Page 30 of Prodigal Son

The bishop was well over five centuries old and possessed gifts far beyond Cain’s comprehension. Silus was a privileged windbag now buried somewhere only he and the bishop knew how to find.

In a million years, he wouldn’t have paired his sister with a male like Bishop Eleazar King, especially after the abuse she suffered at Silus’s hand, but God had chosen well for her. For all the bishop’s older ways, he seemed eager to please his sister’s young heart.

Larissa glanced at the mortal sleeping on the bed. Cain’s nose wrinkled as Destiny breathed out an unladylike snore.

“What do you plan to do with her?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. She’s sick or something. I took a lot of her blood, probably more than I should have. She’s impossible to control.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ve no idea how she does it, but every time I push into her mind, she somehow kicks me out. I can’t compel her.”

“Then how did you feed?”

“She was delirious with fever. I took what I needed while she slept, careful never to take too much.”

“You’re sure she didn’t know?”

“I can only hope. Like I said, I can’t compel her. It’s like she has me blocked.”

“It’s not as uncommon as you may think. I can block Eleazar, and he’s much older than I am.”

“Honestly?” That surprised him, being that Eleazar had incredible power. “Well, nevertheless, you’re immortal. She’s nothing but a weak little human.”

“She’s pretty.”

“She’s a nuisance. As soon as she’s awake and well, her mind needs purifying. That’s the only reason I brought her here. One of The Elders will have to attempt it. After that, I care not what becomes of her.”

Larissa gave him a skeptical glance. “Are you sure?”

“Trust me, the sooner I’m rid of her the better.” If anyone realized Destiny had been the one to shoot him, thereby causing Annalise such trauma and pain, there would be no protecting her. “She’s someone else’s problem, not mine.”

CHAPTER 10

Destiny’s mind stirred before she found the will to open her eyes. Sometimes bed was just good. There was nothing like a deep sleep. She tried to remember what day it was, but couldn’t find a mental footprint that told her if it was a lazy Saturday or a workday. First on the agenda…coffee.

Languidly extending her legs under the covers, she groaned happily then stiffened mid-stretch. Her eyes opened wide and she stilled. Not her bed.

Jackknifing upright, she gasped and gathered the blankets to her chest. Boobs everywhere! Where the fuck were her clothes? Where the hell was she?

Her heart hammered wildly. Unfamiliar pale mint-colored walls surrounded her, accented by antique furniture. A pitcher sat within a porcelain bowl on the plain bureau. The large rustic bed looked hand crafted, as did the quilt covering her naked body.

Seriously, where were her clothes?

Wrapping the quilt around her like a toga, she slipped off the bed and went to the window. “What the hell…”

Beyond the plain green curtain, a cool draft seeped through the old marble glass of a paned window. Fields of brown and green shaped patchwork strips of land over the rolling hills as far as the eye could see. No sign of familiar civilization anywhere—just colonial style homes with tall chimneys and split rail fences and barns.

The trotting footfalls of a nearby horse had her searching for roads, but only a few dirt paths wove through the land. No pavement. No cars. No people.

Last she recalled, she was being forced to hike through the freezing woods for miles. Her hand went to her back, but she couldn’t reach or see where she’d been injured. She searched the room for a mirror, but didn’t find one. Her back actually felt better. How was that possible?

She remembered stumbling through the woods and fighting with that jerk—where was he?

“Oh, my God?” She looked at the wood paneled door, her fingers covering her mouth.

Did he dump her here? Abandon her? Was this his house? It didn’t look like a house a guy his age would own. Maybe they were at a primitive old Airbnb.

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