Page 106 of Vengeance of the Gods

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“Who the fuck is she?” Bridger asked as they watched Octavia and her fox’s hips sway in sync.

Vega carried the bow and arrows Octavia had strapped to her back. They looked well-loved, and so did her dark leather clothing. She reminded Vega of Robin Hood, if Robin Hood were a girl and Little John were a ten-pound fox.

“I don’t know, but the leader of Demuto? She’s obviously Solum-born. What do you know about Demuto?” Vega braided a few pieces of her hair as they walked, doing what she could to make it seem like she’d actually showered and hadn’t spent the last half-hour letting Bridger eat her out on a kitchen table.

“That it’s basically No Man’s Land. Shifters can go in, but they can’t come out… and anyone else stupid enough to enter is usually never seen again.” Bridger raised a brow. “Except for you.”

She’d spent an entire night alone in Demuto after she stabbed Bridger through the heart, traveling for hours to get to the Vates border where she knew Khort would be waiting. Vega shivered at the memory of the cruravis hunting her through the early morning until it got bored.

Bridger made Octavia lead the way, giving her instructions only when necessary.

“I can’t believe it’s true you’re back with the rebels.” Octavia kept talking, even though Bridger had made it clear he wasn’t answering any of her questions.

Anytime she talked, Bridger would poke her in the back with his sword—which earned a stern look from Vega and an internal scolding.

“What part of ‘walk silently’ do you not understand?” Bridger asked her, his aggravation hard to miss.

Vega elbowed Bridger in the side, hardly fazing him.

“How long have you been in Demuto?” Vega decided to try to get any piece of information out of her before they got back to the caves.

“We don’t even know if anything she says is true,” Bridger pointed out.

“Oh, so you’re the one deciding who to trust now?” Vega snapped, slamming her door closed. She wasn’t going to deal with him right now—not when someone was potentially willing to talk about what was going on in Demuto.

They’d lost contact with them too long ago to fuck this up.

“No offense, but I’m not ready to spill all my secrets yet. I’ll explain when we get to Khort.” Tilie climbed up a tree ahead, scampering down the limb to land gracefully on Octavia’s shoulder. Her beady black eyes glowered whenever they caught Bridger’s.

Vega could relate.

As if Arlet had been waiting for their return, she came sprinting out of the cave’s mouth when they approached nearly ten minutes later. “Hi. Khort found out about your Vincere announcement. Incoming in three, two…” Arlet never made it to one.

“Since when are you the one to have the final say in what goes on around here?” Khort stormed out of the cave, headed straight for Vega.

“Watch yourself, Fera.” Bridger’s voice boomed like thunder as he blocked Khort’s path to Vega.

His eyes turned to slits when they landed on Bridger. “I bet it was you, huh? Getting inside Vega’s head, telling her everything she’s wanted to hear for the last forty years.”

Arlet and Vega shared a look that didn’t need words. Oh boy.

Bridger chuckled as Khort crowded his personal space. “Ah yes, my evil plan is working. Fuck Vega one last time just to see how she tas⁠—”

Khort swung, but his fist never made contact with Bridger’s nose like he intended. Bridger shielded himself, and Khort’s fist slammed into the impenetrable force field.

Vega heard a couple bones crack, but Khort didn’t seem to notice.

Bridger continued, apparently hell-bent on finishing his thought. “Tastes. To see how she tastes before screwing you all over.”

Vega flung the door open between their minds.

“Is that all it took to get you to let me back in? Too easy, Kitten,” Bridger purred, sending an inappropriately timed shiver down her spine.

Khort huffed a breath of steam. “You fucking⁠—”

“Stop.” Vega growled the word, her anger scattering down the bond to the others. “Enough of this shit.” She slipped her way in between the two angry gods.