Behind the Veil: 3 (Temptation Unveiled) Read Free Page B

Your
weakness. He’ll be able to tell.
    She grabbed his arm and pushed him forward. “Walk, genius. I
already told Raj I didn’t need therapy. Though I’m thrilled you would travel
all this way just to give me one of your famous pep talks.”
    They were famous because the bastard was usually right. “Even
if I was doing a little bit of running, could you blame me, Kyle? You
know what I’ve been through since that damned book came into our lives. I wish
he’d never given it to Meru. I’d hate Myrddin for that alone. For filling us
all in on the fun fact that we’re not even close to normal. That Druids are
more than weird freaks in robes.” She pursed her lips in disgust, feeling
bitter. “We are the only ones who can save the world, according to him.
My family against the monster horde. Now he’s seduced my mother, dazzled my
cousin and convinced them both that I have some ability I’m not sharing.”
    Sheridan let go of him and held out her hand, watching it
tremble, more with emotion than cold. “He dragged us into this fight without
caring what kind of danger we’d be in. Now we’re the focus of the Dark and that jackass who leads them—from a prison they said no one could escape,
mind you. We’ve been chased. We’ve been kidnapped and uprooted and fought over
like a goddamned bone. And because we’re not cursed werewolves or gifted with
immortality, because we don’t have a magical fucking sword, we’re the
ones who could suffer and die. It isn’t fair. We weren’t ready for this.”
    Only they had been ready, hadn’t they? Meru and Lily
were both thriving in this new reality. Her mother she could understand—a
self-described pagan, Lily was used to spells and enchantments. Used to naked
chanting and incense. Used to crazy. And Meru had spent her life studying all
things old and weird.
    The only thing that had been a surprise was the way
she lost every trace of shyness the instant Damon arrived on the scene. Sheridan
snorted, thinking of the long sleepless nights before she’d asked for Raj’s
help and came to his mountain. Nights spent listening to passionate animalistic
growls and high-pitched cries of pleasure coming from her cousin’s bedroom. But
it wasn’t just about sex. Since she’d discovered her gift of true sight, Meru
had blossomed in every way.
    They had been born for this. They hadn’t
flinched.
    Sheridan was the one lacking. She’d chased down criminals
for a living and loved to fight the good fight, yet she was the weak link in
the family chain. Even after all this time in the damn back of beyond, she
still felt fear and shame when she remembered how she’d failed to see the
danger in time and allowed herself to be used as a distraction. Tortured
because of her perceived value. And yes, she was afraid it could happen again.
Or worse, that it would happen to someone who counted on her to save them. And
she would fail.
    Only one thing scared her more—the knowledge that it was
just a matter of time before they discovered she was tainted by the Dark .
That thing that was Eonis might be physically dead, but a part of him was still
in her head. Torturing her. Reminding her of how completely she’d fucked up.
    If she had any power in her blood from her ancestor, he must
have taken it along with her pride. She was amazed Raj hadn’t noticed by now. Didn’t
he see that she hadn’t really had any magical epiphanies? Not the kind Meru had
described when she came into her powers. And until she did, she wouldn’t be
ready to face what came next.
    You know what will happen if you tell them you hear
voices in your head or that you have this darkness inside you. We both know.
They’ll never trust you again. Not even Meru. You’ll be all alone…or you’ll be
dead at their hands.
    “I see.” The disappointment in Kyle’s voice shattered her
far more than her morbid inner dialogue. “Was Nyc right then?”
    “Nyc?” Sheridan suddenly remembered Raj’s earlier comment.