reflection 02 - the reflective cause by blodgett tamara rose

Author:blodgett, tamara rose [blodgett, tamara rose]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Tamara Rose Blodgett
Published: 2015-07-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Slade

Jeb Merrick is a problem.

He's remained a burr in Slade's side since he was able to heal himself after his fight with Reflective Ryan.

Merrick will not go quietly. He's staked a claim on Beth, and though Bloodlings do have kindred bloods in the rare female from time to time, there is no such thing as a soul mate. It is a folktale among his ancestral Blood Singers on sector Seven and unheard of on One. Males and females form alliances merely to propagate the species. That is what is of critical importance to Bloodlings.

Romantic-soul-mate searching is for fools, and Slade is no fool. He will ignore the tenderness he feels for this tiny frog. He will conquer the weakness inside himself until it is soot in the bottom of a burning heart of hate.

He loathes Dimitri. The advantage he enjoyed during Gunnar’s captivity has endangered all Bloodlings with the taking of their females.

“What troubles you?” Gunnar asks quietly as the group makes their way to the forests of the Bloodlings.

So much is deeply troubling, but he can convey none of it to Gunnar. Slade can just imagine the consequences of telling Gunnar the unvarnished truth.

Yes, Gunnar, your newly discovered warrior Reflective daughter of Lucinda, the love of your life? She is the price for the return of the remaining Bloodling females.

Slade would last a solid three minutes, at most.

Beth would be endangered.

Instead, Slade says, “Nothing, just that we be light on our feet and that we reach the tops of the great forest to secure the females.”

Gunnar frowns, keeping his stride.

Slade can almost feel the older Bloodling weigh each one of his words—and he finds the comment wanting.

“What of my daughter?” he asks slowly.

Slade gives a minimal shrug, then ticks off the facts. “We assisted her escape. Their world is in turmoil. It was a mercy to help.”

Gunnar grabs his arm, and Slade steels himself.

The mirrored black of Gunnar’s irises flashes in the growing gloom. “I know there is something more. I understand our little hopper was here. She was nearly under the thumb of that derelict Reflective…”

“Ryan,” Slade volunteers.

Gunnar nods, his eyes shifting toward the tight-knit group of Reflectives and threes not twenty paces behind him.

“This is not the safest sector for her.”

It is not the safest sector for anyone. “She doesn't appear to like you,” Slade states.

Gunnar shrugs. “Her liking me does not change what she means to me.” His eyes glitter as his anger rises to the surface like oil in water. “She is the Bloodling daughter of Lucinda, and I'll not desert her as so many apparently have during her short life. I will defend Beth—as I did today when you gave her the restorative blood share.” Gunnar viciously tightens his hair club, looking back at the group as they draw nearer. “The Reflectives who are pure blood do not understand what it is to be a Bloodling.”

He has no idea. Slade remains in contemplative silence.

“When Dimitri gets his claws into me, he will try and imprison me again.

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