“Just fucking barges in and demands we follow him with no explanation,” Ronan hissed from my side, seeminglyveryworked up. “Who does he think he is?”
If I was correct, Steele thought he was the most lethal person in the house, giving him the misguided notion that we all had to do what he said. Though I wasn’t sure how he didn’t realize that title belonged tome, considering thesmalldisplay of my power I offered in turning all of their weapons to balloons when we first arrived.
“I imagine this has to do with Kieran’s test from last week, especially since she was meeting with her new instructor this morning,” I pointed out as I brought my gaze back down to the men in front of me. It was the first thing I thought of when I noted our path was taking us directly toward the Rebellion’s administrative building.
It was that or we were about to be thrown out on our asses.
“He could have just explained that,” Ronan’s tone was filled with annoyance as he glanced over his shoulder at me, his brow pinched together in a severe line. “It’s like he tries to make every situation harder than it needs to be.”
I offered him a shrug. While I agreed with him, I couldn’t offer him a solution because mine would be frowned upon andabsolutely ensured that we would be tossed out. He turned back around and offered a finger for the wyvern to rub his cheek against, renewing my annoyance at the creature. Apparently my fingers weren’t good enough, save for the first time I’d caught him off guard while petting him.
“We’re meeting with the Rebellion’s council, and you are here for information only,” Steele announced as he came to a stop in front of the doors.
I couldn’t help but quip, “No, I’m here for Kieran actually.”
Unsurprisingly, Steele didn’t like my response, his jaw ticking as he clenched it. After we entered the administrative building and were led down a long hall that was warmly lit, we were greeted by a pair of double doors at the end of the main corridor. When they were opened for us by the two guards standing outside of them, a cozy room with arched ceilings covered in wooden beams was revealed to us. I immediately calculated where each exit point was before entering—including windows—and found five viable options for escape.
There was a long table in the front of the chamber on a slightly elevated stone platform, featuring four individuals who talked quietly amongst themselves. A fifth person stood to the side. Their vantage point faced a set of five chairs just beneath them on the main floor, making it easy for them to gaze down upon those sitting in them. My eyes rolled on their own accord. Of course they thought looking down on whomever sat in those chairs would create a feeling of authority.
“As if,” I muttered, focusing on the seats clearly meant for our group. They were all empty except for one. Kieran sat in the middle chair, turning in her seat and flooding her expression at our appearance. The corners of her lips curved as her shoulders slumped slightly.
My chest felt as if it filled with a warmth from within at the sight of her.There she was. The object of my utter fascination.
I didn’t hesitate to walk right up to my darling and take the seat next to her, pulling her right hand into my grasp. At first, I felt her attempt to pull her hand back, but as I examined her face—noticing the pale tinge to her skin and the worry filling her eyes—she relaxed and allowed me to guide it into my lap. I brushed my thumb along her smooth skin as I attempted to figure out the situation at hand.
What happened to remove the usual brightness from those hazel orbs? Or better yet,whohad made her feel this way?
My eyes darted over the others present once again, narrowing briefly on Amelia who watched our group as Ronan and Gabe sat on either side of us. Steele assumed a standing position with the council, but off to the far right side of the platform.
A huff of amusement slipped from my mouth. Of course he was aligning himself with them and not us. Which was just another reason that Kieran really shouldn’t care if I chose to dispose of him. While I wouldn’t consider myself fond of Gabe or Ronan, we’d come to an amicable, unspoken, understanding that we could be civil while pursuing our interest in Kieran. For that, I’d protect them if something went wrong. I wasn’t afraid of a little competition, and it was clear to me that Kieran fostered some emotions for the other men.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly as an odd tightness in my chest appeared, aching with Kieran’s apparent unease. I could practically feel the nervousness and anxiety radiating off of her, and it was affecting me too.
I had never felt the urge to comfort another angel, but when it came to Kieran, I had to actively fight the instinct demanding that I pull her into my lap and tuck her protectively against my chest. The other part of me that I welcomed and felt more comfortable with, told me to kill each person that was in thisroom before our arrival. My eyes narrowed as I surveyed my targets.One of them was responsible for this.
“Just nervous,” she murmured while squeezing my hand before her gaze moved to her other side where Ronan sat. The wyvern had his own chair to sit in, on the far left.
Yeah, perfect. Let’s give the creature his own seat and add to his ego. Soon enough no one would be good enough to pet him.
“Hi Niz,” she cooed softly, instantly getting a trill of affection from him. I felt her energy shift to a bit more of the radiant one I was used to in that moment. “Thanks for bringing him, Ronan.”
“You know he would’ve never stayed home, Beauty,” Ronan muttered as I watched him take her free hand into his lap.
Copycat.
“Kieran,” Gabe leaned forward, trying to grab her attention from my other side. “I promise you everything’s going to be alright.”
She glanced over before whispering, “I’m not sure youcanpromise that.”
“Whatever they say doesn’t matter, Darling—it changes nothing,” I lifted her hand before brushing my lips over the back of it. A softness filled her gaze—one I’d only seen given to Gabe, Ronan, and Niz before. Maybe…maybe this interest I had in her went both ways.
“I hope…I hope it changes something, but in a good way. Noah said something to me before this, though…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze moved toward the man standing to the left of the table.
Noah.Was he the one responsible for the anxiety whirling around her?
“Thank you for joining us, especially you, Kieran. I know it's been a long week of waiting for you,” Amelia spoke up at last.
Kieran nodded in agreement, looking a bit aggravated despite trying to hide it behind a forced smile.
