I snicker at the exchange, and Bastien gives me a cocky wink that sends a zap of lust straight to my clit.
“Don’t you start, Witch,” Torrez jokes, and I throw up my hands, palms out, in a gesture of innocence.
“Hey, it beats roshambo,” I declare.
“I liked that better. I keep forgetting we changed the rules,” Torrez whines, and I laugh even harder.
“You liked that better because you won more,” Bastien playfully accuses. “And I don’t care what you say, I still think it’s because you can somehow smell what we choose before we throw it.”
Torrez grins and shakes his head. “Pshhh, I’m just that good,” he announces cockily and then proceeds to pull his hand from my ass to make the universal sign for scissors and then blows on it.
I slap his chest on a laugh and move out of his personal space. I step over the pile of ash and reach for Bastien’s outstretched hand.
“You’ve done me wrong, bro,” Torrez jokes.
“Stop giving me those puppy dog eyes,” Bastien scolds and then guffaws when Torrez pokes out his lower lip. “Fair is fair,” Bastien defends.
“Heartless,” Torrez calls out and grabs his chest dramatically. “At least let me watch if you won’t let me play.”
My head snaps to Torrez, shocked. His smile grows even wider.
“You know you’d like it,” he teases and gives me a brow waggle.
I shrug because there’s no way I could honestly deny that.
TGV strikes again.
Like they can hear that thought, Torrez and Bastien both laugh. Or maybe it’s my lack of denial that they find so amusing. Bastien pulls me out of the ash-tainted room, and Torrez follows closely on our heels like the excited puppy he is. We pass a group of lamia in the hall, and they give us a wide berth.
It bothers me that a lot of the nest still acts like we’re a threat and deserving of their fear. I suppose the ash dusting my clothes right now isn’t exactly the most comforting sight to them, but we’re not just killing all willy-nilly. We’ll be leaving any day now, and we need to make sure this nest isn’t a threat to us or the remaining lamia anymore before we go.
Surprisingly, the lamia have taken to the members of the Volkov shifter pack that fought with us like they’re family. I don’t know if it’s a language thing or if their camaraderie finds its foundation in a mutual dislike for casters and paladin. Whatever the reason, they’ve welcomed each other with open arms, and the Volkov pack has pledged to protect the nest after the rest of us are gone.
It’s one less thing I need to worry about or be responsible for, and I’m grateful for the alpha, Fedor—even though he hasn’t let up with the Brun love. I swear, if I have to hear him gloat about how amazing Brun is one more time, I’m going to lose it. At first he was just talking her up to Torrez, but now he sings her praises to all my Chosen.Fucking questionable taste, if you ask me.
“Vinna,” echoes up the hall from behind us, and I turn to find Becket and Enoch.
“Any luck?” I call out as they make their way closer.
They both slow and shake their heads. I let out a frustrated huff.
“We searched his quarters, the library, and anywhere else it would make sense for a crazy leech to keep books about Sentinels, but we can’t find anything,” Becket explains, and I look around the cave-hallway as if clues are written on the walls.
“He could have been lying, Vinna,” Enoch offers with a shrug.
“Maybe,” I finally admit. “I don’t know why he would; he seemed to know so much.”
“He was probably just fucking with you. His brother was Chosen, so he could have learned a lot from him. We don’t know at what point Adriel went off the rails. He could have been getting the inside scoop for ages,” Becket declares.
As much as I hate it, it’s time I accept that he’s probably right. There’s no point stressing over what are probably non-existent books.
“This cave is massive. It would probably take a year to search every nook and cranny to be sure one way or the other. You’ll be around Sentinels soon. I’m sure they can teach you more than any book Adriel might have had hidden somewhere in this place,” Enoch tells me with a comforting smile.
Bastien rubs small circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, and nerves burst to life in my stomach at the thought of other Sentinels.
“Speaking of, when are we heading out?” Becket inquires.
Bastien’s grip tightens on mine, but he thankfully keeps his mouth shut. If I have to dive back into the argument of why Enoch and his coven should come with us to Sentinel City, I’m going to punch him and then revoke hisdibsfor a month. Maybe not that last part, but definitely the punching will happen.
