THE DARK SIRE: ACCOLADES (Special Edition Issue, March 2021) | Page 71

midnight . I had plenty of time to get the answers I needed . “ Why in the hell would Hawthorne want the pendent ? He doesn ’ t have the ability to use it properly .” I looked back at him , “ Well , Alek ?”
Alek tried to avoid my eyes , but he knew it wouldn ’ t help . Sighing , he said , “ Hawthorne is hunting for it on Damascus ’ orders . He is supposed to find it as quickly as possible . But I don ’ t know what Damascus wants with it . Honest !”
“ Hmmm . Damascus is hunting for the pendent . Things have just gotten all the more intriguing .” I grabbed my dagger from my thigh , meaning to clean Alek ’ s blood from it , when he fell to the ground on his knees before me , trembling in fear .
“ Alright ! I ’ ll tell you ! Just don ’ t kill me ! Damascus wants to keep the Obyri Pendent out of your hands . He says its power is something you would greatly desire if you knew what it could do . That it is the only way you can break Lazarius ’ hold over you ! But that ’ s all I know , I swear !”
I stopped dead for a moment , the night wind blowing my hair around my face . I was taken aback by this little nugget of information dumped in my lap , but it made things much simpler to understand .
I grabbed Alek by his shirt and pulled him upright . “ He told you this , did he ?”
“ No , I overheard him talking to some other vampire a few weeks ago about it . The other vampire said that the pendent must be found before you discovered its location ! They had no idea I was listening !”
“ Well , now that ’ s too bad for you . Because Damascus will have no idea why you were killed , will he ?” And with that , I sank my fangs deep into his neck , draining both his blood and his life-force . If anyone knew about my connection to Lazarius , then they had to be
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