Page 28 of Burn of Obsidian
“Councilman?” Riley asked aloud. “Is there something else, or are we dismissed?”
“I’ve never met an energy so distinctive,” Cassiel said, stepping down. “All you Guardians have interesting energy, but you? Yours is by far the most curious.” He began walking in a slow circle, his wings raised high above his shoulders.
Jax remained perfectly still as his beast snarled, claws pressing at his fingertips. “Sometimes I wonder why Hadriel created you,” Cassiel said, almost to himself.
“He didn’t create us,” Xander growled. “He cursed us.”
“Is that not the same?” Cassiel raised a brow, stopping once he stood in front of Jax. “Hadriel is by far one of the most powerful men in existence, even more powerful than your Gideon. It was why he was cast out of Aetherna, and bound to his own realm. But even with his power, he shouldn’t have been able to create you.”
“Yet here we are,” Jax rumbled, cocking his head when Cassiel just continued to stare. “Monsters created to take down other monsters.”
“You are much more than a simple monster,” Cassiel commented, his gaze direct. “But still, Gideon is working with magic not meant for him.”
“Like the Calicem Animarum?” Jax asked, using the chalice’s Latin name.
Cassiel’s eyes flicked over his shoulder, reminding Jax that they were still within the chambers of the Council. “You’re dismissed, Guardians.”
‘Anybody else find that weird?’ Xander asked as they were guided out of the chambers.
‘Cassiel’s hiding something,’ Jax added, not bothering to look behind him. Not when he could still feel the attention, like thorns prickling along his spine.
Riley’s shoulders were rigid, his fists clenched as they were ushered outside, locked out as soon as they stepped into the sunlight. “You need to stay away from him, J.”
Jax tensed, his beast wanting to resist the weight in Riley’s words. “I can handle Cassiel.”
“He’s taking too much interest in you.” Riley’s eyes edged silver, which only made Jax’s beast worse. “Do you not think I can’t feel how close to the edge your beast is? It’s been growing, becoming more dominant after every shift.”
Xander crossed his arms, his eyes like icicles.
“I’m fine,” Jax pushed through gritted teeth. “I’m in control.”
“For how long?” Riley pressed closer, violence licking the air between them. “Don’t make me force it, J.”
Jax’s chest felt trapped in a vice. “Then don’t, Alpha.”
“What the fuck you doing?” Xander stepped between them. “This isn’t like you.”
Fur brushed beneath tight skin, and Jax clenched his fists tight. “I’m fine,” he repeated.
“Clearly,” Xander grunted, shaking his head. “Axel’s reported the hound. You’re being reckless with your own life.”
He wasn’t reckless. He knew exactly what he was doing.
“We all know the risks of going into a fight,” Jax said. He could take more damage than most. So he put himself at the front, willing to take the hits if it meant his brothers survived. They may be cursed to withstand damage, but they weren’t immortal.
Jax dragged a hand down his face, his fingers lingering where his scar split his upper lip. The skin was rougher there, a constant reminder of the first time he’d ever met a Shadow-Veyn.
He was created solely to fight, and if he stopped, he’d lose his purpose.
A hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing. “When’s the last time you slept?” Riley asked, his tone no longer as sharp. “If you need me to put someone else on the thief – ”
“No.” The vice surrounding his lungs cinched even tighter. “She’s mine.”
“Yours, huh?” Riley’s expression relaxed, his beast retreating. “As a Guardian, I have to say we all need to concentrate on Gideon. But as your friend, I say you need a little disorder in your life.”
Jax grit his teeth. He did order to an almost obsessive level. “I haven’t forgotten my priorities.”
“I never said you had.”