Blood Solstice: Part Three in the Tale of Lunarmorte by Samantha Young

the reason our Coven is
falling apart, that my sister, one of the greatest magiks of our
time, killed herself trying to save some low-bred lykan
pups!”
    “ Do you hear yourself?” Ryder countered, as Lucien got to his
feet. “You sound like a Midnight.”
    Marita
flinched. “How dare you? I have no racial prejudice against other
species, but no society, natural or supernatural, can survive
without class order. My sister, a witch of noble lineage, should
not have had to die for five common lykans.”
    A growl
erupted from Lucien’s chest so suddenly he was just as taken aback
as the insane witch in front of him. “Your sister was a hero. She
has upheld her place within your ‘noble lineage’ as you call it.
You… have shit all over it. And you can bet when you travel to the
Underworld the dead won’t be as understanding as the idiots in this
Centre pandering to your lunacy.”
    She made
no comment but he was satisfied by the paling pallor of her skin.
She narrowed her eyes and straightened her shoulders, pretending
his words hadn’t affected her. “I just came to warn you that your
time is nearly up. I will be executing the Council in a few days
and with it… I will be executing you. By then I hope to have found
your precious mate so she can witness your death. Before I send her
to her own.”
     

***
     
    She
couldn’t catch her breath. She could feel the others hovering
outside the bedroom door, their worry and grief adding to the thick
claustrophobia she felt clawing at her throat. How could Marion be
dead?
    A sob caught in the back of her throat, but she refused to
let the tears spill. They all thought she was in here crying her
heart out but in truth she was trying to plug the hole the death
had made in it. She was trying to force her brain to switch off, to
pretend that Marion was alive, that she hadn’t died trying to
protect the children she had left alone down in that lab. Oh goddess, it
was like losing Sebastian all over again.
    No, she snarled at herself,
physically shaking her head as if she could empty the thoughts
right out of her ears.
    “ Caia,” Reuben’s cool voice filtered through the
door.
    She took
a deep breath. She could do this. She had no other choice but to do
this. Slowly, she made her way to the door and peeled it open,
unsurprised by the four anxious faces staring back at her. Caia
frowned. “Where is Saffron?”
    Jaeden’s
lip trembled a little. “She’s gone back to look after the children.
She’s keeping them safe whilst we…” she stopped, her huge blue eyes
glimmering with pity. “Caia, are you going to be OK?”
    She
shouldered past them, quite a feat considering how small she was
compared to the three of them acting as a wall. “I don’t want to
discuss it.”
    “ But, Cy-”
    “ I said I don’t want to discuss it.” She whirled around on
them, completely unaware of how much she looked and sounded like a
young queen commanding her army to obey. Jaeden stiffened a little
but nodded, clamping her mouth shut. Reuben was staring at Caia in
admiration (unnerving, to say the least) whilst Vil merely looked
uncomfortable. Laila, however, slowly made her way towards her and
Caia braced herself. If the girl said anything comforting she knew
she was going to fall apart. But the Midnight merely placed a
soothing hand on her shoulder and said softly, “We should go to the
Council member’s families at once, Caia.”
    At her
touch, an almost medicinal peace flowed through her and the lump at
the back of her throat eased, her lungs opened up allowing the air
to flow freely.
    “ You’re right.” She nodded stoically, feeling far more
confident she could continue on with the plan, despite her
grief.
    Jaeden
strode forward, the pity gone from her face to be replaced with a
far more familiar determination and mulishness. “We aren’t going
anywhere until we rescue the pack.”
    “ Jaeden-” Reuben began to warn her, but Caia help a hand up to
quiet him. She took a