I startle. “Jaime was part of the resistance?”
Trinity had mentioned that he’d infiltrated Rad’s inner circle at their fathers’ behest, but I never would have imagined he was reporting back to a resistance organization actively fighting against Rad and his ilk. I close my eyes and let out a ragged breath, thinking about how Rad found out, called Jaime a traitor, then took the most important thing in the world from him, breaking him to pieces.
Breaking the fight out of him by destroying the one person he’d held dearest.
He won’t hesitate to do the same to me, to break me by destroying those I love.
“I should have realized.” I swallow hard and blink back tears. “Ian is right,” I manage. “My position is unique. I’m courting a Soldier of Saint Aldous, and Icancatch his thoughts. I’m also the daughter of the CEO of Rose Pharmaceuticals and the sister to one of his most trusted seconds. I’ve caught things from Aspen already. We wouldn’t know about Project Halcyon or the missing shipping container, if not for him.” I sigh. “Rad is coming to court me for the Feast of Marmora in a few weeks.”
Ian lets out a huff of frustration and disappears to the den, returning with two books wrapped in brown paper. “Don’t push me, my darling. I have more.”
“You truly can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Can’t, won’t. You deserve to be courted properly, and I can’t take you out on dates, so I do what I can.”
I soften, reaching out to take his hand and squeeze it fondly. “Thank you, Ian.”
“Love you,” he mouths.
“Love you,” I murmur back, tracing my fingertips over the paper. I sigh as I set the books aside. “I intend to try to extract as much information from him as I can while he’s here. It’s the least I can do.”
“I still don’t fucking like this,” Cassian mutters.
“I won’t be alone with him. Marcus or Willow will be with me the whole time.”
“He choked you on Willow’s watch,” Luca snarls. “Your sister is not your friend, Juniper, and she’s certainly not to be fucking trusted.”
“I know that better than anyone,” I grit out. “But she’s better than no chaperone at all. And if I can get information from her too… I’ll need to be stronger with my affinity. So far, I’ve only been able to glean passing thoughts. I need to be able to do more.”
“We don’t even know if your affinity can do that,” Simon protests.
“Then we find out,” Ian says. “We train, just like we did last school year.”
“Youwanther to do this,” Cassian says, his voice low and dangerous, barely above a growl. “You want to endanger her!”
“I want her to have a choice,” Ian retorts. “And don’t you dare talk to me about putting her in danger. You’re not the one she asked to trap her in an omega trap time and fucking time again. You have no idea what doing that to her was like. To see her in pain… Saints know I don’t want her anywhere fuckingneardanger, but the reality is that danger finds her. She deserves to be prepared. She deserves the choice.”
Cassian looks away sharply, a snarl twisting his lips, but finally he relents with a nod. “You’d better prepare her well. If anything happens to her…”
“If anything happens to her, I’ll throw myself on my own scribe.”
“Ian!” I sputter.
He fixes me with a level look, but there’s fire in his ice blue eyes. “Don’t, Juniper. If you were hurt or worse… I won’t live in a world without you in it. Don’t ask it of me.”
My tears fall now, hot drops tracing tracks down my cheeks. All I can do is force a nod, push back from the table and throw myself into his arms.
He holds me tightly, his purr rumbling to life in his chest. “We train,” he says heavily. “And we start tonight.”
CHAPTER8
Ian and I head to the basement training room right after dinner, standing across from each other as I wait for his instruction.
“I’m going to think of something specific, and I want you to tell me what I’m thinking of.”
I nod and brace myself before reaching deep for my affinity. It comes at my call, an electric thrum that buzzes through my blood.
I breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, centering myself, and when my magic rises, seeking my intention, I let it slip from me, concentrating on Ian.
