“Even now, two thousand years later, it would be foolish to believe there are not slavers among us,” Gemini added, narrowing her gaze in her nephew’s direction. “Alban was on the right side of the Immortal War but Ariadne is not her father.”
“You were there?” I asked, amazed. “You fought in the Immortal War?”
“Gemini, our father, and Alban Dawnpaw are the only ones still alive from that time,” Cass told me and my lips parted in awe.
“I don’t intend to see another come to pass,” she snapped, her stare fixed upon Lark.
“Why isn’t Alban stopping her?” I asked, looking between them.
“A good question,” Gemini acknowledged with a raised brow.
“We can’t know until we get there,” Lark replied, standing suddenly from his spot on the couch.
“You can’t possibly still mean to go through with this foolish plan,” Gemini hissed.
“It’s better than sending Ren in to die or lose her mind, or worse.”
I raised a hand to my mouth. Cass patted my knee reassuringly.
“Seems like the same thing from where I’m sitting,” Gemini snapped, standing with him and following him as he paced into the kitchen. “How do you intend to cross her borders without her knowledge?”
“No magic,” he said, holding up his hands. “She can only trace me through magic and, believe me, I’ve had enough practice avoiding it.”
“She hasn’t,” Gemini argued, pointing to Cass and then pointing at me. “She’s a magic cannon. She has absolutely no control over herself. Taking her into enemy territory will be like firing a flare.”
“I don’t intend to take her.”
I dropped my hand to my side, wide eyes darting up to him but he stood with his back to me, every muscle tensed. Even Gemini faltered at that, some of the fight going out of her at the revelation she wasn’t expecting.
“You would leave her here?” Gemini asked, stunned.
“She will be with a trusted family member,” Lark replied, turning cold eyes on her. “A beloved aunt.”
“You would dare—”
“Keep her safe until we return. That’s all I ask.”
Gemini’s words fell away. Her mouth remained open, working but failing to find the words she wished to say.
“For the love you bear me,” Lark said, gazing intently into Gemini’s eyes to make her see how fervently he cared about my safety, “for all that we have ever done in the name of good, protect her until I return, Aunt Gem.”
How could anyone deny him that?
She didn’t. She just closed her mouth and gave one curt nod and suddenly everyone was moving at once. It seemed that having a plan spurred them into action and they were big believers in the mantra that there was no time like the present. Rook was already strapping weapons to himself. Cass was watching it all, wide eyed, staring at her aunt in awe. I wondered if she had ever seen Gemini Morningstar back down before. It wasn’t a sight that I would forget anytime soon.
Lark waved a hand over himself and his black tee shirt disappeared, replaced by that signature black, embellished tunic. I stood from my spot and strode toward him. Gemini stepped away as I passed, rightfully assuming this was a moment with him that I would rather have alone.
“You’re leaving,” I said, my tone more accusatory than I had intended as I reached him. “Now?”
“Every moment we wait it becomes harder to locate the gorgon,” he explained, reaching out to take my hands. I stared down at the contact, still having not gotten used to that yet. “Believe me when I say that right now leaving you is the absolute last thing I want to be doing. But you’re safer here.”
He left the rest unsaid. That they were all safer with me here as well. Gemini was right. My lack of control over my magic meant that if I loosed even an ounce of it in the Peace Court’s territory, it would be like a homing beacon to our location.
“I’ll get better,” I promised. “I’ll learn how to control it.”
“I know,” he told me with a sad smile, raising a hand against my face in a gentle caress. “Why do you think I’m leaving you with the best trainer in the entire realm?”
I smiled.
