I smile back. “I’ll try. Thank you so much, Malik.”
He winks. “My pleasure. Besides, you’re a badass. You’ve made me a lot of money.” Malik chuckles at the confused look on my face. “I placed a bet with Dominic on how long it would take you to get Emily out.”
“And, who won?”
“I did, of course.”
My eyebrows knit. “Where is he, by the way?”
“Did you forget he’s a vampire? The sun’s still up.”
“Oh yeah,” I say and shake my head at my stupidity.
“Also, he’s undercover, working to find the vampire den responsible for the fae kidnappings. But we’re keeping him informed.”
“I’ll meet you at Ava and Logan’s. We’ll have the Conclave meeting there,” Kaiden chimes in.
Malik nods in response and trudges down the same path Ava and Logan disappeared down earlier.
To prolong the moment before having to meet Kaiden’s gaze, I take in my surroundings. Cottony clouds float in the azure sky while the sun casts streaks of golden light that glitter through weathered tombstones and overgrown blades of grass. Even the bird songs are uplifting. It seems wrong on so many levels to be shot at and covered in blood during the day. Let’s not even mention killing someone. If I dare say, the atmosphere is creepily idyllic.
If only there wasn’t the same strange feeling crawling beneath my skin every time I’m in a cemetery—a foreign energy that calls to me from below.
Kaiden’s voice snaps me out of it.
“Iris, I’m dying here. Would you look at me?” He sucks in a sharp breath. “Please.”
I pretend I didn’t hear him. “Since my work here is done, I’m gonna go.” I take a step before a strong hand wraps around my wrist and whirls me around. Kaiden’s touch singes me.
“Please come back home,” he rasps.
Home.
These four letters slice through me like a serrated blade. I meet his gaze. There’s so much pain etched on his beautiful face that it makes my hands tremble. I swallow past the knot lodged in my throat to clip out, “What home? You got this idea in your head that we were somehow living together, but you and I were on borrowed time anyway. It was never meant to happen, so it’s better it ended sooner than later.” I hike a nonchalant shoulder. “You should move on because I already have.”
“You’re lying.” His jaw is an iron bar of tension, his eyes fire and brimstone as they bore into mine. “You and I are meant for forever, angel. There’s no one else. Only you. It’s always been you.”
His words start a riot beneath my ribcage. I grasp that mask of indifference with broken fingers and bloody nails to force it on my face. It’s too tight and uncomfortable, but I need it because I’m on the edge of folding like a cheap suit. I blow out a heavy exhale. “I understand, okay? Why you can’t tell me about my past. I went with Sam to see a dark witch and—”
Panic ripples through his features. “What did you do?”
“Calm down. She just inspected the barrier. And told me the same things you did. But while you see a future for us, I can’t—because you can’t build one on top of lies. That’s not the kindof relationship I want. I can’t be with someone I can’t trust…I’m tired, and I desperately need a shower. Goodbye, Kaiden. Have a nice life.” I turn on my heel and traipse down the path toward the exit. “And stop sending me flowers. I’m running out of women’s shelters to drop them at.”
27
Iris
My shoulders tense when a set of footsteps follow close behind. “What are you doing?” I grit out through clenched teeth while my gaze drills a hole through the tree in front of me.
“My car is parked this way. You do know you look as though you’ve been resurrected from a gory crime scene, right?”
“Well, I haven’t looked in a mirror yet, but I assume, yeah.”
“And how do you think you’re getting home like this? If someone sees you, they will not only call an ambulance but the police too.”
My steps falter. He’s right. If someone calls the police, I will have to explain how I ended up covered in someone else’s blood. I could tell them I’m from the Order and fought a demon, but then the report would get to Grayson. Plus, demon blood is thecolor of tar, not ruby-red. They wouldn’t know the difference, but Grayson sure would.Shit. It’s not as easy to disguise blood in the middle of the day. “I’ll manage.” Somehow.
“I’m taking you.”
