Shadow Keepers: Midnight by J. K. Beck Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. K. Beck
understand.”
“Baloch is not human. And neither was his son.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “Not human?”
“On the night of the last full moon, your father was out riding. He shot a wolf. That wolf was Baloch’s son.” His words were calm. Measured. But his eyes—his eyes were heated, passionate. And they were full of conviction.
Caris crossed herself, her heart beating rapidly. She knew of Baloch’s dark nature, of course. It was no secret that demons walked in dark places, and that the church gathered its forces to fight against such heresy. But she had never once believed that she would live to see these things up close. The thought that her brother—sweet, innocent Antonio—was at the mercy of a creature spawned from the heart of hell …
“No,” she whispered. It was the only word she could push past her lips, but there was no force behind it. She could see too clearly that Tiberius spoke the truth. However impossible, however horrible, what he said was true.
“Baloch took Antonio, and he will make him a werewolf. He will make him his heir.”
She didn’t realize she was falling until Tiberius was at her side, gripping her around the waist and leading her to the bed. Her knees had turned to water, but how he’d come to her so quickly she didn’t know. Right then, she couldn’t wrap her thoughts around anything. Nothing was real, and the world was a nightmare come alive.
“And you,” she finally asked. “You … hunt werewolves?”
He hesitated for only an instant before nodding.
“Why?”
“They are vile creatures,” he said, his expression raw. “An abomination. Even as men, you cannot trust them.”
There was more to tell—she could see that much in his eyes. But she saw pain there, too. Perhaps he once had a brother like hers. Perhaps he had a family debt to pay.
The thought triggered something in her memory. “What did you mean?” she asked. “When you were speaking with my father you said you were bound to our family, and he said that he honored no such bond.”
“It is a long story,” he said, moving to her side and drawing her against him. She pressed her head against his bare chest and sighed. Just the touch of him felt like coming home. “Suffice it to say that I will always protect you.”
“And my brother.”
“Even your father,” he agreed, “though it pains me somewhat to do it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “The sun has set. We must go.”
“We?”
He nodded. “I wish it weren’t so, but I cannot leave you here. Those men will return.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said, then immediately regretted the words. Even if it were true—and if several men came, it undoubtedly was not—she still wanted to remain at Tiberius’s side, especially since he would be taking her straight to Antonio.
He smiled with understanding. “Perhaps you can.But my bond requires me to see to you as well. And that is a job I can best undertake with you at my side. More than that, though, I wish you to be near me.”
“Oh.” Her heart fluttered, a small bird beating its wings.
“Take this,” he said, then pressed the hilt of a dagger into her hand. “It is silver. If the need arises, do not hesitate to use it.”
“I won’t.”
A flicker of a smile touched his lips.
“My Caris,” he said, and then he reached for her hand.
They left the inn on foot, not willing to risk that Baloch’s guard would hear approaching horses. Tiberius would have preferred to leave Caris out of this—the thought that he was putting her in harm’s way weighed heavily on him. He’d meant what he’d told her about the scoundrels in the inn; they would undoubtedly come back, and if they found her alone, they would surely break her. Just the thought of their using her so brutally made the daemon rise within him, and even now he regretted not ripping their throats open when he’d had the chance. He’d held back only because Caris was present, and he had not
“Baloch is not human. And neither was his son.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “Not human?”
“On the night of the last full moon, your father was out riding. He shot a wolf. That wolf was Baloch’s son.” His words were calm. Measured. But his eyes—his eyes were heated, passionate. And they were full of conviction.
Caris crossed herself, her heart beating rapidly. She knew of Baloch’s dark nature, of course. It was no secret that demons walked in dark places, and that the church gathered its forces to fight against such heresy. But she had never once believed that she would live to see these things up close. The thought that her brother—sweet, innocent Antonio—was at the mercy of a creature spawned from the heart of hell …
“No,” she whispered. It was the only word she could push past her lips, but there was no force behind it. She could see too clearly that Tiberius spoke the truth. However impossible, however horrible, what he said was true.
“Baloch took Antonio, and he will make him a werewolf. He will make him his heir.”
She didn’t realize she was falling until Tiberius was at her side, gripping her around the waist and leading her to the bed. Her knees had turned to water, but how he’d come to her so quickly she didn’t know. Right then, she couldn’t wrap her thoughts around anything. Nothing was real, and the world was a nightmare come alive.
“And you,” she finally asked. “You … hunt werewolves?”
He hesitated for only an instant before nodding.
“Why?”
“They are vile creatures,” he said, his expression raw. “An abomination. Even as men, you cannot trust them.”
There was more to tell—she could see that much in his eyes. But she saw pain there, too. Perhaps he once had a brother like hers. Perhaps he had a family debt to pay.
The thought triggered something in her memory. “What did you mean?” she asked. “When you were speaking with my father you said you were bound to our family, and he said that he honored no such bond.”
“It is a long story,” he said, moving to her side and drawing her against him. She pressed her head against his bare chest and sighed. Just the touch of him felt like coming home. “Suffice it to say that I will always protect you.”
“And my brother.”
“Even your father,” he agreed, “though it pains me somewhat to do it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “The sun has set. We must go.”
“We?”
He nodded. “I wish it weren’t so, but I cannot leave you here. Those men will return.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said, then immediately regretted the words. Even if it were true—and if several men came, it undoubtedly was not—she still wanted to remain at Tiberius’s side, especially since he would be taking her straight to Antonio.
He smiled with understanding. “Perhaps you can.But my bond requires me to see to you as well. And that is a job I can best undertake with you at my side. More than that, though, I wish you to be near me.”
“Oh.” Her heart fluttered, a small bird beating its wings.
“Take this,” he said, then pressed the hilt of a dagger into her hand. “It is silver. If the need arises, do not hesitate to use it.”
“I won’t.”
A flicker of a smile touched his lips.
“My Caris,” he said, and then he reached for her hand.
They left the inn on foot, not willing to risk that Baloch’s guard would hear approaching horses. Tiberius would have preferred to leave Caris out of this—the thought that he was putting her in harm’s way weighed heavily on him. He’d meant what he’d told her about the scoundrels in the inn; they would undoubtedly come back, and if they found her alone, they would surely break her. Just the thought of their using her so brutally made the daemon rise within him, and even now he regretted not ripping their throats open when he’d had the chance. He’d held back only because Caris was present, and he had not