The three brothers remain silent, their gazes assessing me. The air in the room feels different and dread spreads through me, making my scalp prickle.
It’s Demitri who speaks, his eyes hard and his posture rigid. “We need you to retrieve a special package from the Outlands.”
I jerk back a step, my arms dropping to my sides as I stare at them in disbelief. “You can’t be fucking serious?”
“Oh, I can assure you we are.” He smirks.
Alexander tilts his head, gray eyes narrowing on me, but he stays silent. Observing, always fucking observing. I wonder what he’d do if I poked him in the eye right now.
I shake my head, looking at the ground. “If I’m caught . . .”
The Outlands were full of criminals, crazies, and, well, monsters. I would be at a disadvantage.
“You’re the best there is,” Penn says, leaning his hip against the table and crossing his arms.
“And that makes this okay?”
Penn’s eyes soften and he shrugs. “Not really, but you don’t have a choice.”
I growl, glaring at each of them. “It’s in another realm.”
“Perfectly aware of that, Ashwiyaa,” Demitri says, his tone borderline condescending.
“Then how do you expect me to get there?” I yell, throwing my arms in the air. They couldn’t seriously want me to risk my life like this.
“We know you’re friends with a Puca. He will take you,” Alexander murmurs, only loud enough to be heard.
The shock hits me like a slap, my eyes widening as suspicion claws its way into my thoughts. My mouth opens, but no sound escapes—just a void where words should be. I glance quickly at Penn, searching for any sign of . . . something, anything. But his face is a mask of indifference, giving me nothing to latch onto. The storm of emotions brewing inside me is almost too much to contain. Betrayal twists in my gut like a knife.
“You’ve . . . you’ve been having me watched?” The words are thick, heavy in my throat, almost choking me as I force them out.
“Of course. You’re our biggest asset,” Demitri replies, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
My heart stutters. “I have served this family loyally for nearly two hundred years.” The words fall out of me, a desperate plea for some acknowledgment, some shred of decency. I’ve given them everything—my loyalty, my life, my soul. And this is how they repay me?
My skin starts to prickle, the dampness of sweat forming on my palms. My thoughts race, jumping to Kai. Do they know? Did they see?
The thought makes my blood run cold.
“Don’t be dramatic, Ashwiyaa,” Penn interjects, his voice laced with that infuriating calm that makes me want to lash out. “You know we don’t ask this of you lightly.”
A bitter laugh escapes me, half a snort, half a growl. This conversation is unraveling faster than I anticipated. I wanted out, but not like this—not with the ugly truth of their mistrust shoved in my face. I shake my head, the futility of it all sinking in.
“When do you need me to leave?” The question barely escapes my lips, my voice reduced to a whisper as I turn my head away, unable to meet their eyes.
“Tonight.”
The single word hits me like a right hook. My heart slams against my ribs, the tempo of my breathing skyrocketing. I snap my attention back to Penn, rage flaring hot and vicious in my veins. The urge to wrap my hands around his throat, to squeeze until the life drains from his eyes, consumes me. I can feel it, the way my muscles coil, ready to strike.
Penn senses my intentions and his body ripples, his human form distorting as green scales shimmer into existence, his eyes flashing from green to gold in a blink. Suddenly, he’s in front of me.
“You’re leaking.” He scowls.
I blink, some of my anger fading away in my confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Penn’s eyes drop and I follow his gaze. A thick black mist pours out of me, swirling and slithering along the floor, steadily encroaching on its surroundings.
I breathe in deeply and make an effort to calm down. There is no point getting worked up; it will only escalate the situation.
