Alexis and Bhal led the way down to the door of the shack. The door was in bits, blown apart by the looks of it.

Bhal took a tentative step inside, followed by Alexis. The smell of blood was getting stronger, and Byron feared the worst. She took a step inside and saw the Reaper, or what was left of him, lying on the floor, black blood seeping from his body.

Around his body, a circle was marked with some symbols. Bhal walked forward and knelt down. “This is Anka’s work, Principe, dark magic. It’s a message. Anka is back, and she is powerful.”

Byron, Brogan, and Alexis joined her at the circle, and Byron said, “Can you imagine the power needed to destroy a Reaper?”

“She’s gaining power, Byron,” Bhal said.

Alexis knelt beside Bhal. “What do we do?”

“We get back to London quickly,” Byron said grimly. “Our clan may be next.”

Chapter Sixteen

Torija organized the plane trip to Scotland with her acquaintance, who was only too pleased to help in exchange for a dark witch that he was looking for. By nighttime, they’d landed in Scotland on a private airfield and were met by a car to be driven to the nearest town.

From there they took a taxi to Daisy’s family home on the outskirts of Edinburgh. As the taxi pulled up at Daisy’s granny’s, Daisy said to Torija, “We’ll need to phone Amelia and let her know I’m okay.”

Torija did not want that. She wouldn’t risk Byron sending her vampires up to Scotland to bring Daisy back to London. Torija needed Daisy to stay here with her grandmother, while she went to London and handed herself over to Byron, where she would meet her death, thus bringing her blood bond with Daisy to an end, and freeing her.

If Daisy came with her to London, it would cause her hurt and pain to see what had to be done, and she didn’t want Daisy to lose her bond with the Debreks. They would be her security after Torija was gone.

“Let’s just wait till we see how the land lies. We don’t want Anka’s people being attracted to your grandmother’s home.”

“Fine, but let me do the talking, okay?”

“Fine by me.” Torija paid the driver and got out of the car. She winced in pain and held her arm gingerly. The green poison was now at her shoulder and making its way to her heart. She had tried not to show Daisy how painful it was, and how tired she was. Now that Daisy was sharing her blood, Torija shouldn’t be feeling tiredness, whether she was sleeping or not sleeping. It must be the poison. It was weakening her by the second.

Torija heard the front door of the house open, and an older woman called out, “Daisy, thank God.”