Page 28 (1/2)

"We’ll meet up near Eternal Rest They’ll all come in their own cars They’ll park a few blocks away and wait for Zareb to give instructions"

"Cars?" She sht va around than that I know you don’t do the de? Do va to sound calm, but he could hear her quickened heartbeat, sense her tension "If we could do all the things myths say we can do, we’d have conquered the world centuries ago We have preternatural speed and strength, enhanced senses, and our own specific gifts And if you belong to my bloodline, you have the Second One"

She remained silent for a few minutes, and Ethan was hopeful that she’d run out of questions She hadn’t

"I was in the shohen you explained things to Zareb So how did you end up in that glass coffin? And please tell me what a binder is?"

He kept his attention on the road He didn’t want to repeat the story, but she had a right to know "I was in Jersey when they caught o into details about the chase, about how the hell they even found hi to keep ot back to Eternal Rest Then they took my clothes and du when the binder ca headstone" Where had they found someone like him?

"They? Who are ‘they’?"

"I don’t know Soht beasts with thehts of the beasts

"So explain ‘binder’"

Ethan could feel her gaze on hilance at her He couldn’t take the chance that she’d see his face "A binding spell bends someone to your will, makes them do what you want them to do" He shook his head "But I’ve never seen or felt anything like this Tony brought in his headstone, set it next to me, and suddenly I couldn’t ht, tried to at least twitch Nothing He was a mind trapped in a useless body He’d never admit how terrified he was "I don’t knohere Garrity found so on the tombstone showed you wrapped in chains and a lock on the coffin So hedepicted"

"I don’t knohy they wanted lass coffin I need answers" He hoped he would get those answers tonight

Even though Ethan suspected that Cassie had more questions, she stayed silent for the rest of the drive He parked her car three blocks from the funeral home His car was still in Jersey At least he hoped it was

Once out of the car, Ethan moved close to her Her eer, deters of others in the past Nothing good ca yourself to be sucked into the maelstrom of human enized the risks But this time he couldn’t resist Ethan wrapped his aroes doe get there, Zareb ant ht He’ll follow o in with us The rest will stay outside to deal with guards or anyone trying to flee"

"What about me?" Her expression said that if they planned to tuck her safely behind soet about it

"I want you between Zareb and me It’ll be the safest place You knohat I can do And Zareb is old enough to reht’ve been one He has crazy survival skills"

She nodded, her whole body tense

He couldn’t help hiers along her clenched jaw "I’ to her

She drew a deep shuddering breath and relaxed into hiood No matter what they’d find when they reached Garrity’s, or how ht noith her huainst his side, he was content Not a word anyone would use to describe him

Ethan stilled as he felt the faet into his brain without Ethan even knowing he was there, but his maker always announced his presence as a courtesy

Ethan listened to Zareb’s e and then spoke to Cassie He made sure he didn’t look at her as he talked "Zareb just did souards are scattered around the place People are et coet there, we’ll go in"