Free Lured to the Night (The Brotherhood Series Book 4) by Adele Clee Page B

flare in her stomach at the mere mention of blood. It had been hours since she had last taken sustenance. Running so frantically through the forest, coupled with the violent attack on Ivana in the bailey, had served to deplete her strength. She needed to drink, and soon.
    Leo took his wife’s hand and squeezed it. “There are others like us too, other friends who have taken the elixir to cleanse their blood. Using the notes detailing the process, I have managed to replicate the cure.”
    “And you have brought this elixir, this cure with you?” Isla held her breath as she waited for confirmation. There were still many questions she wanted to ask. The most prominent in her mind being how they knew where to find her.
    Leo jerked his head towards the door. “Yes. We have the cure. We brought it with us from Bavaria. It is in our carriage, nestled safely inside a mahogany box. All you need to do is drink it, and you will walk in the sun again.”

 
     
    Chapter 8
     
     
     
    Lachlan sat back in the chair and followed the conversation regarding the cure with some trepidation. Only a few hours ago, he had stood in the Great Hall trying to quell the wealth of emotion that surfaced upon seeing Isla again. He could cope with her jibes and taunts. Guilt often made people react in such a way as to see blame cast on another. Anger was nothing more than a mask. Given a few more years, he could learn to live with all he had lost. But the evening had brought one shocking revelation after another, and he was not sure where to begin when it came to analysing his feelings.
    He sucked in a breath and pondered what it was that disturbed him the most. Surprisingly, her deformed features: pointed fangs and eyes bulging with ugly red veins, did not affect him. Many people suffered from debilitating illnesses. Of course, her condition was somewhat feral and unconventional. But her wild, spirited character is what he loved about her.
    No. What he struggled to accept was that Nikolai had compelled her into submission. And he had done nothing to assist her. Resentment had festered, forcing him to ignore his instincts, forcing him to leave her at the mercy of a hound.
    He silently cursed.
    “So how did you come to know of the cure?” Isla’s sweet voice disturbed his reverie.
    Lachlan straightened, keen to hear the answer to her question. If Isla insisted on taking the cure, he wanted to know everything about it, every intricate detail no matter how small or irrelevant.
    Leo cleared his throat. “Nikolai worked with a great scholar, a man with a vast knowledge of plants and herbs, a skilled alchemist and geologist. Years of research and experiments finally led him to discover a potion that worked to cleanse the blood. We must assume that Nikolai compelled him to find a cure for the affliction.”
    Douglas sat forward and rubbed his hands together in front of the fire. “I’ve met the scholar ye speak of, but I doubt Nikolai had the ability to overpower him.”
    Leo inhaled loudly. “You’ve met him? You’ve met Talliano? How can that be?”
    “Talliano? I cannae recall his name. He came here with Nikolai some fifteen years ago, said they were interested in the history of the area, and we had nae reason to be suspicious of their motives.”
    Leo shuffled to the edge of his seat, a heavy frown marring his brow. “What makes you think Nikolai lacked the skill necessary to compel his friend? You have witnessed the way he manipulated Isla. He used his mind magic to force her to marry him.”
    Douglas gave a frustrated wave. “Aye, but ye need to be infected in order to have the ability to play with people’s heads. Nikolai was nae suffering with it when he came here the first time.”
    Ivana’s head shot up in surprise. “But you must be mistaken. The most vital ingredient in the elixir is haematite. That is surely the reason they came here. According to Talliano’s notebook, your mine is rich in iron. Why would they need to find a