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“But if I’m an Aegis—not that I believe you—wouldn’t she have come after me, anyway?”
“It is possible,” Nicola murmurs with a slight tilt of her head, “but unlikely. Your full potential was not known to us when you left. Or more accurately, I didn’t inform Iva of the full scope of your potential. By that time, I had begun to make moves to remove oracles from her numbers.”
“Well, aren’t you a fucking saint,” I snap sarcastically.
“You know, child, I am supremely fed up with your cheek. May I remind you, I am your elder, your Secondary, and your bloody savior. Show me some respect, or I will let your impertinent hide swing in the wind.”
“Look, lady. I don’t owe you a fucking thing. The way I see it, either Iva wants something from me, or you do. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I gotta tell ya, I’m disinclined to give it to you. Now you can take that savior shit and shove it right next to the stick rammed up your ass.”
“Aurelia, dear,” John tries to interject, “let’s not piss off the only person who can save our collective asses?”
“She’s not going to save shit.” I scoff, my lip curled into a sneer. “Look, I’m sorry if this screws with your plan, but I’m not about to make a deal with the devil and get fuck-all in return. I’m leaving, and I’m taking Rhys with me. Anyone else staying, I suggest you get ready because soldiers are coming, and as far as I can see, no one but Carver makes it.”
Carver’s arm is thrown over his husband’s shoulder, holding the smaller man in a loose embrace. Javier appears worried, and if the darkening of his eyes is any indication, he’s about two steps away from phasing.
“Oh, and Carver?” His eyes cut to me, furious and worried and blackening into an almost-full phase.
“Yes, ma’am?” he hisses through lengthening fangs.
“If you have some grand plan to hand me over to the enemy to save you and your husband’s asses?” I lift a brow in challenge. “Don’t.”
Chapter Thirteen
RHYS
I’m going to ruin everything.
I don’t want to, but I have to stop my woman from doing something stupid out of spite.
Aurelia is furiously packing, shoving articles of clothing and toiletries into her bag with enough force to split the seams of the duffle. She’s quick and efficient, and if I don’t hurry, she’ll be out the door before I can stop her.
As much as it hurts me to admit, we have to hear Nicola out.
“Gorgeous,” I call, but she doesn’t stop moving—she doesn’t even look at me.
She takes a thick stack of bills and throws it in the duffle, and then gathers up the next.
“Aurelia, stop,” I murmur, catching her hand as she passes, reeling her into the space between my knees.
My fingers span her denim-clad hips, and I peer into her beautiful pale eyes. Worry and anger wrench her features and I reach up, cupping her jaw, bringing her face to mine. She tries to give me a quick peck, but my tongue sweeps the line of her lips. She opens her mouth, giving me a begrudging moan in response.
Leaning back, I pull her on top of me as I quickly flip us, resting my weight on my forearms between the legs of my reluctant beauty. In a lust-filled haze, I sadly part from her lips, pressing my forehead against hers for a moment before pulling my face away. I’ve got to get my dick under control, or I’ll forget what I was going to say.
“We have to talk before we do something we can’t take back,” I gently appeal, praying she’ll listen to me for once. “I think we need to hear Nicola out. We at least need to find out if she knows whether soldiers are really coming or not. We owe it to them.”
“Because you think my visions are unreliable?” she croaks with a rueful twist to her mouth.
“Given what we know now,” I murmur as I massage her scalp, “I don’t think we can trust them one hundred percent.”
“You’re probably right,” she grumbles, “but it kills me to give that cow the satisfaction.”
“I agree, but it’s the right thing to do.”
“Um-kay,” she grouses. “How do you suggest we go about it?”
“I think she’s telling the truth about the Aegis. I’ve seen you. You use an electrified shield, darling. Just because you can’t always control it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. And who’s to say that the others wouldn’t have lived? I don’t put it past Iva to exterminate an entire faction of phoenixes to secure her throne. Do you?”
“No,” she admits. “I wouldn’t put it past her. How many of those children did she kill?”
