Page 43 of Savage Sacrifice (The Savage Six #4)

BLAZE

L incoln is the last through the basement door, closing it behind him as we all look to one another for answers and direction.

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay down there on his own?

” Polaris asks, worrying her bottom lip.

I can see her pain, feel it deep in my bones, but standing here and cuddling her over it isn’t going to solve the situation.

She needs action. She needs all of this shit fixed, and that’s what I’m here to do.

“He’s not on his own, Beatrice is with him,” Minnie reminds her, linking her arm through Polaris’s as she rests her head on her shoulder, offering her the comfort I can’t.

“Is she going to be okay with him?” Polaris questions, aiming it directly at me, and I cock a brow at her.

“I thought you said he wasn’t dangerous?”

“To me? No. To someone else? I don’t know,” she answers honestly, and I try my best to plaster a reassuring smile on my face.

“I get all of my sass from my mother and all of my humor from my father. She can handle him.”

“You have humor?” Minnie blurts, jaw slack as her eyes twinkle with amusement, and I glare at her.

“Ha ha,” I gripe, and she unlinks her arm from Polaris’s and bounces on the balls of her feet.

“No, but for real, I’ve never seen it.” The truth is in her eyes, but I simply shrug.

“Maybe because I’m not comfortable enough to let my guard down with you,” I retort, and her lips pinch as her eyebrows gather, searching for something to snap back with, but nothing seems to come to mind.

“I haven’t seen your humor either,” Polaris whispers, rubbing her lips together nervously, and I smirk. Cutting the two steps between us, I tap her chin up, forcing her to look me in the eyes as I tower over her.

“If you haven’t, you weren’t paying close enough attention,” I mutter with a wink before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“This is all cute and everything, but we need to move,” Lincoln grunts, breaking the moment and reminding me what we are supposed to be doing.

Nodding, I drape my arm over Polaris’s shoulders in a meager attempt at comfort as I address the rest of the group.

“I think Wylder needs to track Sian, if that’s where The Crow said to begin.

Polaris needs to look for Bryony instead because she already knows Polaris is on campus.

I don’t think alerting her to Sian is going to work in our favor.

Other than that, we can split up however we feel is going to be most effective. ”

“That’s a good point,” Wylder states, scrubbing the back of his head. “Want to team up, blood-sucker? I feel like a vampire might be able to help find another vampire.”

I ignore his colorful choice of nickname for me, which seems to be a running joke at this stage, and nod. “I’m in. Minnie, are you with us? A girl's touch might help.”

“Might help what?” she asks, and I shrug.

“I don’t know, but I’d rather be over prepared than not,” I answer, and she nods.

“So we will hunt for Bryony with Polaris then,” Tatum offers, waving a hand between him and Lincoln, who nods in agreement.

Wylder takes a moment to pepper Polaris with kisses before he steps toward me, Minnie right along with him, and with one final salute, we’re out of there. I already have an idea in mind, and I would rather go with my gut first than turn every stone just for the sake of it.

Minnie and Wylder quickly seem to catch on when I carry on down the path instead of turning into the vampire dorms.

“Where are we going?” Minnie asks, and I nod toward the central area.

“She’s been obsessed with Terence. Let’s start there,” I offer, and she hums her agreement.

The three of us make it most of the way in silence, but just as we’re about to enter the academy building, where students are now gathered in groups, confirming the start to today’s classes, Minnie clears her throat.

“How did your mother help Polaris get here?”

My eyebrows furrow in confusion at first as I peer at her, unsure what she’s referring to, but then it dawns on me.

“Oh, they own the grounds the academy is built on. They can travel here at any time, bringing whoever they please with them, but it doesn’t work the other way around, which is why it was easier to bring Polaris here,” I explain, making Minnie’s eyes widen even more.

“How do they own the land?”

I shrug. “I think it’s something to do with territorial gains through family generations.

An agreement was signed to allow the academy to exist out here, shielded by magic and free for the wolves to roam.

Like a win-win for everyone,” I offer, certain it doesn’t make sense, since it doesn’t to my own ears, but it seems to satisfy her curiosity as the medical center comes into view.

A familiar screeching registers in my ears before I even open the double doors, and the second I do, the girl we’re looking for comes into view, just as I anticipated.

