Page 32 of Awakened Gifts
Uncle Brazen tries not to grin as he turns and walks out, and Kellan cuts me with a pained gaze. There’s got to be a way to fully free him from me, and I need to figure out the quickest way to do it.
Once they’re gone, I breathe out in relief. That was sure as hell uncomfortable.
“We’ll continue this when I get back,” Jase says against my lips, thrusting in hard one last time before pulling out and leaving me bereft—and admittedly a little frustrated.
“I’m going with you,” I grumble, standing up as his bare body starts getting clothed.
“No. Not for this. I don’t want you anywhere near Hedin. He’s had a grudge against you for centuries, apparently, and I won’t risk your safety. I lost this battle between you and Fricks, but I won’t lose this argument. There’s no reason for you to speak to Hedin.”
Hedin certainly has fewer redeeming qualities than Fricks, but that doesn’t make him any more dangerous than Fricks. That’s probably not the best thing to point out, considering Jase is still apparently pissed that I went anywhere near the traitorous captain.
“I won’t speak to Hedin. But I want to be there—for you. I’m scared to separate right now. Jase, we’re pretty much a target for two enemies, and possibly the Unaligned as well. We’re stronger together.”
He glances at the door where everyone retreated, and he sighs. “Not this time, baby. Not for this. I’ll let you go with me when I meet with the Unaligned, but this… Not this. If you go with me, I might kill the bastard before we get any answers out of him. Fricks won’t tell us where to find the Scorpions because he wants us focusing on Alice. But Hedin is weak. He’ll tell me all I want to know, as long as I don’t rip his head off first.”
He would have killed Fricks if Mom hadn’t gotten me in there. Something tells me he doesn’t want me there for the exact opposite of the reason he’s giving me.
“Fine, but I want to be close by.”
“You are close by. Silan is only two hours from here. That’s plenty close enough. I need to go, but I’ll call you in a little while.”
A chaste kiss is all he gives me as he keeps his inner war hidden behind his pale blues that I can’t see through. Then he’s gone, leaving a breeze in his wake, and the door shuts behind him with a light click.
Something about this doesn’t feel right, but then again, this is all scaring the shit out of me. We’re on everyone’s hit list right now.
Chapter 10
JASE
He’s really her counter. I didn’t want it to be true, but it is. Kellan is tied to her, but she denied him—for me. She chose me even though she should have been lost in an unbreakable trance. As relieved as I should feel, I also feel weighted by uncertainty.
Brazen and Araya—two people couldn’t be more perfect for each other, but Hale and she were more perfect for each other. In every possible way. I can only hope that Aria keeps fighting her draw toward him, but the realistic part of my mind keeps reminding me how unlikely that is.
But I won’t just hand her over. If he wants her, he’ll probably have to kill me to have her.
“You look lost in thought,” Brazen says as we near Silan.
Riding with him and Kellan wasn’t my idea. It was Brazen’s. Of all people, he should know better than to force two men to ride together when they are in love with the same woman. Especially if that woman isn’t here to mediate and keep us on our best behaviors.
“I am lost in thought,” I murmur mildly, reclining in the back seat and intentionally avoiding looking at Kellan who is driving. “I’m curious as to why you thought this was a good idea. This situation is tense enough. Forcing us to ride together has only multiplied that and made this all distracting. I should have ridden with some of the captains.”
Kellan’s white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel only tightens. He’s probably even more pissed about this than I am, considering it’s me Aria keeps choosing. For now.
“I have enough to deal with as it is,” I continue, pretending as though Kellan isn’t seething and secretly plotting my death. I’m actually thankful I can’t read his thoughts. I’d probably do something stupid like kill him first. “There’s the prisoner exchange tomorrow, and I have to assemble a composed army that won’t spark a new war.”
Kellan loosens his grip on the steering wheel when it starts to curl under his grasp. He starts taking several deep breaths, acting as though he’s trying to compose himself.
“Speaking from experience, it’s better to learn to deal with each other than to avoid each other. Aria needs everyone right now.” Brazen and Hale’s history wasn’t quite as foul as ours. I don’t think. He keeps talking as though Kellan and I compare to their story. But then again, I’m doing the same thing.
“She sure as fuck doesn’t need me,” Kellan says under his breath, looking out the window as he trains his eyes on the scenery around us.
“She does need you. Just like she needs me, Araya, Simone… Alice will be coming for her. When she does, everyone is going to have to fight like hell to stay alive. If the two of you can’t learn to deal with each other, we’re going to be weaker as a whole. Right now, we can’t afford to be weak. So get your heads out of your asses and find a way to deal with each other.”
Fortunately, Brazen doesn’t have time to continue his tirade, because we pull up at the Silan compound. But…
“What the hell is going on?” Brazen asks, looking around at all the numerous troops lined up outside the compound walls. The gates are locked tight, keeping anyone without permission from entering. They should have let them in if they showed proper identification.
“Beats the hell out of me.” I lean up, trying to figure out why any of our men would be dressed in all black combat attire and guarding the walls like they’re waiting for a war. My phone rings, but I don’t bother looking down. My eyes are taking in the peculiar thing in front of me.