Page 8 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

We sit and chat for a while longer before Aunty Kiara retreats for the night, and I ask Skyla for a word.

“Sure thing, what’s up?” she asks as Royce smiles at us and excuses himself.

I sit forward, fiddling slightly, before I take a deep breath and look directly at her. “I wanted to ask about Jayce… Did he ever mention anything, like what part hurt him the most?” I whisper, looking down at my hands.

Skyla stands up as she walks over to me and crouches down in front of me, forcing me to make eye contact. “He’s hurt; I guess he felt he wasn’t enough. But he didn’t really say. That’s something only he can really answer. But I do know he still loves you…” She trails off before a sly smile that reminds me of the Grinch crosses her face, and she snaps her fingers. “Yeah, you just got to keep pushing, you know? Break down those walls he’s built.”

I nod. “That wasn’t what you were about to say…”

She waves her hand. “It was; I just thought of something. So, go get some rest, my gorgeous little demon goddess,” she says, tugging my cheek.

“I don’t trust you,” I say suspiciously.

“No one told you to; now off to bed,” she says, standing up.

I nod slowly, but something tells me she’s up to something. She watches until I reach the door before taking out her phone.

I shake my head. Now what is she up to?

Sighing, I decide to head to bed. Tomorrow we’ll be heading back to the Academy, and there’ll be the mission report to write up as well.

Playing Dirty

Leo

“No.” I frown icily at Skyla, who is promising death as she glares at me through the screen.

“Oh, don’t be such a fucking buzzkill,” she growls. “Where’s Azura?”

“Neither of you is going to get me to agree,” I double down. “I’m not sending a nineteen-year-old out there.”

“But you were happy to send my twenty-one-year-old cousin,” she retorts.

“He wanted to go; besides, he’s a prophesied ruler. He’s at an entirely different level.” I don’t have time for this shit. “I have to go-”

“No, you aren’t going anywhere! I fucking need you to do something, because you fucking put them on opposite sides of the globe where they ain’t even got the chance to cross paths!”

“The opposite side of the globe would be if I sent him to New Zealand, and last I checked, I didn’t,” I mock, pointing out the obvious.

She narrows her eyes. “You fucking know what I mean. Now, you better listen before I crush your pierced sausage,” she snarls.

Thanks for sharing that, Baby Girl.

I keep my face indifferent and expressionless.

“What’s going on?” Azura asks from behind as she enters my office. “Is that Sky?”

“ZU!” Skyla practically fucking screams, and I’m about to cut the call, but Azura wraps her hand around my wrist, stopping me.

“Now I’m even more curious,” she says as I turn to look at her. She’s wearing a black satin nightgown, and that dark makeup tells me I’m in for a night of fun, if Skyla doesn’t fucking ruin it.

She’s noticed, too, and she’s smiling like the fucking Cheshire Cat. “Zu, he isn’t going to help bring Sienna and Jayce together. He’s damn selfish.”

Azura raises an eyebrow, and I reach up, tugging her down and kissing her hard, my entire fucking body coming alive, the strain of the day’s work gone in a fucking flash.

“Oh? How so?” Azura asks. “We know you’re anything but selfish, right, Blue-Eyes?”

“It isn’t happening; I’m not sending Sienna to the Siberian Wastelands. First of all, that would be so fucking obvious and only piss Jayce off. Secondly, I don’t think your father or Rayhan would agree,” I point out, glaring coldly at Skyla.