Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 by Victoria Aveline (books to read for teens TXT) 📕

won’t. My orders were only to bring you in.” He tossed something toward Verakko. “Spray yourself, and I vow I won’t hurt her.”

Lily angled her head so she could see Verakko. He held a small silver cylinder in his hand. His eyes were furious and wild, flashing between her and the Strigi, but they’d returned to their normal shade of green.

He lifted the cylinder a few inches, and recognition hit. A silver object like that had been the last thing she’d seen before passing out on Earth. The purple alien who’d barged into her backyard without warning had sprayed her with one of those.

His brows drew together. “You vow you’ll leave her behind?”

He’s going to sacrifice himself? For me? Terror and worry and anger hit her all at once. What the fuck is he doing? She tried to call out, to tell him to drop the bottle, but the pressure on her throat was too great. There was no way she’d let him be taken. Not if there was any way for her to stop it.

***

A trickle of blood slid down Lily’s pale neck and onto the dirt. A savage rattle tore through his chest. This male might not die today, but he’d die soon. And painfully. If only Verakko could focus his mind enough to sway. His gaze flew to Lily, sprawled on the ground under the male’s deadly wing. Fear shot through his veins like ice, muddling his thoughts.

The Strigi placed more pressure on Lily’s neck and shouted, “Choose!”

All of the air seemed to fly from Verakko’s lungs at Lily’s first gasp. He raised the spray to his face.

A flash of silver near Lily streaked through the air and disappeared into the Strigi’s wing. He stumbled back, roaring in pain as she crawled away, coughing and inhaling deep, ragged breaths. Verakko clutched the bottle and grinned evilly. He leapt, clearing the few feet between him and the sputtering male.

The Strigi’s eyes grew wide. He attempted to shoot into the sky. But Verakko leapt again, catching his legs and wrenching him down so hard the male’s face smashed into the leaf-strewn ground. Settling his weight on the Strigi’s back, Verakko wrapped his arms around the base of the male’s wings, binding them together, then savagely wrenched downward.

The Strigi screamed and flailed under him.

“You think you can hurt my female? Make her bleed?” He rotated his arms, twisting the shattered bones of the once-powerful wings. “The pain is unbearable. You want to pass out, but you can’t,” Verakko swayed, a vicious bloodlust pulsing through him. The male shrieked again, releasing a throaty sob.

He could hear his name in the distance. Someone was yelling. Asking him to stop. He twisted again. My Lily. My mivassi. My mate. No mercy.

Then she was kneeling in front of them.

“Get back!” he roared as the Strigi reached for her wildly.

“Please!” the male screamed.

Bitter fear hit his nostrils, and his grip tightened.

Her hands shot forward and clutched both sides of his face. A loud ringing sounded in his ears, but he focused on her. Her eyes streamed with tears and she mouthed, Stop.

Confusion hit first, but gradually, his sense returned. “Look away,” he snarled.

Her eyes widened before she spun and stumbled away. Away from me.

Without a second thought, he released the male’s wings. With a quick jerk of his hands, he snapped the Strigi’s neck and sprinted after Lily.

She slipped and fell, her bare feet sliding on wet leaves. He came to a halt in front of her and reached out to pull her close, his eyes running over every inch of her he could see for evidence of injuries.

She rolled to face him, her eyes flashing to his as she hastily scooted away. The pungent scent of fear spiked.

Is she afraid of me? Verakko’s breathing hitched. He reached a hand toward her, then stilled, noticing the knife still clutched in her fingers.

Her hand was shaking where she gripped the hilt, her eyes wide, pupils dilated. She must be in shock.

In one swift movement, he snatched her wrist, making her cry out. He squeezed until she dropped her weapon, then pulled her into his arms. Her body remained stiff for a moment before she finally shuddered and threw her arms around his neck.

“Lily, it’s okay. It’s me. You’re safe,” he swayed.

She nodded into his shoulder, digging her nails into his back.

His heart was still racing, matching the beat of her heart thumping against his chest. For the first time in his life, he didn’t regret the pain he’d caused.

He leaned down and whispered into her hair. “I’m going to take you somewhere safe. Alright?”

Without waiting for her reply, he stashed the fallen knife in his pocket, cradled her against his chest, and sprinted for the tunnel. His eyes kept darting to the sky as he ran even though, logically, he understood no other Strigi would know where they were. He stooped to collect her wet shoes and the discarded bag from the shore, barely slowing his pace.

He scanned the sky again and tried to convince himself that the threat had passed.

Even so, the dark confines of the tunnel route to Mithrandir was the most secure place Verakko knew of in the unlikely event another Strigi lurked close by. No individual from any of the winged races would choose a black tunnel over the open sky.

Lily shook in his arms, clutching at him desperately. When he found the hidden entry pad again, he dripped a bit of venom onto his thumb and pressed it onto the concealed scanner. The door swung open with a soft whoosh, and he slid inside.

Chapter 14

The Swadaeth tunnel, built to transport precious goods from Mithrandir to the forest city of Sauven, had very little light. Partially because lighting the rarely used winding passage through the