Blood Bonds by Jasinda Wilder

Author:Jasinda Wilder [Wilder, Jasinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jasinda Wilder
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Wolf trots down the long hallway, head low, eyes forward, nose sniffing and scenting. He pauses at intersections, scenting this way and that, and then chooses a direction, and we all follow, knowing his animal senses are infinitely keener than even our immortal ones.

We make it down several levels before we encounter resistance in the form of a mixed group of warriors. They're bunched in the middle of an intersection, and they stink of fear. One of them levels a hastaxi in our direction, and I can feel Wolf about to pounce.

I step forward and knot my fingers in the thick soft fur at his shoulders. "Wait," I murmur. "Let me try a different approach to slaughter. If it seems like one of them is about to attack, do what you do. But let me try this first, okay?"

He gives a low soft rumble of agreement, leaning against my thigh and licking a trickle of blood off my belly.

I step away from Wolf into the open space between our two groups. My mind is blank, all the words suddenly dried up, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. For a moment, all I want is to run away with Caleb and Caspian, hide away in some forest far from anyone and anything and not be responsible for all of this.

But I can't.

The fate of the world, the future of all immortals, and the future of human civilization itself all seem to hang in the balance—resting on my nineteen-year-old shoulders.

It's too fucking much for any one person, and it's not fucking fair.

There we go: anger seems to ignite something inside me, and I find my voice.

"We are not enemies." There is no magic in this. No amplification of my voice, no thread of power in my words. Just plain speech, and hope. "None of you have directly harmed me or my coven. All of you, like me, like my coven, like my mates—" I feel Caspian and Caleb move up beside me, Caspian towering on my left, Caleb in wolf form sitting with his tongue lolling, relaxed and casual…seemingly, "you are all pawns in a larger game. You are warriors, yes, but you are more. You are men and women. You are mates, and sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters. You are human. And you are immortal. You are of the Blood."

Silence greets me. I let it expand, let it breathe.

"What do you fight for? Who do you fight for?" I pause again. "More importantly, who do you die for?" I cast my eyes upward. "Them? The Tribunal? The Council? A bunch of scared old ancients desperately clinging to the last vestiges of authority and power? What do they want? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why do they want me dead? And why, if I'm such a threat and they're so powerful and wise, do they not come for me themselves?"

I pause again, letting the questions set in.

"You call me WorldBreaker. You call me the Once-Mortal Queen.

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