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Sage gritted her teeth and inhaled.
“Atlas, I will never tell you how to run your empire, but you must admit that this is out of character for you.”
“My own instincts have rarely steered me wrong,” I reminded her, baring my teeth. My patience with her endless questioning was wearing thin. “We’ll put her in Shifter Affairs.”
Sage didn’t bother arguing with me more, but the exasperation on her face was transparent. It made me turn away again, silently dismissing her as darkness seeped into the office. I didn’t immediately rise to turn on the lights, relishing the bluish evening glow washing over me.
For a moment, the ghosts of the past filtered into the room, embracing me from all angles, watching me with their judgmental eyes.
Gabriel, my former partner, sneered, mocking me with yellow-stained teeth, his eyes glittering.
“What are you looking at, you old bastard?” I scoffed, knowing he wasn’t really there. “You did nothing but whore your way through life until it killed you.”
My eyes landed on Ilona, her face sad and drawn. The sight of her in the depth of my troubled mind bothered me more.
“It’s not the same,” I promised her. “I can’t touch this one. She’s off limits. I’m doing a service.”
She faded away, and I rubbed my palms over my face, rising from the chair to flick on some illumination. If I wasn’t careful, the spirits would consume me, and I would end up facing the same fate as them.
Chapter11
Bianca
It was harder to get away that night than it had been previously. Jesse’s healers remained on the scene longer than they had before, circling Dahlia, muttering spells. I wanted to yell at them that they weren’t doing anything and to go away, but at the same time, I hoped they were making progress.
But I had to get back to Covale City and seize this opportunity. Atlas wasn’t going to come knocking again.
I gnawed on my lower lip, watching them. They weren’t paying me any mind, even when I told them I was going out to get some air. Not one of the fae raised their heads to acknowledge me, giving me a spark of encouragement. They had their jobs to do. They didn’t want to report back to Jesse that they had failed again to bring back a positive report about my sister’s health. I might be in the clear.
Should I risk leaving?
I pondered it for a while before taking the plunge. No one cared about me. It was now or never if I wanted to do this. And oh, gods, I wanted to do this. I hadn’t felt surer about anything.
But I had to be careful, too.
“I’m going for a walk,” I announced, waiting for someone to object.
I didn’t know what I’d do if they did. I hadn’t really planned that far ahead, but it turned out I didn’t need to worry. No one cared what I was doing.
Dahlia remained asleep, her pale face worrying me, but I reasoned that as long as she remained unconscious, she was as safe as she was going to be for the moment.
For the third time in two days, I backed out of the small trailer I shared with my sister and into the darkness, distinctly aware of where Jesse’s security stood. They were all so predictable now, their lack of attention almost comical. It was to my advantage. If my captor’s guards were anything like Atlas’, I never would have gotten away with yet another escape.
If Dahlia were well, we could have been halfway across the country by now,I thought, scrambling away from the compound and far from the sounds of Jesse’s posse.
My breaths didn’t even out until I was within the walls of Covale City, and even then, they took some time leveling, the approach of the building filling me with a new dread.
So far, my track record with showing up there hadn’t fared well for me. What if Petyr and Virgil threw me back in the barracks, if only to teach me a lesson? I hadn’t exactly gotten on their good side, what with the derogatory name calling and all.
I’m under Atlas’ protection,I tried to reassure myself, but it was a flimsy comfort. When had men ever done what they had promised me?
“Ms. Barrett.”
A vaguely familiar voice called out to me, and I spun around, confronting the dark-haired fae approaching me from the alleyway as I neared the front entrance.
“Will you come with me, please?”
Her tone left no room for argument—not that I had any to give. Swallowing, I nodded and headed toward the back of the building with her, but she didn’t lead me into the casino, causing me to stop in my tracks.
