Wardbreaker: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Lillim Callina Chronicles) by J.A. Cipriano Read Free Book Online Page B

assuming I believe that for a second, how can that even be possible?” he asked, staring at me, pouring over each and every one of my features like people always did when they found out. I didn’t look exactly like Dirge had, but if you’d stood us together, we’d look very closely related. “Dirge only died a few years ago.”
    “After I was born, my growth was magically accelerated until I was a teenager.” I waved my hand through the air. “It’s overly complicated to be honest, but suffice to say, I’ve got a whole mess of her memories too. That’s how I know you didn’t matter one bit. I’d remember you.” I wasn’t sure why I was saying what I was. Was it to hurt him? No… no, that wasn’t it, not really. I was just so sick and tired of being compared to Dirge the hero. Couldn’t he understand that?
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “But you should still just go kill the vampires.”
    “I told you I’d help you if you just told me what the problem really was!” I snapped. “Even though I’m running away, and it’s against the rules.”
    “Sorry…” He moved forward, pulling me into a hug I didn’t understand at all. “The real problem is the Owls have claimed this city like Dimitri said earlier. Every single time we off one of their overseers, well, they kill a hundred people. We need someone like you to step in and tell them that if they don’t stop, the whole might of the Dioscuri will rain down on them like an olden days plague.” He released me and stood back, staring at me with his big brown puppy eyes.
    I sighed because he was right. He was one hundred percent right. If the Owls were doing that, the Dioscuri did need to step in… only I wasn’t technically with them anymore. Still, they probably didn’t know that.
    “Look,” he added, slowly leading me back to the car by one hand. “If you help, I won’t mention Dirge again. Hell, I’ll tell everyone how much more awesome you are than her.” He winked at me.
    “No one cares what you think,” I replied, smiling in spite of myself. It sort of annoyed me because I was going to help him even though it was a bad idea. I sighed. I wasn’t the type of person that could leave an entire city under the yoke of some vampires. I guess in that one tiny aspect, my momma raised me right.
    “I get that a lot,” Luc said, opening the door for me. “Now let’s go kill some vampires.”
    I stared at him for a moment. Was I really going to help him? It wouldn’t matter much in the end. This was just one man and one city, not much in the grand scope of things, but for him, it would be something, and besides, he’d known Dirge. Maybe… maybe if I helped him, he’d stop comparing me to her? Maybe, maybe he’d think I was better than her. I tried to shove that thought away the moment it entered my brain, but it lingered anyway. Was I really going to help him just to prove I was better than Dirge? And while I hoped not, deep down, I knew it was true.
    “Fine,” I grumbled, getting into the seat. “But you need to buy me lunch first. Preferably somewhere the meal doesn’t get interrupted just as I’ve gotten my food.”
    “Deal,” he said, slamming my door shut and moving around to the other side of the car. “Then you can share with me why your wrist isn’t bleeding anymore.”
    I glanced down at it. He was right. Well, that was neat…
     

Chapter 5
    “So how was your burger?” Luc asked, tossing a sidelong glance at me as I swallowed the last bite of my cheeseburger and crumpled the wrapper into a ball.
    “I’m lovin’ it,” I said, tossing the wrapper at him and hitting him on the side of the head.
    “I told you to stop doing that three burgers ago,” he growled, turning his eyes back toward the road. “Hang on!” he screamed, slamming on the brakes and jerking the wheel to the side. The car went into a skid as its tires squealed along the pavement. I was thrown against the seatbelt