swallowed. “I never signed anything saying I was part of the Mercury Clan. Your feelings of responsibility for me are misplaced. And if Julian is dead, I guess his opinions don’t matter anyway.” She stuffed down the pain at the mention of him. Sometimes a woman had to choose strength over feeling. She never would have survived her childhood if she’d been soft.
“I felt responsible for you long before Julian took you to his bed. Are you forgetting your father and my oath to him?”
“Another man not around to care. If you want to do me a favor, Aiden, figure out a way to stop the black-wing that doesn’t involve getting your men grounded or killed. I’m not going to be responsible for more casualties in San Diego.”
“And Jaxon?”
She paused and bit her lip. “Do you think he’d be safer with you?”
Aiden laughed. “Are you really so unconcerned about your own life that you would send away your only protector?”
“I’m not unconcerned, but I’ve made it this far on my own, and I’m not about to start living scared—like I’m in some Demiáre witness protection program or something.”
He paused and really looked at her then. “You don’t realize what a treasure you are to us.”
“I never asked to be.”
“No, but is there anything wrong with being valued?”
Emotion roiled within her, turning her folded hands into fists. “You mean like how Gavin valued me, treated me like his princess? He was so honorable , swore he loved me. Where is he now, Aiden? He left, just like they all do. I was barely out of diapers when I learned that most people can’t be trusted. They always have ulterior motives. And if they don’t want something from you, they’ve lost interest and want nothing to do with you at all.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “You have no idea what Gavin has done for you.”
“What has he done? Introduce me to Julian so he wouldn’t have to screw me himself? That didn’t turn out too well for Julian, but Gavin seems to be doing fine.”
Aiden snorted in disgust. “Get your sorry head out of your ass. Gavin has sacrificed more for you than you’ll ever know.”
Aiden was upset, but the guilt in his expression captured Kara’s interest. “What are you talking about? What has Gavin done?”
He turned away. “Never mind.”
She grabbed his arm. “Tell me.”
“It’s not my story to tell.” He pulled away and his expression closed, as if he was seconds from flashing.
“Aiden, wait.”
He looked up at the ceiling, his hands clenched at his sides. “I’m so fucking sick of this. I’ve attempted to maintain order and peace until Gavin returns, but you people buck me at every turn.” He met her gaze then, and what she saw in his eyes was frightening. “So listen carefully, little princess. Stay in the house, and stay out of trouble. If anything else goes wrong in your city, I will drag you kicking and screaming back to Mercury Island, where you belong.”
Kara twisted the knob, and as she entered her apartment, power washed over her and seeped through her skin, as if a spell was sampling her DNA. Abbey and another woman sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor. They’d scooted the table into the living room and faced each other with their hands linked. With the second woman’s back to Kara, she couldn’t see who it was, but her black hair was up in a high ponytail, and the colorful tattoos on her neck were plainly visible.
Jaxon waited by the door for Kara to enter, no doubt hearing every word of her argument with Aiden. He pressed a finger to his lips, as though Kara didn’t know she needed to be quiet when witches were working. She nodded to let him know she understood.
Jaxon paused, looking as if he wanted to reach for her but didn’t know if he was welcome. Kara sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “They’re almost finished.”
He felt so solid and
“I felt responsible for you long before Julian took you to his bed. Are you forgetting your father and my oath to him?”
“Another man not around to care. If you want to do me a favor, Aiden, figure out a way to stop the black-wing that doesn’t involve getting your men grounded or killed. I’m not going to be responsible for more casualties in San Diego.”
“And Jaxon?”
She paused and bit her lip. “Do you think he’d be safer with you?”
Aiden laughed. “Are you really so unconcerned about your own life that you would send away your only protector?”
“I’m not unconcerned, but I’ve made it this far on my own, and I’m not about to start living scared—like I’m in some Demiáre witness protection program or something.”
He paused and really looked at her then. “You don’t realize what a treasure you are to us.”
“I never asked to be.”
“No, but is there anything wrong with being valued?”
Emotion roiled within her, turning her folded hands into fists. “You mean like how Gavin valued me, treated me like his princess? He was so honorable , swore he loved me. Where is he now, Aiden? He left, just like they all do. I was barely out of diapers when I learned that most people can’t be trusted. They always have ulterior motives. And if they don’t want something from you, they’ve lost interest and want nothing to do with you at all.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “You have no idea what Gavin has done for you.”
“What has he done? Introduce me to Julian so he wouldn’t have to screw me himself? That didn’t turn out too well for Julian, but Gavin seems to be doing fine.”
Aiden snorted in disgust. “Get your sorry head out of your ass. Gavin has sacrificed more for you than you’ll ever know.”
Aiden was upset, but the guilt in his expression captured Kara’s interest. “What are you talking about? What has Gavin done?”
He turned away. “Never mind.”
She grabbed his arm. “Tell me.”
“It’s not my story to tell.” He pulled away and his expression closed, as if he was seconds from flashing.
“Aiden, wait.”
He looked up at the ceiling, his hands clenched at his sides. “I’m so fucking sick of this. I’ve attempted to maintain order and peace until Gavin returns, but you people buck me at every turn.” He met her gaze then, and what she saw in his eyes was frightening. “So listen carefully, little princess. Stay in the house, and stay out of trouble. If anything else goes wrong in your city, I will drag you kicking and screaming back to Mercury Island, where you belong.”
Kara twisted the knob, and as she entered her apartment, power washed over her and seeped through her skin, as if a spell was sampling her DNA. Abbey and another woman sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor. They’d scooted the table into the living room and faced each other with their hands linked. With the second woman’s back to Kara, she couldn’t see who it was, but her black hair was up in a high ponytail, and the colorful tattoos on her neck were plainly visible.
Jaxon waited by the door for Kara to enter, no doubt hearing every word of her argument with Aiden. He pressed a finger to his lips, as though Kara didn’t know she needed to be quiet when witches were working. She nodded to let him know she understood.
Jaxon paused, looking as if he wanted to reach for her but didn’t know if he was welcome. Kara sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “They’re almost finished.”
He felt so solid and