Page 28 of Siren’s Secret

Salis stopped and pulled Wave to the side. Even the one-day difference showed how quickly Tracthesian grounds were being repaired. Most of the plants and hedges were back in top shape, any signs from the battle already swept away.

“Well?” she prompted, when Salis stayed silent.

“The consensus is that the Powerhouses knew about you and that’s why you got all that attention,” Salis hurried the words out, looking worried.

“Okay?”

“Wayla, they are saying that they were only interested in securing an alliance, or that they were scoping out your power levels and since you got dumped, you can’t be that powerful.”

“Sooo? I’m not following. What’s got you looking like someone peed into your morning cereal?”

“If they think you’re weak, they will come after you. Especially now that the Powerhouses, Hellion especially, have made sure that the breakup is real.”

“Ah. They think I can’t hold my own, and now that I’ve lost the Powerhouse favor, they are going to sort the pecking order?”

“Pretty much.”

“And I should be worried about that?”

“Aren’t you?” Salis looked wary. “You always shy away from confrontation unless it’s the Powerhouses you’re going up against.”

“Honey cake, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“What’s fine?” Irishen asked behind her and Wave gave a little shriek.

“Don’t do that!”

“Stop holding your aura in, and I couldn’t do that,” he retorted.

“Holding in? She’s not holding—”

“She is.” Irishen wrapped an arm loosely around her waist and tugged her a half a step back and kissed her cheek. “Good morning, morsel. Did you get your coffee?”

“It’s not morning.” Wave huffed but couldn’t help relaxing against his chest. Part of her wanted to drag Hellion up once again, and another part of her just wanted to enjoy the coolness seeping out of him. Salis’s eyes rounded comically when he looked at their interaction.

“Okay, this is messing with my brain,” he said. “Cupcake, your love life is worse than any human TV drama.”

“Ha,” Wave snorted. Irishen tensed at her back, but when she didn’t pull away, he kissed her cheek again.

“Well, what can I say? I’m smitten with my m—”

Wave slammed her elbow back as hard as she could and shut Irishen up. He grunted but didn’t release his hold on her. She spun to face him.

“I’m not—”

“Yes, you—”

“Never—”

“Time out,” Salis cut in.

Wave blinked and realized that Irishen had wrapped her hair into his fist and was tilting her head back, while she had sunk her nails into his neck. Their noses were touching and the power under Wave’s skin was writhing.

It took Irishen a bit longer to return to the moment, but even when he did, he didn’t flinch or release his hold. He just changed it and began rubbing her scalp with his cold fingers and Wave was seconds away from moaning, as tension bled away from her neck, when Salis cleared his throat again.

“Way? Back at the dorm—is he…?”

Slowly, Wave straightened, and Risha let her go. When she was standing steadily and had taken time to look around to see how much attention they had gathered—plenty, it seemed—she turned back to Salis.