Page 36 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“About damn time,” Reyna said, lips curving in a subtle, spider’s smile.

“Pardon?” My pulse stuttered.

“You’re different this time. Commander Amadeus warned me you’d likely go rogue.” First of all, rude. “You showed up determined to play pacifist, and I worried Aren’s little ghost wouldn’t return to him in time to be useful. But then my sister’s base went up in flames, and my shadows didn’t see a thing.” A knowing glint entered her sharp blue eyes as she clasped her hands behind her back, hips swaying ever so slightly.

I shrugged. “I don’t know what happened there. Tragedy, really.”

“Mm-hmm,” she purred, clearly unimpressed with my bullshit.

“Aren underestimates my capacity for diplomacy.”

“Perhaps.” Reyna took a few graceful steps away, then turned in a tight circle, her ballet flats gleaming in the twilight. “And perhaps he underestimates your capacity for pettiness.”

“Of that, he is well aware, I assure you.”

She halted, amusement glimmering in her gaze. “You notified the mortal feds of illegal activity?”

“As I said, I’ve no idea who set the trap for your rivals.”

Reyna resumed pacing, her tone measured, calculating. If my deflections irritated her, she didn’t show it. If anything, admiration flickered in her gaze. Unease settled in my stomach as she matched my stride along the perimeter. “Although,” I added, “it does sound like something Aren would do for a good laugh.”

“Indeed.” She studied me sideways before throwing down a challenge. “I loved him once, you know?”

Her words stopped me cold. My wrist hovered over my watch, half-raised to text Blaz. I quirked my head, eyes narrowing as Reyna tucked honey-colored hair behind her ear.

“Him?” I clarified, though my gut already knew the answer. Reyna’s resentment for my leader was born of something deeper than politics.

Her bright blue eyes glinted knowingly. “You’re goin’ to make me say it out loud?” Humor laced her voice, though her face remained calm, detached. “Aren wasn’t always the king of chastity, you know? He had a hell of a reputation when he was younger—straight off the arena floor and back onto the battlefield, rising from there. He could have had whomever he wanted. For a brief window of alliance, I thought he wanted me. When he sided with us over Reagan, I…” She trailed off, jerking her eyes past me toward the estate as silence stretched between us.

After a beat, Reyna sighed. The setting sun bathed her in gold, highlighting the faint tension in her jaw.

“Why are you telling me this?” I hedged.

“You’ve proven he hasn’t changed. And I say that as someone who knows him better than most.”

My brow furrowed. Compliment or insult? I risked a glance towards the sunset, watching the base of the orb dip below the harsh horizon line as my nerves tangled into a congealed knot. Could I sneak off a text without her catching me? Would Blaz know I’d been cornered? Was he watching?

This fucking timing.

“He was always the best,” Reyna continued. “What he did with you in a few short weeks would have taken other trainers months. The memories he pulled from you so quickly…” She shook her head. “I can’t deny it. Even now, locked from the Middle, Grayshell’s strength is undeniable. His faith in your loyalty on the dawn of your ascension tells me enough.”

I hesitated. “Are you saying⁠—?”

“I’m considering it, Wraith. So are my allies. Your skill set hasn’t changed, and you can follow orders.”

Guilt twisted like a serpent in my gut. She was only half of my plan. If Aren knew my full intent—to dismantle an entire hierarchy and usurp the Paladin throne—he’d have locked me down. Reyna, for all her cunning, would never tolerate evil unopposed. Which meant her alliance was inevitable.

Blaz, where are you?

“I wish he’d come himself,” Reyna mused. “Perhaps my ego was…injured that he sent a child for such a big ask. But Blaz and Darius have a kinship with your companions. And with you. I trust them.”

“They’re good people.”

Her smile turned lethal. “Is that why you’re about to ditch them?”

I swallowed. Ninety seconds left. Reyna was a legend in her own right, as much as Aren in his. A warrior whose blades were sharp and disciplined, her elegance deceptive. A woman who had ruled unchallenged for decades.

Perhaps in that, we had something in common.