Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
We can leave this place, Siv. I am with you no matter what happens around us.
She needed to be less impetuous and consider what her lifemate needed rather than jump into something because of what she wanted. Part of her had wanted to postpone any serious conversations. She thought the two of them would enjoy the company. She liked Dimitri, and she did want to meet the legendary Skyler, who seemed to be able to connect with the earth as well as any Lycan—maybe better.
That brought her up short. Skyler did connect with Mother Earth. What of the others? She thought Afanasiv did because of her. Because of the Lycan in her. What if it was his Dragonseeker blood? Dragons sought caves and gems, things of the earth. They burrowed in tunnels beneath the ground.
Not in here, beloved. We will talk when we are alone.
That startled her, but she didn’t make the mistake of looking at Afanasiv. He might be struggling with something dark in his past, but he wasn’t running, and neither would she. He didn’t intend to shut her out, either.
“The name Belan is unique in the world of Carpathians, not one I have heard,” Razvan stated. “How did you come to use this name?”
It was a question that, on the surface, seemed only curious. Given that Afanasiv was Dragonseeker and didn’t acknowledge to anyone that he was, the question seemed ominous.
Afanasiv shrugged his wide shoulders as if it didn’t bother him one way or the other to provide the information. “In the old days, it was necessary to provide a new name every so many years as we moved around. There was a human family who did me a great service at much cost to themselves. Out of respect for them, I took their name when I had need to shed my own. It just so happened that I moved often after that, and there was no need to continually make new identities. I remain Afanasiv Belan.”
Vasilisa didn’t look up to see his expression. She knew what he would look like. That lazy, almost bored expression he could get. Dismissive, as if the subject was a little on the ridiculous side.
“But you are Dragonseeker.” Ivory made the statement as fact.
There was instant silence in the room. Dimitri looked up, snapping his head around to face Afanasiv. Petru and Benedek lost their masks of indifference, giving way to shock. Nicu simply nodded as if he had suspected—or known all along. Fen and the female Dragonseekers went quiet, each studying Afanasiv much more closely.
“I am,” Afanasiv admitted.
Vasilisa let her breath out. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding it until that moment. Now her lungs felt raw and burning, aching with the need for air. Aching for him, Afanasiv. Beloved. Let us leave this place. Again, she tried to tell him she would go anywhere with him. She didn’t need to be in the good graces of everyone. She needed to stay long enough to ensure that her people were safe from the government agents and that she had sealed the portals so the demons remained in the underworld.
It is too late.
“Your eyes and coloring give you away,” Razvan said.
Ivory shook her head. “It is your absolute stillness. I find it unsettling that so many Dragonseekers are in one place. That cannot be a coincidence.”
“My woman just said the same thing to me, voicing her concern.” Afanasiv offered nothing else. He simply sat there, waiting for the others to draw their conclusions. Idly, he began to thread his fingers through hers and then bring her hand to his chest, press her open palm over his heart so she heard the combined music of their heartbeats.
Vasilisa found herself uncomfortable with the way Ivory and Razvan continued to study Afanasiv. It wasn’t as if they were rude and just stared at him. It was more as if when they did look at him, they could strip away every shield and see inside where he had memories he hadn’t yet dealt with. She felt so protective of her lifemate, she wanted to stand in front of him and be his shield.
They try, but they cannot, he assured her. Thank you for caring, my lady.
“You are Dragonseeker?” Dimitri asked. “In all the time I have known you, Siv, you never mentioned this to me.”
“I do not speak of it,” Afanasiv admitted. “Dragonseeker is a revered name and one that is often spoken aloud with awe and respect. I do not deserve those accolades. I have not earned them. Perhaps, if I do, I will change my mind and use the name I was given at birth.”
Razvan frowned over his steepled fingers. “I do not recall ever hearing that you dishonored the name of Dragonseeker. I, on the other hand, have often been accused of doing so. Dragonseeker is a lineage. It is a birthright. The blood runs in your veins. You cannot falsely claim it.”