Page 292 of Sky’s Edge

Vanished.

With not a drop of water.

And, except that groan, no fanfare.

Berg was now as it was meant to be.

Dark. Forbidding. Intimidating.

Demon.

“I knew I liked you,” Nayden quipped.

Another hysterical bubble of laughter was forming in my throat.

I didn’t unleash it this time because Tanyn’s Palm sounded.

This was one of those moments I recognized would be moments that I had to learn to live with, because we’d just shared avowals of love, and survived another attack, and learned one of my dearest friends was a member of a long-since-thought-extinct tribe of badasses, so I wanted to go upstairs and, first, celebrate, then debrief.

But we’d just survived an attack.

Therefore, he had to be something else he’d been born to be.

He had to be king.

Tanyn pulled the Palm out, and I was still held close, so I saw the screen.

The comm was from Aleksei.

Tanyn took it.

Nayden and I (and Hurley) waited.

Both Nayden and I (also Hurley, because he whined) knew it was not good news when Tanyn swept his expression clean.

“Right,” Tanyn said curtly. “We were attacked too.”

I stiffened.

Too?

“Two deaths, more casualties. Catla was targeted, and I have a fuck ton more to brief you on, Lex,” he said. He paused. And then, “That’d be good. We’ll do that. I’m on Mac. You’re on Bain.” Another pause and, “Right. Until then.”

He ended the comm.

I fisted his sweater in my hand.

“Are they okay?” I asked urgently.

“They’re fine.”

I relaxed, slightly, because Tanyn had not.

“What is it?” I pushed.

“The jail where Arnaud was being held was attacked tonight.”

“Fuck!” Nayden exploded.