“What are you doing?” Liam asked, coming out of one of the other rooms.
I didn’t answer, pressing the elevator button. One touch became several more until finally I kept my finger on it.
“Aileen!” Liam barked.
His eyes blazed at me, the intensity of his anger making them almost glow.
The door behind him was open. Thomas stood in its entrance, a carefully controlled expression on his face. Nathan was beside him, looking cautious. Behind them, I could see the other enforcers and Sondra. Everyone’s eyes were on me, not even pretending to give us privacy.
Ahrun came out of the next room, his face carefully blank despite the standoff. He said nothing, watching me with an enigmatic gaze that reminded me of what he’d shared earlier. About fate and meeting it.
Was this what he meant?
“Her sister is downstairs,” Caroline announced in an attempt to defuse the situation.
Frustration tightened Liam’s features as he lifted a hand to rub his jaw.
“You’re not talking me out of this,” I informed him.
It would break my heart if he tried.
“I wasn’t going to,” he growled. “Anton.”
The enforcer’s gaze was incredulous as it shot to Liam. “Why do I have to babysit? Nathan is her bestie. Send him.”
I gifted Anton with a saccharin sweet smile. “For once I’m in agreement. Nathan tends to whine less.”
There was a choked sound from Nathan as his shoulders started to shake.
Anton swatted him on the back of the head. “This is because you lost her last time.”
Thomas regarded Liam steadily. “Splitting our forces so close to a challenge is not the best decision tactically.”
A soft ding announced the elevator’s arrival.
I marched into it. “That works for me. I’m perfectly fine on my own.”
Caroline hurried after me. “You’re not leaving me behind.”
“Wolf,” Sondra growled, prowling out of the war room. “Don’t even think about it.”
Caroline waved and lifted her shoulders in a gesture of mock apology as the doors started to close. “Too late.”
Liam slammed a hand between the doors, forcing them open. He didn’t do anything after that. He just stood there and glared, not saying a word.
“I won’t enter the Playground or the barrow. I’ll also remain in crowded areas and not go off on my own,” I assured him, knowing what he wanted.
It was unlikely that Vitus would launch an attack if I was surrounded by humans. Doing so would violate the council’s own mandate and possibly expose our world to their kind.
“I’ll just be gone long enough to escort Jenna back up here.”
I’d prefer to get her out of the city immediately, but there was no way to arrange that on such short notice and with a duel imminent. At least if she stayed in the penthouse, she’d be surrounded by enforcers.
That hadn’t helped Deborah,my inner voice whispered.
Ruthlessly, I squashed that thought. We weren’t thinking about my companion right now. Jenna first. Then Deborah.
Triage. It’s what I’d learned in the military. Concentrate on the immediate problem at hand before taking on more.
