“One cannot always exist in the past,” Tala said.
Tate stopped, giving the other woman a sweet smile that hid the dragon inside. “One should make their own decisions in such things rather than having others step in.”
It was a warning and a threat.
Tate had no problem with Tala creating opportunities for Mia to interact with Night. She understood loneliness and wanting to be near another. But that was as far as it went.
The moment Night indicated he was done, that was the moment Tate would stand as an immovable obstacle to ensure his wishes were heard and enforced.
Dewdrop and she might tease but they’d never truly trespass against their friend’s desires. So far, Night had seemed amenable to the situation—in his own stubborn, obstinate way.
The fact he hadn’t tried to take a swipe out of the other Veles told Tate as much as she needed to know.
“You’re as protective of him as Gabriella told me you’d be,” Tala said, not sounding insulted.
“It seems like we understand each other.”
“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?”
Losing interest with the conversation, Tate scanned the crowd near them, most of whom were paying far too much attention to her and Tala for comfort.
One man in particular caught her attention. Dressed head to toe in a black outfit that reminded Tate of a uniform, the man watched her with the same intensity a snake would a mouse. Not exactly hostile but she wouldn’t call it warm either.
It left Tate feeling uncomfortable and wanting to leave his vicinity immediately.
Seeing where Tate was looking, Tala raised an eyebrow. “The new Obsidian Lord of the Black Order. He was the one to take up the title after the old lord was ousted for his part in the tunnel crimes.”
Another thing that could be laid at Tate’s feet.
The Black Order’s involvement was a scandal that had nearly toppled their organization. The man standing not far from her was the one responsible for saving it. He’d lost a third of his force but many still saw his order as a beacon of protection against the sleepers and those like Tate and her friends.
They sought purity in the human race and considered any whose ancestors were part of the Creators’ experiments to be corrupt, ripe for culling.
His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he dipped his head to listen to the person next to him.
“I’d keep your distance if I was you. My people tell me he’s less rigid in his beliefs than the last lord, but I doubt that means he’d be merciful to people like us. Their organization was founded as a watchdog against the Creators’ influence, after all.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Not that Tate had ever considered an alternative. He was part of the Black Order. One could say he was a natural born enemy for a person like Tate.
SIX
Ilith stirred. For a brief moment, Tate saw double. Her balance wobbled as a wave of vertigo took over her.
I won’t let us be easy prey. Eat them before they can eat us!
Tate clamped down on the dragon, pushing Ilith back into the space in her consciousness her dragon normally occupied.
Tate inhaled softly, steadying herself. Face planting on the floor with this many people watching wasn’t what she considered a good time.
How about we wait until they give us cause for the eating?Tate considered reminding her dragon, once again, that there would be no eating of sentient creatures but quickly gave it up as a lost cause.
At least if they waited, Tate could claim self-defense.
Ilith’s disgruntlement trickled through their bond.My way would be more fun.
A soft snicker left Tate as she started moving, leaving Tala behind as one of the other guests stopped the Silva’s Harridan to exchange inane chitchat. Roslyn kept to the background as she shadowed Tate unobtrusively.
