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“Idon’twanttowatch Die Hard again,” Gus states dryly. “There are other Bruce Willis movies, you know.”
The smile stretching across my face isn’t caused by his dickish behavior, but rather because it’s kind of fun to be discussing something as trivial as a movie night for once. Now that I think about it, I don’t think we’ve ever just chilled together without ágapi around.
Huh, that’s strange and definitely something we need to rectify.
“Tough,” I grin. “I have the remotes, so unless you want to wrestle me for them we’re watching it.” When he looks like he’s bit into a bitter lemon, I can’t help antagonizing him further. “Come on, dude. Where’s the excitement?”
Gus doesn’t look at me until the credits and title roll across the screen, then he turns and gives me a fake smile that’s so wide I can practically see all his teeth. “Yippee-Ki-Yay, motherfucker.”
“That’s the spirit,” I smirk.
While we watch the first and second movie in the franchise, we’re both keeping a constant look on our phones. I don’t like that we haven’t heard from agápi. Not. One. Bit.
“Maybe she can’t use her phone in the hospital,” I suggest.
Gus chuckles. “God fucking help whomever tries to get Cia to follow any rule she doesn’t want to.”
His attempt at lifting the mood falls flat.
“That’s all everyone has done lately, isn’t it?” I’m not sure I meant to ask the question out loud. “Ever since Nikolaos had you both attending Kronos University, it’s been one thing after another.”
Gus’ eyes and voice harden. “What’s your point?” The prickly ass is immediately ready to defend his dad.
“My point is that she’s followed every rule to the letter. She’s been thrown into situations none of us could have expected, yet she’s been standing tall through and through.” Worry coats my tone.
Truthfully, I’m fucking terrified she’s going to snap. I’m not scared for myself, but for her—always for her.
The world we live in is hard and unforgiving. One mistake is all it takes to end up in a situation there’s no coming back from. Yeah, when Kai first explained how agápi failed at the Valentine’s shindig, I didn’t get it. I honestly thought he was just being a dick. But now I know better. Kai is right, and whether she knows it or not, Cia is lucky there haven’t been any serious consequences to herself.
“I know.” Gus speaks the two words on an exhale. “You’re not the only one to worry.”
Well, that doesn’t fucking help one bit.
“There has to be something we can do,” I say thoughtfully. “I know you and Cia are technically only Drákon Heirs. But still…” Since I don’t know where the fuck I’m going with this, I trail off.
It grinds on me that Gus isn’t offering up any ideas. He had the same fucking training as agápi, so he should be able to help out here. Okay, I know that’s not how it works. I’m well aware that this is outside anyone’s knowledge pool.
“What about Morgana?” I suggest. This gets Gus’ attention, and I eagerly carry on. “She’s the new Drákon Leader, so shouldn’t the responsibility lie with her?”
My words cause Gus’ eyes to snap up from the floor, and I’m momentarily taken aback by the intensity in his blue irises.
“Why did I never think about that?” he mutters as he gets to his feet. “Morgana was the acting Drákon Leader at the Valentine’s party… so Cia can’t have forced her. Not really.”
“The Female Ruler still trumps a Leader,” I interject.
Shaking his head, Gus chuckles darkly. “Yes. Come on.” Without waiting for me, he walks towards Kai’s office, and I follow hot on his heels. “Now, I can’t claim to know all the rules inside and out. But I’m willing to bet that if the Female Ruler forces a Leader to do anything against their will, it’ll be the Ruler who needs to sort it out if there’s any backlash.”
If Gus thinks he’s being helpful and explaining shit, he’s wrong. Dead fucking wrong. Instead of stating that, I nod enthusiastically like I’m totally following his logic.
“Sure, sure. So what are we looking for?” I ask.
Gus doesn’t answer right away. He moves towards the bookshelves at the end of the opposite wall, murmuring the titles to himself as his finger traces across the spines.
“Bingo.” He pronounces the word with as much enthusiasm as he used to possess before Marian—his mom—sank her claws into him and began playing a game of cat and mouse with Cia and Gus.
Pulling the book from the shelf, he slams it down on Kai’s desk. “This is the Kronos Society code, Volume III. It should have the rules and expectations for the Female Ruler.”
I’m so busy picking my jaw up from the floor, I can only muster, “Say what now?”
