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I closed my eyes and took a breath.
“It was him, wasn’t it? The one that tried to claim you.”
“I said I took care of it. I don’t need you trying to protect me from something that’s not a threat.”
“The fact that his bite almost killed you and I had to save your life says otherwise.” My cheek flushed.
“He showed up as I was leaving. I punched him in the nose. Then Nog went after him while I walked away. That’s the end of that story.”
He hummed, clearly not believing me.
“Look, I don’t have a reason to lie to you. We agreed you and your people wouldn’t harm him. I expect you to hold up your part of that bargain.”
He hummed again, this time more like an aggravated snarl.
“So where are we staying?” Clara said, changing the subject. The blush drained away from my face as I whipped my head in her direction.
“You’re not staying anywhere,” I said, looking at her incredulously. “You need to go home.”
Clara snorted. “Cute. I’m not leaving you here with the Soulless One. If you stay, I stay.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I just agreed to stay so I could get you home.”
Clara shrugged. “It’s six months versus forever. I’ll live—and I’ll make sure you do too.” Her eyes narrowed on Caius who stared right back.
“I have no intention of killing her.”
“That’s not the same thing asnotkilling her,” Clara pointed out. “We’re a packaged deal.”
A frown formed between his brows as he considered her. “Am I going to regret letting you stay?”
“I never have been good at telling the future.” Clara flashed him a saccharine smile. “But I’m not leaving. If you force me, I will keep fighting your stooges on the outside to get back through that portal every day of every week of every month. I am a powerful witch and I’m relentless.”
He sighed, muttering something under his breath that I didn’t understand. I used that moment to cut in.
“Hardheadedness runs in the family. Just . . . let her stay.”
“Fair enough. Having family here is ... comforting. It helps with the transition.”
“Yeah, not the word I’d use,” I said, my tone flat. “With that all settled, can someone show me to my room? Today has been a lot to process.”
It wasn’t every day you learned most of your life had been a lie, and you almost die but end up being saved by the one entity you thought wanted to kill you. Top it off with an interdimensional field trip? Definitely fell into the category of worst days ever.
“Hey, Pol,” he called out, placing a hand on his hip while he looked at the ground. He used his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I know you’re eavesdropping. Make yourself useful and send for Isobel. Have her ready their rooms.”
“Plural?” Clara piped up, asking the same question that had immediately come to mind.
“Already did that about ten minutes ago,” he yelled back, his voice getting further away as he spoke.
Caius chuckled, then held his hand out, gesturing for us to go in front of him as we exited. Grabbing the bags I dropped, we then headed to our rooms. I tried to keep track of the twists and turns we took, but quickly got lost. Clara’s troubled frown made me think the same happened to her.
A woman stood at the end of a hallway, large black doors on each side. With a modest smile and polite curtsy, she greeted us as we approached.
“Isobel, this is my mate. Please see?—”
“Not his mate,” I cut in quickly. While I had no idea how I would get out of Tartarus without dying—or giving up what I guarded from him—accepting him as my mate was out of the question, and being introduced as such was a no-go from me. “Just Reagan.”
The warmth of her expression quickly soured the moment I shut him down, and that caught me off guard.
