Bitten Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 3)

***

ZEE

When I walk into the house, I expect chaos and madness, but I find everyone sitting in the floor, staring at old books instead.

“What the hell?” I ask, kicking the door shut behind me, while Leah sleeps in my arms.

“We’re trying to find a way to kill Slade, while also trying to figure out if Morgana is the actual ringleader.”

That freezes me to my spot. “Morgana? Seriously? I thought she wasn’t strong enough.”

My eyes hit Gage who looks like every shade of death and regret there is. “She wasn’t, but I keep forgetting no one is the same as they were centuries ago. Gavin was a hell of a lot stronger when we found him. Only Morgana could have ever talked him into giving a blood oath. It makes sense now. Blood oaths have to be given voluntarily. It was a piece of the puzzle that didn’t make sense.”

“What about Ella? Has anyone—”

“She’s here,” Chaz says, looking up from is book again. “Somehow, that bastard walked her right through our spelled home and put her into bed like nothing ever happened. She has even been healed.”

I relax while cradling Leah a little closer. At least the scent of her blood isn’t distracting right now.

I collapse to a chair with her still firmly wrapped in my arms, and I brush a kiss across her forehead as they resume what they were doing.

“I need Dray here to heal her,” I tell Chaz.

“He should be here any—” Dray appears as though he’s right on cue, cutting off the rest of the unnecessary sentence.

He tightens his lips as he steps forward. “So we’re healing anointed ones instead of hunting them?” he muses.

The growl in my throat is unbidden and certainly unexpected. Dray cocks an eyebrow, and I clear my throat.

“Heal her, Dray. Before he accidentally kills you,” Kane warns.

Dray smirks before touching Leah’s head, and I have to fight every instinct in me not to rip his arm out of its socket. Fucking eh.

The wounds on her body slowly begin to heal, and Dray staggers as black smoke swirls around Leah. As he gets weaker, the wounds on her slowly disappear until she looks almost perfect.

Dray lets go and drops to the ground, grabbing his head like he’s dizzy. A few bruises remain, and I look over at him quizzically.

“They really took a lot out of her. It’ll take her a few days to get back to full strength,” he says, taking a deep breath. “That took a lot out of me too.”

“That means Slade might also be weak right now,” Chaz says while standing and looking over at Thad and Roslyn. “We should track him now. If he healed Ella—”

“If he healed Ella,” Thad interjects, emphasizing that one key word. “If. He could have gotten someone else to do it. Kane and Alyssa can’t even work the healing powers very well. It’s possible that he’s still just as strong, and he’ll be waiting for us. He wants my girl dead, so fuck that shit. It’s too risky.”

Roslyn starts to speak, but Thad kisses her hard instead. After a second, he pulls back. “I said no,” he murmurs softly, kissing her again. “We’ll wait until we’re ready.”

Chaz sits back down, his lips thinning as he thinks. There’s no way in hell Thad will risk Roslyn, and I don’t blame him. My eyes fall over Leah once again, and I blow out a breath. What the hell am I going to do with her?

Chapter 15

ELLA

(Yes, that is supposed to say Ella.)

Zee’s hands are shoved in his hoodie pockets, and his hood is pulled low, as he stares through a familiar window. Leah is pacing back and forth, her eyes glued to the blade in her hand, and Zee’s glowing blue eyes shift with every step she takes as he watches from the shadows.

“It’s creepy to just watch people,” I tell him, noticing how his shoulders stiffen.

He blows out a breath before glancing over his shoulder at me, then his eyes go back to her again.