Reaching the landing, Lanias crossed her arms raising a single brow in sarcasm. “Is that so, and here I thought you had learned your lesson. Don’t tell me your brain doesn’t have the compacity to retain memories of pain? Tsk, too bad. I’ll gladly teach you again.”
“Hah—” Andrei covered his lips in an effort to stem his laughter. Only to gain a glare from his older brother. “Sorry, it’s just she’s so sarcastic and I love it.”
“You’re not helping,” Sorin gritted out. “If you’re not going to assist in tearing her apart, remain silent.”
“Oh, that’s bullying,” Lanias said, letting a black blade slip from her skin. She grabbed it and braced herself. “I don’t think your pops raised you to gang up on a weak defenseless woman like me. Come, don’t you think we should settle this in a better way.”
“Or my son could not disrespect me by fighting my guest,” Alek’s voice came from behind her, as he reached down and plucked the blade from her fingers.
Lanias whipped around. “Hey, that’s mine.”
“I’m aware of who it belongs to. It’s also the reason the Golems bodyguards are hunting you down,” he said, giving her a long look.
She averted her gaze gathering her hands behind her back. “Figures you’d be looking into me,” she muttered.
“Mhmm,” he said swallowing the blade in a cloud of red mist. Before he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I would be foolish not to have you investigated love.”
“Right, I guess you have a point.” She met his pleased gaze, “You don’t have to look so happy about it.”
Alek smiled, leaning down, he brushed his lips against her cheek. She flinched back giving him a look that clearly asked if he was insane. “I—I don’t think that’s something you should be doinghere.” She stressed the word here since they were standing in front of two of his sons. One of them who had bad blood with her from her days as one of the four Demons of Veil City.
He lifted his nonchalant gaze to his sons. “I am not worried; they know better than to go against me. Right, Sorin?”
“Yes, Father.” He tightened his hold on the axe in his hand. “I came here out of concern as you’ve only called for Andrei, and Dmitri lately.”
Lanias turned in time to see him give her a significant look.
“I can see why now.”
Alek smiled, “I wanted to introduce you two under better circumstances.”
Sorin seemed to have come to an obvious conclusion because he returned the axe to the sheath. His mauve eyes held a sort of bitter acknowledgement. “My apology, Monarch, I should never question your choices.” With that he gave a short bow of his head, quickly turned on his heel and walked out.
“Ah, Sorin wait. Shit, he’s so high maintenance.” Andrei complained chasing after his elder brother. He paused at thedoor glancing back, “Ah, pops the file is on your desk.” Before he ran out after his brother.
“I guess you didn’t tell the kids about us?” Lanias said, turning around to give Alek a shrewd once over. “Are you sure you should’ve taken my side? Sorin doesn’t look pleased. I smell a rebellion coming.”
Alek grinned, those white teeth flashing at her as if in warning. “I would gladly take on his challenge. He must move from under my shadow at some point. They are well over the age of 200 years. It will soon be time for him to take the name of “Monarch.”
Taking this in Lanias sighed, “You Beings with your games. Just tell him you’re sick of leading and want to retire.”
He pouted. “But that wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.”
She rolled her eyes and shoved him. “I need to talk to Fabian; we’ve been too stagnant. It’s time we get this ball rolling.”
“Oh, and here I wanted to know just how much you know about the Surrem?” His question was said casually but something in his tone had her facing him again.
She sized him up. “Maybe I should be asking you? After all, I didn’t know there was a weapon that could even harm them.” Her dark eyes gleamed like marbles, a blade ready and willing to cut him to the quick.
He offered her a secret smile. “I did say I’ve lived a long time. There are many things I know, some things that even you would cringe away from.”
“Ha, how long have you been holding back that line, forget it,” she said with the shake of her head, “We can talk about this later. I think I should talk to Fabian first. I’m sure he didn’t have the most pleasant night, since I know you well enough to know you’re not the most coddling type of person.”
“I take offense to that; all my sons have grown to be well loved and healthy minded.”
“If I remember correctly when I first met your eldest, and this is before I skewered him for being an arrogant ass; he was breaking the fingers of someone who’d lied to him. He said something along the lines of having issues with liars, and that his father had taught him liars should be broken slowly.”
Alek looked at her as his brow crinkled in confusion. “Is there something wrong with that? Liars deserve to be broken, for they can destroy a kingdom. Break down a government or bring great heroes to their knees.”
