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His jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, but then his eyes softened. “I deserve that too.”
I was caught off guard. Everything that had happened was like I was living in a parallel universe. I just wanted to wake up and go back to how things had been.
“Great,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “Well, now that you’ve heard all that, it’s time for me to go and try to save my life, if you don’t mind.”
“Can I come with you?” he asked.
“Are you asking permission to follow me?” I said, confused.
He pressed his lips together in a thin line, digging his hands into his pockets. He dipped his chin once. “I’m Houseless now too. I don’t have protection. I don’t have anywhere to go, the same as you.” His gaze went to Nova as she stared him down, her ears pinned back. “I’m not asking you to accept me as your mate or be my friend right now. But we stand a better chance of survival if there’s the two of us—” Nova growled. “Three of us,” he amended.
I crossed my arms and glared at him. Part of me wanted to tell him no. The other part of me—the part of me that’d seen him fight when he meant it, the part of me that couldn’t deny in this case three was better than two—knew it was in my best interest to let him stay.
“Fine,” I said, starting to walk again. I looked over my shoulder at him. “You have to keep up, and full disclosure, I will give you up as a trade to one of the Houses if they offer protection in exchange for the prodigal son of Fire and Fluorite.”
His eyes searched me to see if I was kidding. I was not. “Maybe you won’t have to. Being heir, maybe I can offer a bargain.”
I huffed a humorless laugh. “You’re crazy if you think I’m heading somewhere that respects your father, or you by proxy—also, per your own words, you’re Houseless now, which means you’re no longer heir to anything.”
He swallowed hard, not arguing but taking that in. “Where are you heading?” he asked, eventually. “We, I mean.”
My footsteps were the only response I gave. Should I tell him? I mean, he’s coming with me. He’s bound to figure it out eventually. Besides, if he wants to argue, better to dump him now.
“Earth and Emerald,” I muttered, glancing up at the rooftops. “So fast feet there, princeling. It’s a long trek and we’re short on time.”
He muttered something in response, but I didn’t care to ask him what it was. This was not a democracy. I was going, whether he followed or not was of no consequence to me.
“We’re crossing through Blood and Beryl,” he said softly, keeping pace with me. He adjusted his posture as we strode toward the edge of neutral territory. A distinct clinking sound reached my ears, and I turned to see what he was doing. In his hand, he held four vials. “I can’t offer you much, but I at least have currency.”
I slowed down, taking in the vials. Two filled with blood. Another filled with sparkling stones. The last had glowing strands of fae hair. I came to a stop.
I squinted, taking in his entire form for the first time. He had a backpack. A raincoat with the hood pulled over his head. Thick, leather boots.
There was no way in hell he’d had all that packed and ready to go.
Markus was naïve. He didn’t plan for another war between the Houses. He planned for his next kegger, and even that was a stretch.
That he was outfitted for this meant he’d gotten it off someone because there was no way he’d gone home and back in the time Adora and I had been saying goodbye.
“Where’d you get that?”
“Well, uh, Andreas helped me out. . . ”
I cursed under my breath and Markus looked at me in confusion. I scanned the streets behind us, coming up empty. Andreas was Shade’s son—and Mathis’s third—and he was awful. There was no way he’d given Markus anything out of the goodness of his heart. He didn’t have one. Nova narrowed her eyes, her ears twitching as she listened intently for a sound out of place.
“What are you—” he started.
“You’re being tracked,” I said, pointing to his bag.
“No, he wouldn’t do that. We’re cool,” he responded, but I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.
“He’s your dad’s third in command and arguably way more of a douche than Shade. You refused to kill me, Markus. They knew you’d come looking for me.” I held my hand out. “Let me have it. Now. Hurry up.” The urgency in my voice registered with him and he slid it off his shoulders completely. Not even caring that the pavement was wet, I dumped it out.
“Hey,” he protested. The few shirts and boxer briefs that had been packed were getting soaked.
I rifled through his belongings and came up short. I stuffed his items back in, barely able to zip it close. A side pocket bulged. Protein bars. I jammed my hand in another pocket. Socks. Another one. This time, my fingertips brushed something hard. I yanked it out, holding it up. It was heavy and no bigger than a coin, but it pulsed as though it were alive. “What is this?”
Markus’s lips separated, and he shook his head, speechless.
