Blue Blood (Series of Blood Book 3) by Emma Hamm (books to read this summer .txt) 📕

“Yes.”

Their relationship was more of a nightmare than Jasper had thought. He turned away from them as Wolfgang spoke.

“He didn’t tell his men what was happening.”

“What?” Lyra asked. “How do they not know what he’s doing?”

“He told no one.”

“Shit. Then what are we supposed to do? Just wait and see what happens?”

“He devoured a Howler.” Wolfgang’s voice shook.

Jasper turned then. “A what?”

“A Howler. They can summon people and creatures as long as they know their true name.”

“Mercy doesn’t even know her real name. She was named by Ignes.”

Malachi’s deep voice silenced them all. “Margaret Freeman! I summon you!”

“That name,” Jasper whispered. A pained expression marred his face as he looked towards Lyra.

She was staring over his shoulder with furrowed brows. “Jasper, it’s her.”

He started to turn, but Lyra grabbed his face. Her nails dug into his cheeks as she forced him to remain still. “You stay with me. You do nothing rash or dangerous. We will help you, but you cannot do anything other than stay with us.”

Jasper did not respond. He pulled against her hold, stilling only when she hissed at him.

“Jasper! It is not good. It’s not good what he did to her, and we will get back at him. But you have to stay with me.”

Water began leaking from Lyra’s ears. There were moments when she was sensitive, but Jasper could count on one hand the amount of times she had been affected like this. Those times had been when the loss of life was so overwhelming that even Lyra couldn’t restrain her emotions.

She shook him. “Promise me, Jasper.”

He lifted a hand to touch her shoulder. He was so large compared to her, always had been. It had been his sole purpose in life to protect her, for such a very long time.

“I will do what I must,” he replied.

“You do not die for her. You die for no one. Not today.”

He smiled. “We take nothing with us, so we must take what we can in life. I will take her or no one.”

Lyra’s lip trembled, and she sucked in a shaky breath. “I cannot let you go.”

Malachi’s voice was booming, but Jasper did not hear what he had to say. He did not care what the tyrant thought might be important to the people in the crowd. He did not care whether they believed his words or not. Malachi was a genius at getting people to do what he wanted.

Today, Malachi would learn the feeling of failure.

Jasper let his hands drop from Lyra’s shoulder as she released him. He turned to place a hand firmly against the dirt, which dug into his palms. His eyes rose from the pale colors of the ground to look up at the podium where the woman he loved stood.

Mercy stood proud above the throngs of people shouting at her, shoulders squared. Her hands were relaxed at her sides, and her neck held high with pride.

Malachi had dressed her in a ceremonial robe. White and pure on top, it faded into a deep blue around her ankles. The ends of the long, bell sleeves were dyed in blue, and covered her hands.

A blindfold had been wrapped around her eyes. Only then did he realize what she was truly wearing. The blue was not dye.

It was her blood.

The blindfold was shredded at her temples, the tatters stuffed into her mouth as a gag. Twin rivers of blood streamed down her cheeks from where her eyes should have been. She could not speak. She could not see. Malachi had mutilated her.

Jasper’s eyes devoured these details while his body locked into place. She was a pillar of strength surrounded by madness and pain. There was nothing he could do for her now.

“Jasper.” The rough whisper came from Burke. “I know this is usually my place, but considering who that is…tell us what to do.”

He hesitated. What could he tell them to do? Malachi had his hands upon Mercy and had inflicted so much pain. They could rush the podium, but the angry crowd of Malachi’s supporters would stop them. He could teleport to her, but Malachi must have predicted that.

There was nothing. There was no way to save her, no way to help her.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know.”

He tore his eyes off Mercy to look at his friends. Helpless. They stared back at him with equal measures of shock and horror.

“What do we do?” he asked them.

Before they could answer, Malachi spoke again.

“Margaret, there are many here who are guilty of sin. I want you to look into their souls and wipe the earth clean.”

The words reverberated through the square. The crowd fell silent with confusion, but Jasper knew exactly what Malachi’s plan was. All along, it had been the same plan.

He reached for his friends and pulled them all towards him. He felt the scorching heat of fire on his back just as they teleported from the square. His magic brought them to the one place he was certain would be safe.

The World Tree.

“Stay here,” he ordered “Stay safe.”

“What’s going on?” Wolfgang shouted.

“She’s going to destroy everything,” Jasper told them. “He just gave her permission to hit the reset button.”

“How?” Lyra asked.

“He must be her master. I don’t have time to explain; I have to stop her.”

“Not alone!” she cried out.

“Alone. You’re safe here.” He looked over his friends one last time, sending a silent prayer to any god who might be listening to keep them safe. “You were good friends, and I am honored to have fought by your sides.”

“Don’t you dare!”

He teleported back to the square.

Heat blasted his skin. Great pulses of fire radiated from the podium. He ducked behind the statue, using it as a shield from Mercy’s power.

Between the pulses, he peered around the corner. She floated above the ground with her arms raised, her head tilted back, and blood dripping from her toes. Alone. Her hair whipped in wind created by her magic.

Her form was warped, not quite human anymore as her blue blood