“Well,” Cipher drawled as he offered Hawkyn a hand, “atleast you’re consistent, always rescuing females from crazy males.”
“No matter how stupid it is,” Maddox added.
Journey shook his head.“I can’t believe you fucking didthat.”
Hawk couldn’t either.“The angel was my mother.”
Cipher cocked a blond eyebrow, and both Journey and Maddoxgasped out loud.
“Damn,” Journey said.“I’ve never met any Memitim dam, letalone mine.”
“No one has,” Maddox said.
“Would you want to?”Cipher asked, and both Journey andMaddox shook their heads.
After all, what did one say to the female who gave you up,not for your own good, but because you were a means to an end, a pawn in a gameyou were bred to play whether you wanted to or not?
“Hawkyn!”Lilliana jogged over, fingers playing with theends of the long braid draped over her shoulder.“I saw what happened.Are youokay?”At his nod, she smiled and dropped her hands to her sides.“Good.Nextquestion.Are you completely stupid?”
He glanced at his friends, who were nodding vehemently.
“The consensus seems to be yes.”He glared at all theonlookers,shamingthem into heading back to whateverthey’d been doing before he tackled his father.“What did Azagoth mean by goingto war?”he asked Lilliana.“Over what?The children he was talking about?”Andwhat children?
“I don’t know.”She crossed her arms over her chest,ruffling her silky blue blouse.“I have no idea what’s going on with Azagoth,but you all need to tread softly around him for a while.I haven’t seen himthis volatile since I first arrived in Sheoul-gra.He loves you—all of you—butI think he might have loved some of the people he turned into living statues,too.”
“Does he?”Journey asked quietly.“Does he really?”
Lilliana frowned.“Does he what?Love some of the statues?”
“No.Love us.”
“Of course he does,” she said, but Hawkyn swore he heard anote of doubt in her voice.
Maddox snorted.“He’s an angel wrapped in a demon wrapped inan asshole.He doesn’t give a shit about anything but himself.”
In an instant Lilliana was in Maddox’s face, her eyesglowing with anger, her wings, which Hawkyn had never seen, held high,engulfing his brother in shadow.She was shorter than Maddox by at least sixinches, butsomehowshe seemed to tower over him.
“How dare you,youungratefulwretch,” she snapped, compelling Mad backward with the force of her anger.Anger Hawk hadn’tknownshe was capable of.Lillianahad always been so calm and sweet.“Do you not see what he’s done for you?Forall of you?Are you completely blind to what he’s built here for you?He didn’tdo it for show or personal or political gain, no matter what Ulnara said.I sawhis misery and felt his pain when your brother Methicore shut down Sheoul-grato Memitim access a while back.But your father called in about a millionfavors to have the decision reversed—favors that cost him dearly.”She jammedher finger into Maddox’s chest.“Soif you can’t showhim a little respect, I will personally show you the door.”
Maddox held up his hands in surrender, but he was carefulnot to spill the wine in one hand.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said meekly.“I apologize.”
For a long moment, Hawkyn wasn’t sure she was going toaccept his apology, but just as he was weighing ways to de-escalate thesituation, she stepped back with an irritated flap of wings.
“Good,” she said crisply.“Now, I’m going to go check onhim.You boys enjoy the party.”
Hawkyn assured her he would, but he didn’t plan to stay.Heneeded to go over the notes he had about Drayger’s past, and then he had tofigure out what to do with Aurora.
He was about to wave off his buddies when his arm seizedupand pain shot from his wrist to his shoulder.Hissing, helooked down at the row of sevenheraldisthat extended from the heelof his hand to the crook of his elbow.The one in the middle was pulsing, red,angry.
One of his Primoris was in trouble.
“I got your back,” Journey said.“Let’s go.”
“I’m in,” Cipher said.“Let’s kick ass.”
Maddox downed his wine and threw the cup down on the groundlike a victory spike.“Kick ass!”
