Bound in Blood (Broken Bloodlines Book 3)
Bound in Blood: Chapter 40

“We need to leave now. It is likely Giorgios will return to Montridge, and although he has taken Malachi, we must assume Ophelia is still his primary target, so we will all travel together on Anikêtos,” Alexandros says.

I’m still on my knees, my heart shattering into pieces while I stare at the spot on the ground where he stood until he was swallowed up by that … that thing. “What the fuck was that thing?” The words come from me, but they can’t be mine because I’m pretty sure I’ve lost the ability to function.

That thing took Kai. It swallowed him up like he was made of air.

Alexandros pulls me to my feet and places a hand on the back of my neck. “It was a wraith.”

“A wraith?” Axl asks. He and Ophelia are standing beside us now too, looking like they’re holding each other up. “Like a ghost?”

Ophelia’s lip wobbles. “Or a demon?”

“More than a ghost and different from a demon. They are immortal, soulless creatures that are able to drain the life of others and steal their souls with merely a touch. They are one of the few creatures able to kill a dragon.”

I look overhead to where Anikêtos is still looming over the house. “Where the fuck did it come from? I heard of wraiths back when I was human, but I’ve never seen one before. And I’ve never heard you mention them.”

“When a warlock casts a dark spell and it backfires, they are doomed for eternity, thus becoming wraiths. However, I have not seen one in over a thousand years. They were once great in number and wreaked havoc on the world of man during the Dark Ages. But their reign came to an end when a powerful white witch banished them to the netherworld, where Lucifer holds them captive. She gave her life to cast the spell, and her sacrifice has kept them there since, at least as far as I am aware.”

I scrub the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. “So why is one here now, and how do we kill it?”

Alexandros glances up at Anikêtos. “I believe they may have taken the opportunity to slip through the veil when Anikêtos and Elpis returned.”

Ophelia’s eyes widen. “They? You think there’s more than one?”

Alexandros frowns. “We cannot discount that possibility. And as for what kills them, it can only be done with a sacred or holy relic.”

I need something to hold on to, and this feels like it. A way to kill the shadowy fuck. “Like a crucifix?”

He shakes his head. “Much more than that. It must be the most sacred of artefacts.”

Axl throws his hands in the air. “And what the hell kind of thing would that be? Because I don’t see any spare ark of the covenants lying around.”

“It does not have to be a Christian symbol; it can be from any religion, but the relic must be believed in by the user.”

Axl drops his head and sighs. “So that means we’re out—we believe in fuck all. Ophelia, what about you?”

She shakes her head. “Not religion. But I do believe in something …”

I run the pad of my thumb over her jawline and tip her chin up so she’s staring into my eyes. “And what’s that, Cupcake?”

She narrows her eyes with determination. “Us.”

Alexandros wraps his arms around all three of us and pulls us into an embrace. All four of our heads press together. “We do not have to kill the wraith. It will be enough to send it back to the netherworld. And I believe I know a witch powerful enough to cast such a spell.”

I suspect he’s talking about Enora, but I don’t ask for clarification. As long as we get Malachi back, I don’t care how we get rid of the damn wraith.

We’ll get him back. Ophelia’s voice is full of conviction as it suffuses our collective thoughts. If I’m supposed to be some magical Chosen One with all these powers, then we’ll get him back.

As Alexandros promised we would be, we’re all seated on Anikêtos’s back for our return trip to Montridge. We cling to each other out of fear that another one of us may fall prey to the wraith.

Ophelia, being a quick study, has figured out the force field spell and has surrounded us with one. Hers, unsurprisingly, has a pink hue rather than an orange one, and it also handily serves to keep us safe from the elements. Still, it doesn’t block sound, and Anikêtos’s speed coupled with the wind makes it impossible to hear one another speak aloud, so we stick to our bond.

Did Giorgios show any special interest in Malachi whilst you were at his fortress? Alexandros asks.

No, I say. He didn’t really take much interest in any of us other than Ophelia.

Axl adds his agreement.

We’ll get him back, Ophelia says again. The phrase seems to have become her new mantra. I wish I had her conviction. All I can think about is Kai in pain. Or even worse, not in pain because as long as he’s hurting, he’s alive. I’ve tried reaching him at least a dozen times since we left Venezuela, but I can’t replace him. And I know if Ophelia or Alexandros had, they would have let us know he’s alive.

Immortal soulless fuck or not, if the wraith has killed Kai, I will drag him back to the netherworld myself.