A curse echoed from the outer tunnel, and... “Where the hell did that come from? It bit me!”
Talakai snorted.
Critters recruited—I closed my eyes and reached, just as I did when I was contacting Cara. I cast myself outward, poking and prodding.
The castle was full of life essences. I sensed interest from many I touched, but when I drifted away, they didn’t pursue. And then, I ran into something whose first reaction was to shove back, and hard.
I let the powerful energy flood through me, assessing. Shock reverberated through it, and it surged toward me, reaching for me. After a moment, another probed at me. Something clearly feminine.
Isobel.Talakai was with me in my head, and the name was snarled through it.The other must be Galeran.
Lucas’s beast swayed uneasily from one foot to another. “Is he cooming?”
“Yes, both are,” I affirmed, pulling back. On the way, I encouraged the castle critters along for the ride. The canines who had followed us into the tunnels had acquired friends, although they were currently snarling at each other a few hundred feet away from us.
Males were all alike.
“Geez, what the hell is that?” Lucas was eyeing something with six legs and a body the size of his hand, currently crawling up the wall.
“No idea,” I confessed. “But the more the merrier.” The questing energies were coming closer. “Target is almost here.”
Far from assessing or being curious, Galeran reached for me as though he wanted to claim me. I fought to not cringe away—his energy flared wildly, and it was tinged with something that curdled my blood.
Considering what he’s been up to, I have no doubt it is corrupted,Talakai stated.
I swallowed, and stood a little straighter. This man was my father. His blood ran through my veins. I was the daughter of a Bellati and a princess. He might be a monster, but be damned if I’d let myself be afraid of him.
A surge of admiration and approval came down the link from my Dragon. I glanced his way. He was a master of portraying lethal calm to the external world, but his mind was also clear. He was ready.
Trix growled from the doorway of the back room just before six Bellatis came through the entrance. My mind buzzed with their chaotic energy. Then I forgot them as Isobel entered.
Her gaze flickered over Lucas and Talakai before settling on me, and widening. Galeran entered last, and his gaze never wavered from me. His life essence wrapped around mine, and my beast coiled within me, sensing the threat within it.
I held it back, and sent to Matt,Call them in, Toothless.
Roger, Angel.His mindvoice was breathless.
Then I matched Galeran’s gaze, and said, “Hello, Daddy.”
* * *
I had minutes, no more. My message to Matt had set the dominoes in motion.
But my goal wasn’t just to stop Galeran from escaping. I was going to stop him. Period. Isobel would be a bonus.
The Bellati, who considered himself a god, glared at me and then revealed something which, until this moment, had only been a suspicion.
“You’re supposed to be dead.”
My eyes flicked to Isobel, and away again. “I don’t die easily.”
He snorted a laugh. “Seems like we have something in common.” He stepped closer. “You don’t look much like your mother. More like my side of the family. Your brother inherited the other genes.”
Nikolai was pure Liberi. What other genes was he referring to?
Galeran seemed fascinated by me. He flicked an insect off his hand, and said, “You’ve got similar powers, although insects should be beneath you.” He took a step toward me. “Why don’t you join him, and us? Your talents are wasted on these people.”
I had no idea what he was babbling about. Keeping Galeran talking, however, was buying us time. The power of telepathic communication went from Matt to Maddy, continuing with Wyatt back at the wagon. And from him, to a certain reddish-skinned ogress...
