Page 55

“Okay…”

“Tell them that if Adam intends Ella to be his third victim, they have to stop him.”

“And why would they want to do that? They don’t like your mate. If Adam killed her, it would make things all nice and tidy again.”

“If Adam kills her, Iwillreturn to Otherworld and to my full powers. I’ll demand vengeance for her death, as is my right as a bonded male.”

“Um, that’s not good, right?”

“It is for me. I’ve missed slaughter and bloodshed more than I thought I would. If my mate is involved, I strongly suspect my rage will have no bounds.”

“You mean, you’d kill your own family?”

“If I had to.” He paused for effect. “If I felt they had failed me.”

Rossa’s color faded. “I don’t think anyone can stop the sect from completing their games.”

“I’ve stopped them in the past.”

“But only a great personal cost!”

Vadim held Rossa’s silver gaze. “And I’ll do it again, but this time I’ll save my mate and take everyone who opposes her down with me. Tell them my terms.”

“And what if they won’t help?”

“If she is harmed, they’ll be dead. It’s quite simple.”

“You can’t?—”

“I can, Rossa. You know I can, and so do they.” He hesitated. “And if I’m killed, I’d appreciate it if you would look out for Ella.”

“You’re asking me?Frakk,cygnet, I’m probably going to get fried just for being your messenger.”

“But if you survive, you will protect her?”

He shrugged. “Sure, I like her.”

“Swear it.”

Rossa sighed and placed his hand flat over his heart. “I will keep the faith until the sky falls upon me, until the earth opens and swallows me and until the sea rises and covers me.”

Vadim nodded as relief swamped him. “Thank you. Now please go and deliver my message.”

With a wink and a flash of light, Rossa was gone. Vadim slowly let out his breath and stared at the rumpled counterpane where his cousin had been sitting. Would it be enough to save Ella? Adam had touched her to show Vadim that he could. Luckily for him, she hadn’t seen it as a threat, only as a near miss.

He got up and straightened the bed covers. Despite what he’d claimed, if the sect combined their powers again, they might have the strength to harm his mate. That was unacceptable. He hadn’t been making empty threats to his family. For the first time in his long existence he was willing to lay down his life. Would they understand that? Would they act?

There was nothing else he could do at the moment to stop the inevitable battle between him and the cult. It was his destiny, one he’d tried to avoid by running away.

Ella would survive. He would make damned sure of it. She was worth dying for. Now he just had to find a way to convince her of that too…

* * *

“So you’re okay about this.”

Ella studied her companion as he drove across the bridge toward the East Bay and the joys of her parents’ house in Walnut Creek.

“Are you deaf? I believe I’ve said that at least three times.”