificent wings, nor can they heal. Attributes from me and his mother. If anything, her interest seems stronger. “No, you may not have his blood or DNA or anything to study. Keep to your Druids.”
She blinks. “Your wife?”
“Both she and my daughter passed several centuries back,” I state, my voice gruff with emotions. The fact that we’re talking about all of this here makes it worse. “We should get going. Find a more permanent place to hide you.”
Without a word, she walks off in the direction of the cottage.
I grab her arm and pull her around to face me. “You can’t go in there.”
A knowing look shines from her eyes. “This was your home, wasn’t it?”
Unable to voice the words, I nod.
She looks around with new eyes. “It’s a bubble, isn’t it? Protected and hidden from the world. A place for her to live, because she… they couldn’t stay with you in the Underworld.” She turns in a full circle, taking it all in with a breathtaking smile on her face. “It’s beautiful and peaceful. A true utopia. Thank you for bringing me here when I’m sure it’s the last thing you wanted to do.”
It was literally the last thing I wanted to do. This place rocks me to my core, bombarding me with sharp memories, good and bad, but I’m thankful to have them. At least the happy memories ease the devastation of Danica’s death. I squint. It didn’t hit as hard today, though. Maybe, after fifteen hundred years, the pain is dulling.
My eyes trace the delicate features of the beautiful woman beside me. They’re perfect, but in some way, they almost seem too delicate for her personality. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known, man or woman. Analytical and strong minded. Impatient and dismissive. The constructs of polite chitchat and flirting seem to be beyond her understanding. She hides her emotions well, except when she’s talking about work. Then she becomes a passionate warrior, battling even the great Gabriel for what she thinks is right.
“There’s one other place I can take you. Supernaturals of all races are accepted and protected there. Not all of them like humans, but they wouldn’t jeopardize their sanctuary to try to kill you.” I stumble a bit trying to explain The Abbey without giving too much away. “But it’s also where my son and his family lives, and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.” I’m reluctant to introduce her until I know who she is and if she’s safe for my family.
The hurt in her eyes tells me she caught the underlying meaning, and she takes a small step back.
“Thank you for the offer, but I can’t accept. I need to return to my lab and finish my experiments,” she says stiffly, with a negative shake of her head. “Besides, I’ll be fine. I think Gabriel knows I can kill him. That will be enough of a deterrent for now. If it isn’t, I’ll figure out another solution. I’ve been on my own for a long, long time.”
The thought of her being alone makes me scowl. “Nice try. You’re not getting rid of me, nor am I abandoning you. Gabriel’s dangerous. You’re under my protection and will remain so until I decide differently.”
ChapterTwelve
LUCIFER
She converted an old sewing machine factory on the north side of the city into her lab. But instead of the dirty, abandoned building I expected, it’s pristine, not a speck of dirt anywhere, and filled with stainless steel counters and state-of-the-art equipment. Moments after we arrive, a sea of humans appear in the yard, wearing confused looks on their faces, as if they’re waiting for something but not sure what or even how they got here.
Evren immediately grabs a white coat off the hook and rushes outside to organize them into two lines.
Following, I lean down to whisper in her ear. “What are they doing here?” The delicious smell I’m quickly becoming addicted to drifts up to me.
She bites the inside of her cheek and turns to regard me with a speculative look. The same one I’m getting used to seeing on her face when she has something to say and isn’t sure if I’m going to like it. I cross my arms and wait.
“Some are here to give blood, and some are here to receive it,” she replies nervously with a wave of her hand at the two lines. “Can you make yourself useful or leave? You’re making them nervous.”
Ordering me around again. Does she not realize who I am? I look at her incredulously, but when I see worried eyes continuously dart in my direction, I sigh and step to the corner of the room to watch.
Evren grabs a nearby cart filled with medical supplies and waves the first line of individuals into the building. She motions for the group to file into each of the chairs along the wall and instructs them to roll up their sleeves and prop their elbows on the small table in front of them.
With a speed that tells me she’s done this many times, she quickly moves from one to the next, filling her vials with their blood. Once the vials are full, she motions for five people to leave. I notice they’re all women and children. She reclines the remaining men and sets up a bag to extract more blood from them, then heads outside.
Her eyes dart to mine to see if I’m still here. When she sees me watching, she immediately turns to focus on something else.
With a clipboard in hand, she walks to each person in line and asks them how long they’ve been given to live. She explains that the experiment is in the early stages and may not prolong their life. It could shorten it if their bodies react negatively to the medicine. A few stomp off in anger, along with a couple more who look resigned to dying, clearly unwilling to take the chance she’s offering.
Five people remain. A woman and child, a young man in his twenties, a middle-aged woman, and an elderly man.
