Page 177 of Eternal Surrender

He moved away, head down.

“Something must have happened for Sunaria to assume Paradom is Dominion.” I said, pushing Lucas for an answer.

“Jacob’s visited Paradom for decades.” Lucas’s face flushed as though with remorse for not telling me. “Sunaria followed Jacob a week ago. By the time Jacob realized she’d tracked him, it was too late.”

“Go on.”

“About one hundred years ago, what happened to you also happened to Paradom. His ashes were joined with another vampire.” Lucas looked nervous. “Jacob visits him out of guilt.”

“Why?”

“Paradom looks the way he does because of a failed attempt by Jacob to separate him.”

I wave of nausea hit me.

Realization hit like a physical blow. The weight of his words, the impossibility of them. The room tilted, the world spinning, everything blurring as the truth of what he was implying finally sank in.

Lucas looked grave. “Paradom is no longer joined with anyone.”

“What?”

“The failure of the attempt left Paradom looking the way he does.”

“What happened to the other vampire?” I asked, my voice tense.

Jacob’s eyes were downcast.

“He died?” I said it for him, my legs unsteady.

Lucas gestured his reassurance. “That won’t happen to you. We’ll get the scrolls. Fabian and I will ensure your survival.”

I tasted fear.

The truth lay bare at last. One of us might survive, but twisted into something unrecognizable, while the other would be dead. It was the most horrifying thing I’d ever heard.

“Jacob didn’t want you to disappear.” Lucas shrugged. “You seeing Paradom could have you refusing to revert.”

And no one could blame me for that.

“He’s lucky Paradom didn’t tell me what happened to him,” I said. And then it dawned on me. “Paradom still thinks he’s joined with another vampire?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

I cringed. “So who the hell is Dominion?”

“Jacob refuses to tell me anything,” Lucas admitted. “All I know is he’s hidden where no one will ever look.”

“Lucas, why do I feel I’m caught in the middle of your refusal to trust me.”

“Orpheus was unpredictable,” Lucas said. “I’m trying to protect you from yourself.”

“I’m not Orpheus.”

“That’s partly true.”

“So I’m not going to end up looking like Paradom?” My voice broke. “Unless you fuck up my reversal?”

“We won’t.”