Sacrifice Read Online Free PDF Page B

wanted Evan to relax and I hated seeing him in pain.
    “What areas do you want to cover, Delia?” Evan asked after taking a couple deep breaths.
    “All.”
    “Further than the Sierras?” Nikolas asked as he raised a brow.
    “Yes, Niko,” I said. “The entire continent.”
    “Underground?” Evan asked, although he already knew the answer.
    “Absolutely,” I said. “Search the seas and land.”
    “I love a challenge!” Nikolas chuckled. “And I have a suggestion – a wine cellar in the mine. The meetings could be so much more enjoyable with refreshments, don’t you think?” Niko chuckled, boisterously.
    I couldn’t help but laugh and neither could Evan and Victor. Nikolas was a descendant of the Olympian Dionysus, the jolly God of Wine, therefore I was convinced that the finest wine pumped through his veins.
    “Nikolas, would you escort Victor back home?” I asked as I watched Victor’s jaw tighten.
    “I can get there on my own.” Victor interjected, stiffly.
    “I’m sure you can,” I said and witnessed a faint smile creep across Evan’s face. Victor caught a glimpse of Evan’s smirk as well. This only irritated him even more. “But that’s not the point.”
    “I don’t need a chaperone, Cordelia.” Victor’s face flushed. I wasn’t going to waste time protecting his wounded ego. He needed protection, and his ego would have to heal on its own time.
    “Niko, would you mind, I need to speak with Evan, privately.”
    “Not at all.” Nikolas eyed Victor, raising an eyebrow, and then spoke in a dramatic voice. “Come along young fire breather, I will show you the way .”
    Victor smirked at Niko, and then glared at me for a moment. He was not amused. He said nothing and walked past Evan and me, heading out of the mine. Finally, we were alone. When Evan reached for my hand, I took it, desperately. I felt his squeeze of assurance immediately.
    “I think it may be time to fortify Victor with his powers,” I said. “It’s becoming harder to keep him secluded and protected.”
    “It’s too soon,” Evan said too quickly. His eyes darted around the cave and finally paused on mine. The dimness of the mine made his eyes look like two glowing turquoise stones. It was my turn to squeeze his hand reassuringly.
    “I believe he can be very instrumental in the search,” I said, anxiously. Why was I so nervous talking to Evan about this?
    “I didn’t think you wanted him on this mission.” Evan’s brows tightened in the center of his forehead.
    “What gave you that idea?”
    “The fact that he was very much involved in the deaths of your parents, even if he didn’t physically kill them, is what,” Evan snapped and his face grew red.
    “Evan, Victor has come a long way from morphing into an evil gargoyle and he wants to be a part of our family again. His family.”
    “His desire for you doesn’t mean that he’ll be trustworthy. He has not passed the test.”
    “What test?” I quizzed and Evan paused.
    I realized that we weren’t holding hands anymore, and he was strategically blocking me from reading his mind. I hated when he walled off his thoughts. Also, I didn’t like fighting with Evan. We never did unless it was about Victor.
    “Delia, he’s not ready. He hasn’t been put in a situation where he can prove where his loyalties lie. Until then, we can’t risk the empire’s safety. We must wait.”
    “Wait for what? For the Apolluon to devour him? And what about the Lykanos?”
    “And what about the werewolves?” Evan shrugged, seeming completely uninterested.
    “They want revenge and you know they answer to Hades now that Victor’s spell over them has been broken. Even if Victor wore silver chains all over his body, it wouldn’t prevent those beastly wolves from tearing him apart at the first sighting of him.” Surely, Evan had to see my point.
    “Well he shouldn’t have killed their leader and brainwashed their pack into doing his dirty work,” Evan countered,