Free 9781631052415ShadowedSpiritBeck by Paloma Beck

continue to be earned.” Madden nodded toward Gemma who continued on.
    “Right, as some of my research I’ve just recently been
working through suggests, this struggle may have been foretold in our history,
but simply misinterpreted,” Gemma began.
    “Misinterpreted for centuries? How is that even possible?”
Donovan asked , his tone laced in anger and disbelief.
    Tony Sinster, Sadie’s father spoke up, “The study of our
race and its history has occurred in secret. We could never risk discovery so
we relied only on our own researchers. That limits the field. We’ve uncovered
as much as possible. It was my daughter here,” he paused and grinned a proud smile at Gemma, “who tapped into a passage that was largely overlooked,
seemingly unimportant.”
    Gemma cleared her throat and read from an old book nearly as
big as her body.
    In the time of the
fulfillment, the days upon which the prophecy of the seven will come to be seen
in our lands, those who would spite the dawning will react. There will be
dissention among you, but those with honor and power, those without sin, will
prevail.
    “It was always interpreted to mean that other women of the
Magdalena Circle will feel jealous of those with the ability to fulfill the
prophecy, but I don’t believe that’s true anymore,” Gemma explained.
    “Given the new information and knowing that our own
Valendite Breed males, or at least one, have been involved in this rebellion
against our race, I agree with Gemma’s interpretation. The uprising is part of
the prophecy. Since it speaks of ‘those without sin prevailing’, I’m also in
agreement that while we will aid them and have done everything we can up to
this point to keep them safe and our secret secure, the future is truly in the
hands of the women seated around this table.”
    Granger couldn’t help, but notice Layla reach over to
squeeze Madden’s hand. He did the same with his mate, needing to feel Sadie’s
skin against his own.
    “We still have time, correct? We have until Gracie is
mated?” Eloise asked.
    All eyes turned to Sadie’s only unmated sister, Gracie, who
sat in the corner beside Madden’s sister Davina. The two women who’d obviously
become good friends looked as if they had a secret, but neither spoke.
    Chiara Sinster cleared her throat. “I believe it would be
wise to clear the way, as some might say, so when the final stage of the
prophecy is fulfilled, the threats are gone.”
    “I couldn’t agree more,” Adelina, the Santucci matriarch,
agreed.
    Madden now cleared his throat and brought the attention back
to him. “I’m in agreement. Caedon is going to lay out the plan as we’ve best
determined. The complication lies in the elimination of the offending Valendite
breed male, or possibly males, since it’s forbidden to murder within our own
race.”
    Granger interrupted. “The men Trevor and I eliminated, the
ones we believed to be the last of the group, were they it for the humans?’
    Caedon nodded. “We believed so. Now though, it appears this
Mase character has a few working with him as well. They’re likely to be more
like lackeys, but they’ll be more casualties.”
    “I’ve done satellite scans of all areas where this group at
any time operated and found no movement or suspicious activity,” Lucas added.
    “So we are focused on Mase and his specific location then,”
Granger confirmed.
    Sadie’s hand gripped him with more strength and he knew—he
could sense—how difficult this was for her. He knew she felt responsible for
what Mase knew and how close he’d gotten through her relationship with him.
    “I’ve got the specs on Mase, as well as the former housekeeper.
Samra still works for him at his home in San Francisco, but there’s been no
sighting of him since Trevor and Granger went on their trek to eliminate the
humans involved.” Lucas passed around folders while Caedon popped on the
overhead projection.
    As the details were discussed and the basic