Taken by the Blood God (Devil Springs #4)

Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

Minerva

“I don’t give a shit,” I shot back, taking another sip of my tea.

“You should.”

“Why?”

“Because Sommerton isn’t the only warlock feeding off my brother’s power. There are many, many more. And they will do much worse things than he did. They will harm innocents. Even kill. My brother has enough power to fuel hundreds, if not thousands, of warlocks like Sommerton. By leaving him there, you are giving them exactly what they need to carry out any atrocity they wish.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

Shit. He had a point.

If that were true, as much as I wanted to, we couldn’t leave his brother there. But I wasn’t comfortable setting him free either.

My thoughts raced as I tried to come up with a compromise that I would find acceptable. His brother was powerful and had a deep disdain for humans and even other supernaturals. He couldn’t be trusted not to pull some crazy shit if he was free. Though I didn’t know why he’d been imprisoned in the first place, I doubted it was because he spread sunshine and rainbows far and wide.

Nothing was going to make me feel one hundred percent better, but there were a couple of things that might give me the upper hand.

“I’ll need his true name,” I stated.

Names had power when it came to magic. Especially here in Devil Springs. They also granted a witch or warlock power over the creature. Gods like Talant and his brother often had different names than those they were born with. As time passed and they moved through centuries, they often left behind their past lives. The names they were given upon birth, those were their true names.

Talant studied me. “I won’t do that without his permission.”

I nodded. I could respect that. “Okay.”

“Any other conditions?”

“Only one. He will be bound to Devil Springs until I’m sure of him and his motivations.”

“Bound to the town? For how long?” he asked.

I wanted to roll my eyes because I’d already answered that. “Until I’m sure of him, Talant. Whether that takes weeks or months, that’s up to him.”

Talant’s eyes glittered as he stared at me. “What else?”

“That’s it.”

It wasn’t, but I knew he wouldn’t agree to the others. It was also enough for me to figure out a way to contain Talant’s brother if he proved to be even worse than the warlocks siphoning his power.

The muscles in his jaw ticked. I could tell he wasn’t happy with my conditions, but I had him and his brother backed into a corner. It was only fair because Talant had backed me into a corner with his reasoning. He was right. It wasn’t safe to leave his brother where he was. Sommerton had already proven that. So had his brother. But there was no way in hell I was unleashing a long-imprisoned god upon unsuspecting humans.

“I will share your conditions with him,” Talant said. “He might not be happy, but he will agree. He has no other choice. So be ready.”

“I’m always ready,” I replied, taking a sip of my tea.

Talant shook his head. “My brother is capable of many things, but he excels at getting under someone’s skin. It’s not just a talent, it’s a skill.”

I studied him, knowing my expression was skeptical. “And?”

“And I don’t think you’re quite ready for the torture of being confined with him.”

“I’m sure I’ll survive.”

A small smirk curved his lips. “Oh, I know you will. But I am a little worried whether or not he will.”

I leaned forward, curling both hands around my mug. “I promise I won’t kill your brother for annoying me. But I can’t promise I won’t maim him.”

Talant reached for his cup, mimicking my pose by cradling it between both hands. He leaned forward on his elbows.

Then, he changed the subject.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” he asked.

I was going to blow him off. He didn’t need my private thoughts or feelings. But I found myself answering him. I didn’t know why. Maybe it was because the sardonic edge that often accompanied his words was absent.

“I haven’t slept much since you woke. There’s something…”

I shrugged and stared down at my tea. The liquid was a light amber and it shimmered in the dim light of the kitchen. I could almost see the faint glimmer of magic floating through it like threads of gold.

“There’s something what?” he asked.

I looked back up at him and noticed the predatory air that typically clung to him had vanished. The otherworldly aura that usually radiated from him was dormant, as though he’d pulled the strength of his magic and his mind deep within himself, hiding it completely.

He looked like a man rather than a god. A particularly gorgeous man, but a man all the same.

“Minerva?”

Goddess, the way he said my name. It was like a physical touch every time. His voice was velvety, dark, and deep.

“Something is missing,” I answered. “I feel as though I’ve forgotten something vital. Or that it’s been removed without my knowledge, like a flower pulled up by the root. There’s nothing but a ragged hole where the memory should be.”

His golden-brown eyes were serious as he studied me.

“It started after your awakening,” I continued.

I wasn’t entirely sure why I was still talking, but I couldn’t seem to stop.

“I just can’t settle. There’s a restlessness inside me. Like I’m waiting for something.”

His eyes sparked with a ruby light, the red tinting the amber color of his irises. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something sincere. Something insightful.

Then, he ruined it.

“You’ve been waiting for me,” he said. “I’m what you’ve been missing.”

And there was the arrogant asshole I’d come to know in the past couple of weeks. I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I drained the tea left in my mug and got to my feet.

“Good night, Talant. Let me know what your brother says.”