His skin sizzled, making my heart pound and heat bubble from deep within my chest. But he took a breath, wrestling his instinct to fight into obedience.
“It’s really quite unfortunate,” the general purred. “You’ve left yourself no room to argue should the curator declare you unfit to have a Priestess.” He tisked. “Such a stickler for order, our curator. Perhaps I’ll get our Menace with child once she’s been freed of your mark,” the general mused, eyes tracing the scars marking me from breast to hip. “As you should have donebeforebinding her. There’s always the chance that my bond with Sasha will interfere, of course,” he allowed. “But I’m sure there’s a long line of eager, unbound Elites willing to put a hybrid brat in her belly, however… unsightly the vessel.”
As he wrapped me in a plush towel, I couldn’t tell which of us was trembling harder—me or the captain. Bile fought with a scream to be the first to come pouring from my lips, both losing out to an unexpected, vicious curse. “Over my bloated, rotten corpse, you fucking—”
Clapping his hand over my mouth, the captain tossed his shirt and the clean dress over his shoulder, kicking the soiled one into the corner.
“Ah, such fight in my girl,” the general cooed. “I look forward to housebreaking her. Oh,” he added, flicking wet, dismissive fingers at the captain, “before I forget. After the debacle on the field, Sasha and I had a little…chatthis morning.” He traced his bottom lip with the edge of his thumb. “She’s agreed that her assessment of a Triloth of moderate potential may have been a touch… inaccurate. A second opinion is warranted. Just in case. I’ll expect to see my girl at the infirmary first thing tomorrow, Golden Boy. I’ll send Aiden and Reese to collect her.”
The captain’s chin dipped, muscles so tense, the acknowledgment was all but imperceptible.
“Pardon? I didn’t quite hear you.”
“Yes, sir,” the captain said, forcing the words through his teeth. “She’ll be there. I have nothing to hide.”
“Mhm. Ofcoursenot. Run along now. Time’s running out.”
Without another word, the captain spun on his heel, the deep rumble of laughter chasing us from the room.
Chapter 6
Grip hard enough to bruise, the captain propelled me from the general’s presence, hand on my elbow. Ki bundled tight. Molten iron pumping through his veins and the bond, both.
Staggering, I hissed, “What iswrongwith you—”
“Don’t.”
My teeth clicked shut, feet slapping at the smooth, damp tiles.
Taking an abrupt right turn, the captain all but flung a door off its hinges, shoving me into the cobbled streets and the evening chill.
Sopping wet hair plastered to my nape, I stumbled, clutching at the towel as gooseflesh erupted over every inch of exposed skin. “Easy, you colossal—”
He caught me, pressing close, lips tracing the shell of my ear. “Not.Now. Do you understand me?”
“If not now, then when?” I snapped, trying to thrust away from his naked chest. “The moment was perfect. His arrogance sat him before you, unarmed. Alone. We could have been done with this.”
Wrapping his hand in my hair, he forced my brow to the gooseflesh prickling his chest. A mockery of an intimate embrace, for though it appeared to be tender, he snarled,“Mila, shut your mouth,”against my temple. Anticipating my bunched muscles for the coiled spring they were, he planted his left hand on my lower back and pressed our hips together. And then, allowing me a single precious drop, he guided my fingers to wrap about my mother’s pendant.
The towel dropped, pooling in a ring at my feet.
Scarred and nimble fingers interlaced with those that were thick and hardened by work, the captain flooded me with enough ki to turn my limbs to jelly. Supporting my weight with a tight band about my lower back, he wrapped about my mind as we were coiled about the Glaith. Masterful, he sent my enslaved senses spinning around the darkened streets.Showingme what he couldn’t speak aloud.
Watchers in the dark. A dozen unseen lurkers surrounded us. Waiting.
But, Goddess! Such power! Not even the sun burned so hot, so brilliant. He thrust the High Priestess’ pathetic protection aside and opened the bond, showing me power enough to set dark wings aflutter.
I grinned, greeting the temptation, reaching for these poor, powerless fools with claws dipped in Elite ki. Tainted, yes, but it wouldmorethan suffice. None would live to regret issuing such a challenge. They were nothing before us.
Nothing.
“Enough,” the captain whispered, breaking my grip on the pendant.
Gone. Any trace of ki left tingling on my skin evaporated with my next breath. Eaten by the accursed leech chomping at my ribs. Worse still, the darkness submitted tohiscommand, sinking into obscurity without a fight.
Obedient.
Kept.
