Replica(85)
She glided over to Ivan and looked up into his face, trailing her hand down his chest. He looked to the side, evading her gaze. “You know I can save her, don’t you, dog?”
“Yes.”
I gasped in surprise. I figured she had been playing mind games.
She gave Ivan’s chest one last stroke, then turned her attention back to me. “I know you distrust me, so as a sign of good faith, I will give her my blood first. I will drink from you when she begins to revive. You will let me.” She flicked her finger toward Antonio. “And he will watch.”
“The hell I will,” he growled.
I steeled my back. “Then do it. Save her.”
“What else do you want?” Ivan asked. “There has to be more. You could force yourself on her and let Lea die.”
“Aren’t you a cunning wolf?” She moved in front of me. “There is one little thing, an errand of sorts.”
“What kind of errand?”
“I need you to retrieve the Book of Life.”
“Excuse me?”
Antonio swore in Spanish and Elena smiled. “Yes, you are correct. She is the one.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, certain this had to do with Antonio and Lea’s earlier conversation about me.
“You, my dear, are the one who’s fated to find the Book of Life. Once you promise to retrieve it and deliver it to me, I will heal Lea, then you and I will drink from one another to seal the covenant.”
“I’m not drinking from you.”
“Then Lea dies.”
“Don’t do it, Rachel!” Antonio shouted. “You’re selling your soul!”
“Lies,” Elena sneered. “Ask the dog.”
I looked at Ivan. He cast a glance at Lea, then back up at me, pleading.
“Ivan. Will she own my soul?”
He shook his head. “No. But she will own you until you complete her task.”
“How hard will it be to find this book?”
“People have searched for centuries and never found it.”
“A piece of cake,” I said, looking down at Lea. Shit.
“She wouldn’t want you to do it, Rachel,” Antonio pleaded. “She would never ask this of you.”
I lifted my gaze to meet Ivan’s. His shoulders were tense and his voice shook as he said, “He’s right. She would never ask this of you.”
No, she would never ask, because that wasn’t her style. She didn’t ask for help. She was so freaking sure she could do everything on her own. That she didn’t need anyone or anything. Calvin had broken her, but she had begun to revive, like a Phoenix in the ashes.
And I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she found out she needed someone after all.
“Do you have any clues at all about where to find this book?”
“Yes,” Elena said, “contrary to the wolf’s dire prediction, we have excellent clues.”
“So why not retrieve it yourself?”
“It needs to be a human. A special human like you.”
“Why?”
“Legend says it can only be retrieved during the brightest part of the day.”
“Can’t a minion do it?”
She gave a slow shrug. “I have my reasons for asking you.” She cocked her head to the side, looking lost in thought. “Your window to save her is quickly closing. I need your answer now.”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
Her smile spread wide. “Excellent.”
“Rachel! No!” Antonio shouted.
But Elena had already dropped down next to Lea, quicker than I could see with my naked eye, and was holding her wrist over my friend’s parted mouth. A thin ribbon of blood flowed down, rolling over Lea’s lower lip and filling her mouth. Lea’s body jerked, then twitched as Elena stood and gave me a smile that made my heart stutter.
“Sangre de la bruja, you are mine.”
CHAPTER 39
LEA
Elena’s words echoed in my head, and her blood sang in my veins as I came around, vaguely aware that Elena and Rachel were exchanging blood.
Sangre de la Bruja.
Blood of the Witch.
I jerked to my feet, my limbs as sloppy and uncoordinated as if they’d been dislocated repeatedly. Elena laughed softly as she delicately wiped the corners of her mouth.
“Oh, how I wish I’d met you years ago, when Peter first turned you from the light. You could be queen one day, Lea. You have the strength for it.”
“Fuck you.” I spat the words at her, along with what was left of her blood in my mouth. Her eyes tightened at the edges as the vampires behind her shifted back a few steps. She raised a hand.
“I would no sooner break a prized broodmare than destroy her now. There is too much left for her to accomplish before she bows before me. But to be sure—” She bent and scooped up the girl hiding behind Rachel’s legs.