The anger transformed from white-hot into something icier. As tired as I was, I refused to let people continue to take swipes at me for free. If Gods were uncaring, if they were above each other, then why shouldn’t I give in to part of my heritage?
“I hope you’re content, Archer,” I said, schooling my features and straightening my spine. “And I hope Elara would be proud of you.”
There was a sick sense of joy that flooded through me when Archer’s smug expression warped into something uglier.
“About that game,” I said as he seethed. “I may not know how to play it, but I’m a quick learner.”
“I’m not your enemy here. There’s a whole host of Gods up there who want you dead. Don’t think just because you’ve fucked one of them, they’ll see you as an equal. I told you we are your family. This is where you belong.”
“I think I’ll decide who I take on as family, Archer.”
“All that time in the lab should help you make an intelligent and informed decision, I hope.”
“Oh, didn’t you know? There’s this thing that happens to women when they get some decent dick. Our brains melt and drip out of our ears, so I can’t guarantee anything.”
“You’re a very difficult being to help,” he said through his teeth.
“Then don’t. I never asked you and it isn’t appreciated.”
“You don’t even know what you’re capable of yet.”
“I know I don’t want you as my mentor.”
“You’ll change your mind.”
“I highly doubt it.”
He cracked his neck and sniffed indignantly. “You should take some time to process everything before you make any rash decisions. Impulsivity seems to be a key flaw of yours.”
“I’ll add it to the list. It’s a mile long, by all accounts.”
“See you soon, angel. Maybe in your dreams.”
If I had something in hand, I would have thrown it at him, but he disappeared in wisps of green, and I bit the insides of my cheeks to stop myself from screaming. I forced my muscles to move, walking myself out of the room, and jumped when Dionne pushed herself away from the opposite wall.
“You heard everything.” My words were a statement, not a question.
“I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Where’s Marcel?”
“I sent him home. Quentin, what Archer said—"
“Is it true? Did you help him?”
She looked at her shoes. “Yes, but only because he asked me directly. I couldn’t refuse him and I didn’t know who you were then.” Dionne’s dark eyes met mine again. “When I saw you at his estate after Bexley sent me, I was shocked to see it was you.”
It was difficult to be angry at the woman when she’d had no choice. Archer was trying his best to make me dependent on him. To prove that he was the only option around, but I’d grown wary of the manipulative fucker.
Critical thinking was a key component in my life. Troubleshooting was a daily occurrence. This didn’t differ from something going wrong in the lab. Only, in the lab, if something went wrong, you potentially risked other people’s lives. Here, it was only truly mine that was on the line.
Hunter wanted me to prove I had control, and as long as Archer and Gray stayed out of my way, I could guarantee we’d be back on Earth. That left the council vote, and I needed to figure out a way to turn it to my favour.
“I’m sorry that it aided in causing this mess,” Dionne continued. “It’s not a gift that’s meant to be used like that. It’s usually creatives I help. The ones who rely on their dreams for their next projects.”
I looked at Dionne as she explained her job, but my mind wandered. She was in a relationship with Bexley. There were ties to upper Elysia down here. Archer continued to refer to lower Elysia as my home. This was where my ‘family’ were supposed to be. The two strands of thoughts wound themselves together until they cemented themselves into a decision.
“Dionne,” I said, cutting across her monologue. “I need to get out of here.”
