Page 80 of Knight’s Salvation

The bitch sucked in a breath, the hatred that flared sharp enough to cut her to the quick.

Realization moved over her face, and her glare slid to Zenon. “She can sustain you?”

Zenon didn’t answer.

Hatred rolled off Helena in waves. “If I let you keep your daughter, you must give me your word that you will not come after Zenon. He is mine and he stays with me.”

“No.” Mia started to fight again, but he restrained her with no effort.

“I will agree to your terms with one caveat: you will leave anyone with my blood in their veins alone. You go against me on this, and I will find a way to kill you.”

Mia gasped for oxygen, agony gripping her chest at the thought of never seeing Zenon again, of leaving him in the hands of that monster. She dug her nails into the arms banded tightly around her, trying to break free. She fought and screamed, hysterical in her need to get to him.

“Mia.” The strength in Zenon’s voice broke through the haze and she looked over at him. She took in his ravaged face, his swollen lips, the pain in his yellow gaze. “This is how it must be.”

“No. You can’t mean that.” Her words were barely coherent past her sobs.

He looked down. “Take her away.”

Without another word, she was carried from the room. She watched over her father’s shoulder as the bitch, a woman she now knew was her aunt, smiled coldly. Zenon’s head remained down, his hair obscuring his damaged face. His body sagged in the steel frame again, lifeless. She called to him, but he didn’t look up.

Another sob tore from her throat as she fought to get free.

Helena closed the door.

Oh God. She’d never see him again.

Mia was bundled, fighting and screaming, into a waiting limo a short time later. The man who claimed to be her father climbed in after her, trying to subdue her.

She grabbed at him and tore at his jacket. “Please, go back for him. We can’t leave him there.” She was crying, her words almost unintelligible.

He gave her another one of those sympathetic looks. “You must trust him.”

“W-what do you mean? What aren’t you telling me?” She’d gotten a glimpse of that woman’s powers. How could anyone best her?

“Please, Mia. You need to calm yourself.”

She gripped his arm tighter. “The man I love is in the hands of pure evil, and you want me to be calm?”

He ran a hand through his black hair. “He knows what he’s doing.”

* * *

Mia looked across at Marcus,her father, and forced herself to slow her breathing and her still racing heart. They’d been driving around the city for several hours. He refused to let her out because he didn’t trust her not to go after Zenon on her own. Which was perceptive. She knew she couldn’t win, but she couldn’t just sit by and do nothing either.

He also wouldn’t give her the damned answers she wanted.

“Tell me,” she tried again. “Please.”

“You need to trust that Zenon knows what he’s doing,” he said again for the millionth time.

Mia threw up her hands. “Jesus, you sound like Chaya, talking in damn riddles. What is he doing?”

A smile spread across his handsome face. “How is she? I’ve been so busy watching you I’ve not seen her in several months.”

Mia stilled. “She knows about you?”

“Yes. But only after she gained her powers. Like you, I’ve watched her from a distance.”