“Just let me see him, please. I love him. You can’t keep doing this to me,” Sian pleads, swiping at crocodile tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry, Miss, as I’ve told you before, you don’t have access to him at this time. If you want to see him, you’re going to have to speak to his guardian to get access granted.”

“That’s bullshit,” Sian snaps, hands balled into fists at her sides as she glowers at the nurse. “I need?—”

“I’m sorry, there is nothing further I can assist you with at this time,” the nurse interjects before slipping through the door behind her, letting it fall with a heavy thud in Sian’s face.

The three of us remain silent, watching as she slaps her hands over her face, hiding from the world as she tries to contain the apparent rage consuming her.

It’s odd if you ask me, but I don’t get a chance to assess the situation any further before she spins in our direction, a glare immediately consuming her face.

“You,” she snaps, aiming a finger at me, and I fight back the eye roll threatening to break free at her outburst.

“Sian,” I breathe, already irritated by her presence.

“I want to see him,” she insists, and I shrug.

“Good luck with that.”

“Let me see him, Blaze. Let me see him right now!”

“I can’t?—”

“I know you’re listed as his guardian. Stop being an asshole and let me see him,” she insists, and I tilt my head, inspecting her.

“Why are you so obsessed with him?” I ask, and she shakes her head in disbelief.

“I love him.”

“Since when? Since you got here, and what?” I push, acutely aware of the fact that he was interested in Polaris back at Florentine’s, and she was wrapped up in Ben, so it doesn’t make sense.

The only dots I’ve connected are that they arrived here together and were both confirmed as vampires, but still, does that elicit this kind of need?

“Since… forever,” she affirms, and I roll my eyes, unable to control it this time.

“That’s a lie.”

“No it’s not,” she maintains, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Regardless, if you’re not going to let me see him?—”

“Let her see him,” Minnie breathes from beside me, cutting through Sian’s tirade, and I cut to the wolf in question with a glare etched across my face.

“I don’t need to pander to her. Wylder just needs her to come with us, and?—”

“Come with you where?” Sian interrupts, and I sigh.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I think it does,” she protests, and I half consider grabbing her and running now so I don’t have to deal with this shit, but the look in Minnie’s eyes tells me she thinks she’s onto something.

I offer her a single nod, earning a slight grin before she turns her attention to Sian. “He’ll take you to Terence if you come with us… willingly.”

“Deal.”

It takes everything in me to control my reaction. Is it as simple as that?

I consider questioning it, but Wylder pats me on the back, kicking me into gear, and I head for the double doors. They open effortlessly at my touch, and the others follow after me, entering the quiet hallway with medical rooms lining each side.

The window I want comes into view a moment later and I draw to a stop in front of it, waiting for the others to do the same.

“Oh my God, what’s wrong with him? You have to help him,” Sian insists, planting her hands on the glass as her breaths come in short, sharp pants.

“I am,” I state with a shrug, and she turns to me with a frown curling her lips downward.

“How? He’s… he’s just lying there.”

“On a ventilator,” I add, pointing to the machines, but that doesn’t seem to ease the growing tension rippling from her.

“He’s barely alive,” she bites, and I cock a brow at her.

“He’s not dead either. You’re welcome.”

Her nostrils flare as her hands turn to fists against the glass, and I spy a pink hue creeping up her neck and across her face, confirming her blood pressure is rising.

“This is because of her, isn’t it?”

“Who?” Wylder asks, arms folded over his chest as he watches the vampire before us continue to spiral.

“Polaris,” she bites, baring her teeth at me as her eyes glisten with rage. “You’re hurting him because of her,” she reiterates, and I sigh, waving her off.

“I’m not hurting him, remember? Preferably, to me, he would be dead by now, but his blood kin could be linked to someone important to Polaris, so it’s not worth the risk just yet.

Considering that, he's actually still alive because of her,” I proclaim, and she lurches toward me, but I’m ready for the impact, practically eager for it.

Before she can make contact, Minnie darts into action, restraining the whiny bitch as she snarls at me.

“You’re lucky she’s dead already. Otherwise, I’d kill her myself,” she promises, and I scoff as Wylder takes over for Minnie, effortlessly restraining her in his grasp.

The same thought passes between all of us, gleaming in our eyes, but no one speaks it out loud. We don’t want to spoil all of the fun after all. It doesn’t stop the grin spreading across my lips as I think it for a second time, heading for the doors toward the woman in question.

This vampire is in for one hell of a surprise.