Page 186 of Halfblood Deceived

After calling Aroth to help the weakened demon, Kam dragged Idira to the court, kicking and screaming. She had been condemned to death for kidnapping, torture, and attempted murder after her confession. Idira was planning to kill a half-demon female for allegedly stealing her boyfriend from her. She wasn’t strong enough to do it with her natural power, so she’d kidnapped the demon and siphoned him to strengthen herself.

Andreas had also tracked down a vampire who had connections with Aella’s witch attacker. The vampire was not involved with the witch’s alleged plans to eradicate gargoyles and demons, but he was far from innocent. They had found a young half-fey in the fucker’s cellar. He had abducted her and turned her into his blood slave.

Crime of such caliber was not common in Darkwood. Kamilla had been beyond appalled. So much so that she’d been close to breaking her own rules and killing the vampire bastard herself. She’d held back in time, but allowed Andreas to crack the psychopath’s bones one by one before dragging him to the court to be tried.

Despite the dead ends in their main investigation, Zeydan was more than glad they had caught two psychopaths. Glad and worried.

Justice in Darkwood was swift and brutal, but it seemed certain people had taken it as a challenge. Kamilla suspected that some were getting off on committing such crimes right under her and Kerian’s noses, and Zeydan thought she was right.

His neck tingled, warning him of someone approaching.

Zeydan didn’t bother turning, knowing who it was. His senses were fully attuned to all the members of his family, but Gabby’s life force was always the most familiar to him. Partly because they’d been friends for decades. And partly because they’d exchanged blood too many times to count in too many situations. Some pleasant, some not.

His oldest friend leaned her back against the railing to better probe him with her too-knowing blue eyes. “You look like crap.”

Zeydan huffed. “Tell me what you really think, Gabby.”

Gabby hummed, rubbing her belly. She looked stunning as ever in a long blue dress that matched the color of her eyes and slippers. Her curls waved in the chilly wind. “Are you sure you are ready for that?”

Zeydan swallowed down a groan, sighing instead, and bracing himself for a speech. “Let’s hear it then.” It was best to rip off the metaphorical band-aid.

“You are overworking yourself,” Gabby started. “The dark circles under your eyes are getting worse instead of disappearing.” She tilted her head. “Are you having nightmares again?”

“No,” Zeydan lied. Gabby arched a brow. “Fine, yes. But I can handle them. They’re nowhere near as bad as they used to be.”

He didn’t need to specify. Gabby had been there to wake him up from the nightmares he’d had for years after leaving Ju-long’s court. Just as he’d been there for her. They were each other’s anchors to reality for a long time.

“You should ask Mari for a potion,” Gabby advised.

Zeydan nodded. “I will.”

Gabby leaned her elbows on the railing, arching her neck to look at the arresting view of the starry sky. “And you also need to find a blood host.”

Zeydan wrinkled his nose.

Gabby sighed and pinned him with one of her signature stern mother-hen looks. “You have been avoiding it for months now, Zeydan. It’s dangerous, and you know it. Especially considering all the blood you lost healing Andreas after the fight with the gargoyles. You don’t want to become so hungry that you lose control, do you?”

His stomach twisted as old memories agitated in the back of his mind.

He could smell the frozen earth and snow in his cell. He felt the chains around his wrists and tasted the blood of the young girl his father had tossed in there with him.

His forehead throbbed. She survived, he reminded himself. I stopped in time. I turned her. She’s safe. But knowing that would never assuage his guilt.

He blinked, bringing reality back to the present. “I’ll find a host soon.”

“I’d volunteer, but…” Gabby smiled as she drummed her fingers against her belly.

Zeydan smiled. Gabby’s happiness wrapped around him like a warm blanket, chasing away the cold horror of his memories. “The little bugger needs her mum at full strength.”

Gabby swatted his arm. “Don’t call her little bugger.”

“And Lex is tolerant of our friendship, but I think we’d be crossing the line if you fed me,” Zeydan said, doing his best to keep a serious, worried facade. “I don’t want to overstep another male’s territory.”

“Territory?!” Gabby spluttered. The look of sheer outrage on her face was priceless. She hit him again, harder this time. “I can do whatever I want with my blood, you arse! And Alexander has no right to begrudge our relationship. It was one of the many conditions he agreed to when we got together—” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You are messing with me, aren’t you?”

“No, I’ve suddenly become a very traditionalist male,” he bluffed with his best poker face. “In fact, I think it’s best if we never spend time together unless your mate supervises us. And no more hugs, Gabrielle.”

Gabby shoved at his shoulder. “You tosser.”

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