Page 57 of Heir of Ashes
I cocked my head to the side. Who said he had? “I thought he was waiting for you.”
“No, he knew I was unreachable, and he could have—should have—sought out someone else.”
Again, I had nothing to say to that.
Rafael raised his eyebrows, his gaze cooling a few degrees more. “So?”
I straightened. “Why don’t you just get that stick out of your ass and tell me what you think I’m doing instead of dancing around it?”
Rafael’s nostrils flared. “Very well. I know you’re playing him to sell him out, so I’ll tell you this: if you turn around and leave—and I mean without making a fuss—I’ll understand you’re doing it for your own sake and sense of survival, and I won’t hold it against you, if you leave before any foul.” His accent had thickened by the time he finished.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded. I looked at the closed bathroom door and wondered what Logan had told him about me. “How the hell did you draw a conclusion like that?”
“Oh, small things here and there. They add up, painting a clear picture of you.”
“Really? Things like what? The soft, dreamy look in my eyes, being pampered and well-mannered?” I infused as much scorn and sarcasm into the words as possible. If the darkening of his eyes was any indication, it had carried loud and clear.
“No. Those are just covers. The easier to help you spread the web. What adds up are your actions. You see, we have a base nearby. If we’re meeting here, it’s because either Logan doesn’t trust you—unlikely since he’s bringing you along—or you somehow manipulated him into taking you somewhere you wouldn’t be under constant scrutiny.” He sneered at my stunnedexpression, and I could practically see the venom dripping from his lips.
So that was where he’d taken his belongings, then—not another room at the hotel, but a base where he didn’t trust to take me.
“But that wasn’t the only thing,” Rafael continued, taking a step forward. “While those creepy white coats had their clutches on both of you, you managed to fight them off and hijack their vehicle, saving the day—all while Logan was conveniently unconscious. Then there’s also the army. Was it twelve, fifteen SEALs? How did you get away? And let’s not forget Black Drammen. How the hell did you get Logan to walk willingly into that torture trap? Who the hell are you to warrant Black Drammen’s attention anyway? Are you selling Logan out to him or the white coats?” By the time he finished, his breathing came fast, his fists were clenched, and he no longer pretended to be relaxed.
Tension, anger, and contempt rolled off him like waves on a stormy beach. It was a wonder he hadn’t snapped yet.
“I don’t know how you’ve been managing to keep Logan from seeing what’s happening right under his nose, but Douglas and I have you figured out for what you are, and what you are is a manipulating, pretentious, and conniving bitch, and I’m not letting you drag him under after all he’s been through. Is that straight enough for you?”
I was speechless for a few seconds, torn between feeling insulted and outraged. I settled on a loud, unladylike snort. He took a step forward, either to frighten or to manhandle me. I tensed, my fingers shaking in anticipation. He caught the motion and smirked. I held his gaze without blinking.
“Tell me. Are you selling him out for leniency for your crimes against the white coats?” His hands snaked out andgrabbed the lapels of my robe, jerking me forward before I had time to react.
Shit, he was fast. Our faces were close, inches from touching. I pushed my shock aside and reacted, wrapping my talons around his throat before he could pull back. My thumb talon pressed against his pulse point, mirrored by my index talon on the other side. One wrong move and there’d be a bloody smile below his jaw. As expected, Rafael froze. If it hadn’t been for my miscalculation about his reach and speed, he wouldn’t have gotten that far without a fight first.
“Let go and back away slowly,” I said, my voice low and menacing.
In response, his hand tightened around the lapel of the robe, his eyes narrowing. Animalistic. This close, I could sense the jungle in him—the feral music of savagery, raw and untamed. His aura shimmered, and I flexed my talons. Just enough to send home the warning that I wasn’t fooling around, opening two identical slashes on either side of his throat. Blood beaded around my thumb and index talons. Rafael’s anger intensified, turning into a furious rage that tasted metallic, like the smell of his blood.
“If you try to shift, I promise you’ll be dead before you’re over the first stage.”
His eyes flickered with surprise. If I hadn’t been looking directly into them, I would have missed it. I had no idea what he could do or what flavor of preternatural he was, and I wasn’t keen to find out the hard way, no matter how curious I was. I could tell he was trying hard to guess what I was—there weren’t many preternaturals out there able to discern when another was about to access their magic. I could also tell the moment he realized his mistake in underestimating me. From the tick in his clenched jaw, I could tell those mistakes weren’t many.Or repeated. I wouldn’t get a second chance to catch him by surprise again.
One more reason to make this time count. If he decided to come after me, it would be abrupt and vicious. It scared me shitless to know someone as cold as this man would be added to my list of worries, but none of it showed on my face.
“Back off,” I said again quietly. When he began to let go, I added, “Slowly.”
He did. I didn’t withdraw my talons, though.
“Now it’s my turn to speak. I don’t give a damn if you trust me, idolize me, or dislike me. I’ll tell you this, and only because what you’re doing stems from friendship and loyalty, and I respect that. I’m not going to betray Logan, and I don’t intend to sell him out—not to Remo, much less to the people who enslaved me for almost a decade.”
His pupils contracted at that, his only outward reaction.
Again, I would have missed it had I not been so close. “But I don’t like you, and I don’t like your assumptions. I don’t take kindly to scorn and insults. Cross me and you’ll live only long enough to regret it. Understood?” I hoped he believed my threat. I wouldn’t be able to surprise him again—he wouldn’t underestimate me next time.
The flash of fury in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. This man didn’t like being bested, and I had just done that. I had a sudden image that after this was over, I’d be constantly watching my back, keeping an eye out for him. I was sure that while Logan was around, he’d do me no harm, but after this thing was over and Logan and I went our separate ways, he’d come after me. And if I relaxed even a little and he found the opportunity, I wouldn’t know what hit me.
I was about to pull back my talons when the bathroom door burst open and Logan stood there, dripping water everywhere. Caught with my hand in the cookie jar, so to speak,I let go—but I didn’t take my eyes off Rafael until I took a step back, careful not to be within his reach. I didn’t think he’d do anything with Logan near, but I’d seen enough deception in my life to take things at face value.
Rafael’s eyes followed my hand, catching the blur as talons retracted into fingers. There was a flicker in his eyes, quickly gone, and this time I couldn’t tell if it was anger, surprise, or something else. Up to that moment, he hadn’t known what I was threatening him with, only that it was sharp and could sever his artery. His eyes jumped from my hand to my face, and there was a gleam of speculation that I didn’t like.