Page 64 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Must be a male thing to interrupt,” she mutters. A male sniggers.

“Who is with you?”

“Zee.”

“Did you find anything else out?” Zac barks, glaring daggers at the phone like he can send his stare through the screen.

“Wonderful, now it’s a party,” she grinds out before sighing. “Yes, but let me finish speaking, if you don’t mind.” The phone goes silent. “She had a heart attack, and there was bruising on the left side of her abdomen. Despite there being no wounds, the heart itself has been branded with symbols. We think it’s the same language as the ones on her wrist.” After several beats of silence, she chuckles, a warm sound that makes me want to smile—I resist. “Okay, you can speak now.”

“Did you get pictures of the brands?” I enquire.

“Sending them now.” Jed’s phone signals a message being delivered. He opens the image, and we lean over the phone, wearing identical frowns of concern.

I initiate the mental link with Jed and Zac.“Khalkaroth.”

“He’s playing games with us,”Zac says.

“Which he’s dragged her in the middle of,”Jed inserts, his smile now faded.

I rub my temple.“Get these to Nathan for proper translation and watch Natia carefully. If Khalkaroth makes contact, I want to know immediately.”

A huge, impatient sigh echoes down the phone before she speaks. “Do you know what it means?”

Jed answers, his normal playfulness absent, “It’s a further warning. We need time to fully decipher it.”

There is a beat of silence, followed by a slightly higher-pitched Natia. “You could instantly decipher the symbols on the wrist. Why not this one?”

“It is more complicated,” I explain truthfully. “There is more than one meaning.”

“Need I remind you of our agreement to share all information?” she snaps.

I stiffen as ice coats my voice. “No. I am a man of my word.”

A slight tapping indicates she’s drumming her fingers, whilst the lowwhooshsuggests she’s in a car. “Do you know who killed Mary?”

“Khalkaroth.”

“How can you be sure?”

“The brands on her heart are the work of a powerful shadow demon. I only know of three that could do this. One is in Lucifer’s bad books and so is currently on lockdown in hell, the other is too old to care, and the last is Khalkaroth.”

“You seem to have in depth knowledge of the occupants of hell.”

I chuckle. “It’s my business to know the whereabouts of powerful beings.”

“Neighbors from hell? Literally?” she jokes. Jed snorts. “Smoothie, we’ll be leaving for the island at two o’clock.”

His wide grin returns as he rubs his hands together. “Great, I’m ready for a bit of action.”

The room falls silent; I glance at the phone to see if she’s still on the line—she is. Jed shrugs whilst Zac crosses his arms.

Finally, she speaks. “Archan, about tonight—”

I sigh. Another human who breaks promises. “You agreed, Natia, and you said you keep your promises.”

She huffs. “Stop interrupting and guessing what I’m going to say. About tonight—I don’t want to discuss last night at all. If you have anything to say, do it now.”

My features blank—I misjudged her. She’s not trying to back out despite knowing how much danger she’ll be in being alone with me; not her life, but most assuredly her virtue. Duncan’s accusation of my lazy seduction sits like a lead balloon in my stomach. He’s unquestionably correct; she deserves someone who will make an effort. “I said everything I needed to last night,” I reply.

---