“We’re talking about Parrish.Is anyonenotanxious when that happens?”
Tamsin was already shaking his head.“There’s more to it.What are you up to?”
Nic sighed when he realized that they had the attention of most of the room.He probably should’ve talked to his mate about this before bringing it up here, but he knew how Tamsin would take it.He was going to try to convince Nic to change his mind, and maybe he should, but he also didn’t see how else they could get enough information on Parrish and what he was planning.
He cleared his throat.“I think I should go out there and find Parrish.”
There was a moment of silence, then the room exploded with sound.Dermot was arguing that Nic was just trying to run away.Tamsin was very loud about the fact that he didn’t want Nic to go anywhere near Parrish.Gary and Anita looked angry at each other as they loudly discussed something.
Rowan was in the middle of it, quiet, brows high on his forehead.He was looking at Nic, who shrugged.
“I’m not trying to escape.”Nic didn’t care if these people heard him.He did wantTamsinto hear what he had to say, though.“I wouldn’t, because Tamsin is here.There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, but I know where Parrish might be.Even if he moved from where he was before the attack, I could find him.I can get us more information.”
“You can get yourself killed,” Tamsin snapped as he reached over and squeezed Tamsin’s hand painfully.
“I could get myself killed staying here, too.We all know that Parrish is going to attack eventually.”
“It doesn’t mean you have to go out there and sacrifice yourself.”
“I’m not planning on doing that.I just think I’m uniquely placed to find information about him and what his Kudlaks are doing.I know their security system.I can sneak around, listen to conversations, and maybe even get my hands on some of Parrish’s stuff.I could find precious information that will tell us what Parrish is up to.”
“It’s not worth putting yourself in danger.I’mnotlosing you to Parrish just because you think you have to prove yourself.Rowan and Clay don’t need you to.Icertainly don’t.”
But everyone else did.Dermot was still looking at Nic like he hated him, and maybe he did.He definitely thought that Nic wasn’t good enough for Tamsin, which Nic tended to agree with.He wanted to show everyone that hecouldbe good enough for him, though.He could be useful, and maybe he could save the village.
For now, they were safe inside the shield, but he knew how worried Tamsin and the other Vila were.They needed more magic, but he couldn’t get it unless more Vila moved to the village.From what Nic knew, some wanted to, but they were afraid of Parrish and his Kudlaks.They weren’t wrong.There was also the fact that Parrish wouldn’t allow anyone close.They couldn’t leave the village without risking getting caught by Kudlaks.Everyone was on edge, and eventually, they were going to have to go out to get supplies and food.
Tamsin turned to Rowan and Clay.“What does the council say about this?I know we don’t have a Krsnik or Vila representative, but they gave us this village.Surely they don’t want it to be destroyed by Parrish.They have enforcers, and there’s rumors that they even have assassins.Can they do something about Parrish?”
“I’ve kept up with the council, and they’ve offered us help,” Rowan confirmed.“Whenever we’re ready, they’ll be with us.”
“So we’re not fighting Parrish alone.”
“We’re not, but we need to know more about Parrish and what he’s planning.That way, we’ll be able to place people in the right positions to stop them.The council wants to help, but they want more information first, and I can’t say I blame them.This could become an explosive mess.”
Tamsin glared.“I’m not sacrificing my mate just because the council doesn’t want to move in yet.”
“That’s not your decision to make,” Nic said softly.“I’m the only one who can decide what I want and don’t want to do, and I want to do this.Ineedto do it.”
“You’re trying to get the approval of people who don’t like you,” Tamsin said, a stubborn tilt to his chin.“Let me tell you, you’re never going to get it.They don’t like you because you’re a Kudlak, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
Maybe he was right, but Nic hoped that wasn’t the case.Besides, he wasn’t only doing this for people’s approval.“I’m trying to keep you and our village safe,” he told Tamsin.“And while yes, it would be nice if people saw me as more than my species, the most important thing for me is to keep you safe.”
“And you think you’re going to do that by sacrificing yourself?”
“I’m not sacrificing myself.I know what I’m getting myself into.I know Parrish and how he operates.I know his people and how to get where I need to be and find the information we need.”He turned to Rowan and Clay.“I won’t be going anywhere if you say no, but I need you to think about this.I’m in a unique position when it comes to Parrish.We can either decide to stay inside the shield and wait to see what happens, or we can be proactive.I understand that you don’t trust me and that you might fear that I’ll go back to Parrish and tell him everything I’ve learned about the village, but I won’t.Tamsin can vouch for the way I feel.I’m terrified, horrified, but I’ll do this anyway because I want to protect my people.”
Dermot snorted softly.He didn’t say what he was thinking, but Nic didn’t need him to.Dermot didn’t believe that Nic viewed him and the rest of the clan as his people.
Nic turned to him.He’d been trying to avoid Dermot and the others who clearly didn’t want him here.He wasn’t sure he could anymore.“Whether you like it or not, I’m Tamsin’s mate,” he told Dermot.“We’re bonded.I realized that to other Kudlaks, like Parrish, that doesn’t mean anything, but to me, it does.I love Tamsin.I want to keep him safe.As far as I can see, the only way to do that is to find a solution to our Parrish problem.Unless you want to volunteer to go out there and spy on him and the other Kudlaks, then I’ll be the one to do that.”
“We don’t know if you’re going to go straight to Parrish and tell him everything you know about our clan.”
“You’re going to have to trust that I won’t.”Nic wasn’t sure any of these people would, but he didn’t need them to.He just needed Rowan and Clay to approve of this and for Tamsin to let him go.
He was pretty sure that would be the hardest part.
* * * *
