AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The General rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’m really here to offer you a harsh truth no one else is brave enough to share. You don’t want to face our prisoner, but you must. He’s your tranquility now. It’s the only reason he’s still alive. Although, say the word, and I’ll have him beheaded posthaste.”
The threat sparked an unexpected growl, startling her. She pressed her fingers against her lips. “This means nothing.”
Another eye roll from Taliyah. “You’re already ultraprotective of him.”
Maybe she was, but only instinctively, not willingly. There was a difference. “For the benefit of harpykind and the benefit of harpykind alone, I’ll visit him. After I shower. And don the sexiest clothes I own. But I won’t enjoy a second of our interaction, and I will expect payment from the Astra. Everything Rathbone promised me, and more. Lots more. For starters, Azar must fire Grenwich and join Team Neeks.”
Her friend grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. Be right back.” She vanished.
Three minutes on the dot later, a scowling Azar appeared.
He grabbed Neeka by the throat and squeezed while backing her against a wall. Her wings buzzed with aggression, the urge to defend and fight nearly too strong to tamp down. But tamp down she did.
“Let me guess,” she offered drily. “You’re here to tell me you accept my offer, and I’ll regret it if I actually betray you.”
“No,” he said with a clipped shake of his head. “Iknowyou’ll betray me to protect your king. A harpy always chooses her consort. I’m here to give youmyterms. I won’t utilize your mother as long as you remain faithful. In return, you will bring me the remaining bones, along with the orb. Otherwise, the king dies.”
25
Heart pounding with the precision of a war drum, Neeka approached Rathbone’s cell. A seven-by-seven space at the end of a long corridor. Thick metal bars secured the front while a trio of stone walls completed the enclosure. Already his incredible scent infused the air, rich and spicy, chasing away any vestiges of past tortures.
Ian, the Astra standing guard outside the cell, barely blipped on her radar as she stopped at the bars. Her gaze never veered from Rathbone. He sat leaning against the wall with his knees drawn up, the mátia staring at her intently...
Shivers tumbled over her spine, but oh, she hated when he watched her like this—because she loved it so much. When you spent the bulk of your life desperate to be seen rather than dismissed, such unwavering attention became your kryptonite.
“You came. And dressed for seduction, I see.” He dragged his gaze over her, his pupils spilling partway over glittering irises. A triumphant eclipse.
So she’d decided to wear a slinky halter top and short shorts. So what? He could take his ego and shove it. “Who says the outfit is for you?”
His nostrils flared. A sign of jealousy? Hope sparked—and died. No way she was going down that road with him again. “Where’s the orb?” she demanded, despite their rapt audience.
“Somewhere else,” he offered silkily.
She worked her jaw. “Why did you come to Harpina?” He’d known the danger and the likely outcome. “Did you realize you were doomed without me and wish to win me back to your side?”
“Were you ever really on my side?” he asked with a gentle expression, ignoring her question.
“I was always on your side. I just didn’t know it.”
He arched a brow. “Why did you fight my aid when you needed it most? Aid is aid.”
Lies! Aid was connection, and she needed no more ties to him.
Taking a page from his playbook, she responded with another question. “Do you believe I told the truth about Lore and the outcome of her resurrection?”
“Though I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it, yes.”
Oh, that burned! After everything Neeka had—wait. “What? You do?” She grabbed the bars and leaned in. “What convinced you?”
What are you doing?Falling for his sexy act all over again?Be tougher!She straightened, saying, “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. FYI, I plan to use the elixir on someone else, overriding my connection to you.” Hey! Not a bad idea. She just needed to get past his kingdom’s defenses to retrieve her property. Why, why, why had instinct prompted her to leave the powerful, life-changing liquid in his whiskey and not keep it with her?
His eyelids slitted. He slowly stood, his impressive body eating up the space. “I suggest youdon’tdo that, Neeka.”
Her stomach fluttered. “I’ll do whatever I please,Rathbone.”
He stalked closer, and she imagined his boots thumped against the dirt-laden floor in a mimic of her heartbeat. Ian made no comment, just watched and listened with unabashed interest.
She raised her chin. “Why did you come to Harpina?” she repeated. “Why did you allow yourself to be imprisoned?”
