Page 300 of Halfblood Deceived

Zeydan would have bought the confidence in Andreas’ voice if he hadn’t known the male so well. “We will,” he said, but he did believe it. He had to. The alternative was too harrowing to even consider it.

They would bring Aella back to where she truly belonged. Zeydan would bring her back home, even if that was the last thing he did.

Sebastian and Aylana came inside the hangar next, both clad in their lightweight black armor, too. Aylana looked better, the yellowish tint to her skin gone.

Sebastian clapped Zeydan’s shoulder in silent support.

Kamilla, Diana, Evan, and Mari came next. All of them were armed to the teeth and dressed in their black armor. The group exchanged a weighted but determined look. Then they got on the plane and took their seats.

The concrete ceiling parted with a low groaning sound. Kerian closed the hatch mere seconds before the engines roared to life. Within minutes, they were in the air.

Hold on, Aella; Zeydan mentally urged. I’m coming for you. We are coming for you. Hold on for me.

CHAPTER 59

Aella’s awareness returned, along with a splitting headache.

She coughed, tasting blood, but much less than before. Leaning her back against the wall, she sat up. Her chest and stomach still ached, but the pain was far from unmanageable. It was familiar, after all. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to control the dizziness. It helped, but not much.

Idly, she mentally listed her reasons for being dizzy: concussion, blood loss, dehydration, and hunger.

Her throat and stomach burned with hunger. And thirst. How many hours have passed since Claudia gave me water? How long have I been here? And when will Micah be back to finish what he started?

“You’ve been out for a few hours,” said a soft voice. “I think.”

Aella turned to find Aiko sitting in the same dark corner as before, but she was cross-legged, not hiding her face. She was thinner than Aella remembered. Much thinner. Her skin was unnaturally pale. It made the horrible purple-green bruises more noticeable.

They were starving her. Otherwise, she would have healed already. And the way they’d chopped off her hair… Aella was no stranger to having her hair forcefully cut. It could seem like a not-so-important thing, but it felt like a violation. She remembered all too well. Her eyes blurred with tears. She blinked them away.

Aiko lowered her sight and fidgeted with the fabric of her blood-stained hospital gown. “I used to wonder about time. I thought you were wondering.”

“I was,” Aella said. Her voice was rough.

Aiko bit her lip, meeting Aella’s gaze again. “How long?”

Aella knew what she meant. Her insides cramped up with pain. Goddess, she’d been comfortable and safe while Aiko suffered. She felt sick with guilt. The gargoyles hurt her, not me; she reminded herself, but it sounded hollow.

“Almost four months,” Aella answered. “They kidnapped me on November 7th. I don’t know how long it’s been since they brought me here.”

Aiko nodded, blue eyes full of heartbreaking mourning. “About half a day, if my inner clock is not broken.”

Aella gulped and nodded.

Her hopes of being found and rescued withered a bit more. Micah and Eli didn’t seem to have found the tracker in her arm. But would it even work considering she was underground, and the mansion was warded? Gargoyle magic could interfere with technology.

Against her better judgment, she imagined Zeydan, Diana, Kamilla, Aylana, and Sebastian racing to find her. She didn’t give a damn if that made her a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by a prince. She might not be a damsel, but she was in distress, and she needed to be rescued by her vampire duke.

Aella swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay and met Aiko’s gaze again. “What—there’s blood on your gown. Have they hurt you?”

Aiko’s eyes flared with a dizzying mix of rage, pain, and shame.

Stupid question; Aella scolded herself

“They’ve been harvesting my blood and bone marrow,” Aiko said, her voice so low it was barely audible.

Aella inhaled sharply. “What? Why?”

Aiko licked her chapped lips. “Because I’m part vampire, part gargoyle.”

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