Bonded by Blood by Rose Wulf

Author:Rose Wulf [Wulf, Rose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780369502193
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Published: 2020-08-29T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

A cold chill overtook Joe’s body as he watched Trista speak to Matilda as if they were alone in the room. He didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t look away. He didn’t want to think about what fate likely awaited the human woman and he didn’t have time to decide if he agreed with it. By her own admission she was responsible for Brianna’s poisoning, and he was angry about that. She would have been responsible for his poisoning if he’d been in the library on time. But if she was speaking the truth, it was an accident.

A terrible, innocent, mistake.

“Of course you don’t understand,” Trista said, her stare locked on the trembling woman. “My daughter and I have lived for millennia. But did you know, before the curse that froze us, I gave birth three times?”

Joe’s eyes widened.

Matilda’s eyes widened.

Trista continued. “I have already outlived two of my children. I refuse to outlive them all.” She made a subtle gesture with her wrist and Jasen hauled Matilda to her feet, keeping the petite woman facing her queen. “Surely, at least, you can understand that much?”

Matilda stuttered over her words before finally managing a coherent, “Y-yes, my Queen. O-of course. I would n-never—”

Trista held up a hand, silencing her. “So perhaps you can understand, that a simple, mortal life is too small a price to pay in this situation.” She took a step forward, into Matilda’s personal space. “It’s fortunate, then, that a single mortal life isn’t all you have to offer, isn’t it?”

What?

An eerily similar confusion flickered across Matilda’s face. “I … beg your pardon…?”

Trista reached up and stroked a single, taunting finger down the side of Matilda’s face. “I’m referring, of course, to your son.”

Joe felt his stomach do an unnatural somersault. He glanced to the side and noted less than neutral expressions on Seth’s and Veronica’s faces, too.

“My … son?” Matilda’s voice was so weak that, even in an otherwise silent room and with his enhanced hearing, Joe barely heard her.

“Yes. The boy you gave up to come work here, so long ago,” Trista said. “I heard he got that medical care he so desperately needed when he was young and is doing much better. He’d be old enough now to have a family of his own, wouldn’t he?”

Matilda sank to her knees, a fresh round of tears running down her cheeks. “No … please, m-my Queen. I beg you, leave my son out of this. He’s innocent!”

Joe clenched his jaw and looked away. He’d been uncomfortable with the idea of watching this woman be killed, but what Trista was threatening now … was so much worse.

“Wasn’t Brianna innocent?”

The question hit Joe like a punch to the gut and he turned enough to look over at her again. She was still unconscious on the bed. She was cleaned up now, thank goodness, and a little color had returned to her skin, but she hadn’t moved. An IV of blood still hung at her bedside, slowly and steadily revitalizing her.

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