Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Only then was Safia free to move. Her breath left her lungs in a rush of fear when she saw Petru’s mangled chest. The injury was horrendous, although he appeared stoic. She couldn’t believe he had burned the insects and demon to ashes before he had gone to the couch to allow Mataias to heal him.
She had accused Petru of arrogance. At the time, she’d been half joking, but now she was terribly ashamed and embarrassed that she was the one who had been arrogant. She had believed she could incapacitate or at least constrain Lilith and drive her back to the underworld for a time.
Had she been showing off? She feared she had been. She wanted Petru to see her as a full partner. All this time, he’d been allowing her to be herself, to be the defender, but she’d been in his mind, and he was that man. The one they sang about. She might joke about it, but that song was the truth. He had turned the tide of the war and saved her people, his people, and continued to hunt evil for the next two thousand years.
She knew she couldn’t measure up against his experience or the things he was capable of doing. Shifting. Soaring through the sky. Going invisible. Healing from the inside. Repairing wounds at such a rapid rate of speed. Just the way he could acquire information and absorb it so quickly was a miracle. No matter what she did, she had no hope of catching up with him and his skills.
Safia hadn’t expected to like Petru so much, let alone be so attracted to him. She had no idea she would care so much about his opinion of her. If she’d thought things through, she would have made better choices, but she was too busy showing off. She knew she was good at her job, but she would never match his skills.
Mataias was suddenly back in his body, and Nicu casually offered his wrist. Benedek provided blood to Petru while Safia stood alone, her arms wrapped around her middle, hugging herself, feeling like a total failure in every possible way. That didn’t mean she would stay a failure forever. That wasn’t her way. This just made her more determined to overcome her flaws and be a better partner for Petru.
Safia, come to me.
That brush of velvet heat stroked inside her mind. So gentle. Almost loving. The sound and feel sent shivers of awareness down her spine. He could do that so easily—make her so acutely centered on him, every nerve ending springing to life and focusing wholly on him.
His gaze burned over her. Into her. Intent. All-encompassing in that way he had. She couldn’t look at him. She was too ashamed that she’d almost gotten him killed through ego. Pride. She had to process that flaw that she hadn’t been aware she had. It was a huge one.
Don’t forgive me yet, Petru. I haven’t begun to forgive myself. Perhaps when I know how to heal you properly, I’ll be able to look at you again, but right now, I just can’t.
Because she had to make certain he was going to live, she slipped deeper into his mind and did a thorough examination of the terrible wound. It was astonishing to her how much healing had already taken place from the work Mataias had done using his spirit and then more healing from the ancient blood given to him by Benedek.
This was not a request given lightly. I have need of my lifemate to come to me.
Was there an edge to his voice? She doubted it. She flicked a quick look at him, although after she did, she had to acknowledge there was little use in doing so. Petru gave little away in his stony expression.
“Benedek,” she dared, once more looking away from Petru. “What will it take to heal Petru completely? I know so little about your culture.”
There was no hesitation. “Soil and salvia should be packed into the wounds, and he should go to ground. Before he does, it would be good to give him more blood. It would be best if he stayed in the ground for a couple of days to ensure he is completely healed. Lilith will not wait long to retaliate.”
Safia couldn’t help wincing at the mention of her enemy’s name. She’d never believed she could kill Lilith, but she did think she could lock her in the ground. She knew she was very, very lucky she wasn’t dead or, worse, that Petru wasn’t.
Sívamet. I have need of you to come to me. If you do not, I will come to you, and the others will see how weak I am. I will no longer be called Kuŋe kont ku votjak and sung in songs around campfires or told in tall tales for wide-eyed children. Instead, I will be known as Hän ku oma és gyenge.