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“You’re right. Leave the good guy act to Az. You’re mastered the art of being an ass.”
“Besides,” he says, raising one of his shoulders in a shrug. “I’ve heard some women prefer assholes to the good guys. Isn’t that why they pine for the villains in movies and such?”
I open my mouth to argue that women don’t pine for villains, but I snap it shut again. I can’t deny that Loki is one of the sexiest cinematic villains I’ve ever seen, and I’ve had some very lethal book boyfriends over the years. There’s just something about a bad guy who’s morally gray and has a way with words that makes you have to change your panties.
Sometimes multiple times a day.
“Right again,” I say, reluctant to give him the satisfaction of proving his point. I tuck my thumbs into the back pockets of my jeans. “I love a good villain too.”
“See.” Elio smirks, clearly proud of himself. “And if you had to pick between the good guy and the villain, who would you choose?”
I suck in a breath through my teeth, considering heroes and villains I love in movies and literature, but the choice feels impossible. Yes, the good guy will consider your feelings, put you on a pedestal, and treat you like a princess. But the villain will challenge you and drag you along on dangerous, riveting adventures.
I don’t even know why Elio cares about something so silly.
“Can I have both?” I ask with a grimace. “Because settling for just one doesn’t seem fair.”
“It’s a hypothetical. Of course, you can.” Elio nods once and moves toward me, his gaze gripping mine like a vice. “But it could also be a reality.”
My heart jumps into my throat as I stare at him, trying to comprehend what he’s implying.
If Azarius is the good guy, is he insinuating that he’s the bad guy?
And he’s saying I can have both of them if I want.
My stunned silence drags on longer than I intend, and Elio finally smirks and looks away.
“That’s not why I brought you out here. I promise,” he says, and starts walking again.
I follow along, my mind still reeling. I wonder what he might have done if I’d said yes.
“Was it to warn me about the poisonous flowers?” I attempt a laugh.
“No. I actually wanted to ask your opinion on something without Azarius interfering.”
I shoot him a confused look, my brows knitting together over my eyes. Why would he possibly want my opinion on something? And why would it matter if Az was there or not?
“I don’t understand. My opinion about what?”
He stops in his tracks again. We’re near the back corner of the house now, and I’m starting to wonder if he brought me here to be out of Rafe’s earshot. The way he drops his voice only increases my suspicion.
“Azarius is convinced you’re not entirely human,” he starts, his eyes shifting between me and the trees. “And I’m starting to believe it, but we have no way of proving that at the mansion.”
My ears perk up, and my heart skips a funny beat. “Are we going to try the portal again?”
He shakes his head, killing my excitement. “No, we can’t use the portal yet. Even if we went against Rafe’s orders and sent you back, we can’t promise that you’ll be safe yet. These rumors are nothing to take lightly.”
I nod along as I listen, disappointment still dragging my shoulders down. “Then what are we going to do?”
“That depends on your answer,” he says. “I didn’t want Azarius pressuring you into doing this because it’s dangerous. It could potentially get us all killed, but we would take every precaution possible to avoid that.”
He shifts his weight from foot to foot and meets my eyes.
“A friend of mine, Ignatius, lives in a small city called Havec. He’s a warlock—a powerful one. If anyone can tell us what’s in your blood, I’m willing to bet he can,” he says. “But getting to him won’t be easy.”
“Because all the monsters will be able to smell me?”
He nods slowly and crosses his arms over his chest. “That’s the biggest concern.”
