Roman narrowed his gaze, observing Marcus and Ella. “We are united in the need to protect those who belong to us—yes, and do not forget that, because I, too, will stop at nothing to ensure that is the case.”
Ella assessed the razor-sharp features of the ice-cold man who they had tangled with once before and was Isabella’s fiancé. A complicated situation to say the least, as her best friend was infatuated with a human—Marcus’s Navy SEAL brother Jake. The vampire gave a curt nod.
“This meeting is designed to bring all the distinguished members of the Assembly together to establish an alliance to protect all our people. Your government created laws to maintain safety that have worked for centuries, but times are changing. We are here despite our differences, despite not trusting or even liking each other to ensure the threat we all face is extinguished. We believe the Elusti are behind the savage murders. Henry, will you bring the professor in, please?”
Ella watched Steel’s secretary, Henry—a slim human, clean-shaven with pale-blue eyes and ordinary features, which made him the odd one out in the room—as he rose from his seat and stepped outside. Ella swept her gaze back to Marcus, who frowned at her, concern etched on his face.
I know what ails you, sweetheart!
Puzzled, Ella followed his hand as he placed it over her flat belly in a protective manner, and he tightened his hold of her arm.
The potent bouquet in here is a bit much to stomach, and it’s my first day back to work, that’s all.
Even with day-old stubble that outlined his square jaw and purple shadows from sleepless nights, her husband was still the most breathtaking and commanding man she had ever met.
That’s not what I meant!
He was impossible to read when he hid his thoughts, which she suspected was second nature to him as an ex-Navy SEAL. To her dismay, she didn’t possess that gift and her emotions and thoughts were easy for him to read, which annoyed her.
Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What do you know that I don’t?
A high-pitched scream rent the air, and Marcus dropped his arm from around her waist. The red-headed witch Zephra, Isabella and Raine’s sister, fell back in her leather chair, shaking from head to foot and moaning. Steel leapt to his feet to help, but Raine signaled him to stop.
“Don’t! She is a Seer. If you touch her now, you will break the connection with the vision, and you could hurt her or yourself.” Raine clutched Steel’s wrist and their eyes held each other’s for a moment before she let go.
No one spoke as Zephra jerked back and forth in the chair. As the witch’s body convulsed, her face twisted into a mass of contortion, until she sagged back and lay still.
At last, Raine stroked her sister’s pale face and swept her long hair away. “Sister, tell us what you saw.”
The quiet atmosphere grew tense in anticipation and everyone studied the witch, who leaned forward to grip the end of the seat. Her red nails dug into the black leather. When Zephra blinked and opened her eyes, they were all white.
“I see crows, thousands of black crows, some sitting on a withered tree and the rest flying over an endless sea of virgin snow. A crimson river ruptures like an artery over the land. And when the sun disappears, no moon shall follow to bring light. It is the end of days…”
The witch snapped her eyes closed and slumped back into the chair. When she next glanced at the faces in the room, her eyes shone with their natural emerald-green, the same vivid shade as her sisters. Ella gripped Marcus’s hand and he led her back to the table to sit down.
“What the hell is that all about?” shouted Trent Le Var Bastian, leader of the werewolves, as he pushed out of his chair.
“Are you kidding me? This witch is predicting the end of days. You don’t expect us to believe that—that whatever you want to call it, is anything more than mumbo jumbo…” Robert Marsh smirked at the group as he lifted his glass to drink.
“Zephra is a gifted Seer. She doesn’t plan her visions; they simply are. This vision is not new. Is it, sister?” Raine said in a calm voice, resting her hand on her sister’s shoulder.
“No. My sister is correct. I don’t have control over what I see. The visions are random. All I know is that the number of crows is growing.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Roman shouted. He stood and sauntered away from the group, pushing his long coat behind him as he walked.
A confusing babble of questions and raised voices clashed around. But Ella fixed her line of vision on Robert, who remained oddly silent, but restless in his chair. He pulled and struggled with his shirt collar, as if it were too tight. All the while, the color drained from his playful, chubby face. The man swallowed and his eyes flared wide with sudden realization as he stared at her with his hands clutched at his throat. Time suspended as she dashed toward him, but a strangled gurgle left his lips as his head fell back and he exhaled his last breath.
She was too late. A scream sounded out and she covered her mouth with a shaky hand. Pandemonium broke loose, with people clambering to get near the man. Steel, Alexander, and Marcus all fell upon Robert. But as Steel’s hand touched him, the man’s face turned ashen. Marcus and Steel tugged the man from the chair to the floor and began CPR, but as the minutes ticked by, they stopped.
“He’s gone,” Steel said as he panted.
Ella stared at Robert lying with his eyes wide open. One minute, he had been smiling and joking; the
