She said nothing in response.
She waited.
A female voice intruded. “Now is the time, Ry. Take your prize and Bergisson will be yours.”
Ry pushed her hair away from her throat. I’m going to make you mine, Samantha, right here on the ridge, in front of Ethan, the Goddess, and everyone else.
Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of her fear or to alert the fae entity to her clear mind, she remained very still, but every ounce of her spirit became focused solely on Ethan.
No more holding back with him.
Whatever he needed from her right now, was his for the taking. She met and held his gaze, hoping he could somehow intuit her intentions, her love, her willingness to do anything that was needed in this situation.
She mouthed the words, ‘For Bergisson’.
His brows lifted slightly, then a slight curve touched his lips.
Chapter Ten
Ethan’s heart swelled, a physical movement that the webbing couldn’t touch.
He loved Samantha, with all his heart. He knew that now, deep in his spirit, in the combined frequencies that made up his vampire nature. If he’d had any doubt before about her worth, or whether he should give himself to her fully, she had just washed them away as she mouthed ‘for Bergisson’.
She got him, she got his world, and she got her purpose in his realm and what he felt was joy, pure and simple.
He felt her calmness as well, a mirror of his own, that their current circumstances, each bound so heavily and unable to move, had quieted their respective thoughts and movements, given each time to think and to reassess.
Mostly, he knew she was with him, all the way.
Hope began a powerful journey back through his veins, rebuilding his determination to somehow find a way out of this deadly situation, but with new insights, primarily that he wasn’t alone in his command.
He shifted his gaze back to Ry, now holding Samantha closer.
Ry pathed Ethan again. This is for you, Ethan, for taking what belonged to me. So now I’m taking what you desire and returning Bergisson to her rightful owner at the same time.
But Ethan didn’t respond. He remained very still, turning his attention solely to Samantha.
Ry drew his lips back, letting his fangs emerge fully, two wet, powerful points.
Ethan watched the fangs strike. His body reacted on instinct, a sharp jerk which much to his surprise caused the web, just for a split-second, to give way.
Startled, he looked around. Why hadn’t the web tightened instead? Cut him up?
What had changed?
Only one thing: Ry had pierced Samantha’s neck, which must have meant that once he shifted his attention to her, it broke a connection elsewhere.
His first instinct was to break free, right now, and do battle with Ry. But his impulses had put him here in the web in the first place, so he remained still.
Again, what had changed?
Then, exactly how much had changed?
He ignored his rage at watching Ry drink from Samantha though even at that distance, he felt Ry’s personal frequency pounding against her faeness, demanding entrance and submission. If Ry wore her down and bound her to him, she’d be lost forever.
So would Bergisson because Ry would have the power he’d been seeking, in tandem with the ancient fae force, to do whatever he liked.
Except something wasn’t right, wasn’t working, and the shift had occurred the moment Ry began to feed. He suspected it meant that the ancient fae force had to work with a minion in order to hold her power over so many realm at once. And Ry was her minion, in servitude to her, and the vessel she used to carry out her expansive enthrallment.
But if he could move in the web, then what else could he do right now, while Ry’s attention was focused on Samantha?
He closed his eyes forcing himself to hold back. How many times had he screwed up in the past because he was in such a hurry to take charge, not to let others lead?
So, he calmed himself once more and waited for Samantha, focusing on her.
He felt her settle into herself more deeply and after a moment she pathed, On the other side of the gorge is a stretch of land that the ancient fae has kept hidden from view. I see barracks, maybe a training camp. But there are two hundred wraith-pairs ready to do battle, ready to slaughter your guard. Now I see Quinlan and his men attacking that group.
Ethan murmured, Good, that’s good. Now what about the gorge itself, me, my Guard?
She tells him the rest of what she’s seen in the vision and he’s dumbfounded but he’ll also have to trust her and he’ll have to leave most of the fighting to others.