Between Bloode and Stone by Marie Harte

Author:Marie Harte
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781642920635
Publisher: Marie Harte

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A few hours later, Fara sat in a room across from the spa, studying the dagger and the Bloode Stone, which had reappeared on its own, once again embedded in the blade’s hilt.

She brushed her fingers against it now and then, careful to keep her contact brief and open, welcoming. She wanted nothing but to acknowledge its magic and might, appreciative, helpful.

The stone liked her help and her praise. An arrogant stone, she thought with humor. But then, most power gems with any kind of sentience were.

When she listened close, she thought she could make out words as it sang to Varu. It really liked him. A lot.

She thought about all she’d learned from Mormo, about Varu’s link to Ambrogio, which shocked her. And she had to wonder why this stone was so much bigger than the other five she’d found. They were the size of sunflower seeds, small shards in appearance, but just as red and feeling of a similar footprint of power.

Yet she knew Atanase would want the biggest for himself.

She had seen what a Bloode Stone could do in the wrong vampire’s hands. A draugr, one Atanase had hand-picked to test out the power of the first stone she’d found for him, had been given the gem in the middle of a room full of two dozen strigoi. By rights, they should have torn him to pieces when Atanase pulled back his power over them.

But the draugr had held that stone in hand, and it had accepted him. Not like this Bloode Stone pined after Varu, but with a soft reception nonetheless.

She’d been stunned and terrified to see what she’d done—putting such power in the hands of a killer. And then bad turned to worse.

Atanase had thanked the draugr, taken back the stone, and smiled.

As if a switch had been thrown, the savage two dozen strigoi leaped on the draugr and tore him to pieces in seconds. Bits of flesh and bone scattered as strigoi who normally didn’t eat their own sucked down his blood and destroyed him.

She’d stared, sickened, and flinched as Atanase wrapped a long-fingered hand around her arm, his claws sharp, deadly. “Careful, pet, or I’ll let them have you. Now prove yourself useful. Find me the rest.”

So she had. Year by year, working without fail, never stopping, searching all around the world to find those remaining Bloode Stones. And each time, after handing one over, she died a little inside, knowing Atanase grew more powerful with each acquisition. He wanted chaos, war, dominance. An end to any kind of life worth living.

She’d decided to quit altogether. He only had three stones, after all. Her death would be a just reward for what she’d done. The torture had been unbearable but a just penance.

And then he’d captured her brother.

She sighed and stared at the stone, asking it what to do.

But the silly thing only put the thought of Varu in her mind, offering her a chance to join him once more. To enter his mind and settle into his bones as he did whatever the others had been ordered to do.

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