Liz snapped her head in my direction. “What did you do?”
Everyone was a critic.
I folded my arms on top of Hudson’s, looking ridiculous being held off the ground. “What I had to do.”
The House of Donn didn’t simply grab a needle and tap my vein like a normal blood letting. Nope. Cillian was a mage, and his specialty was blood magic. Where elementals had an affinity for an element, mages with blessed bloodlines could learn to command blood, shadows, the weather—their only limit was the power in their DNA. Cillian could literally make blood bend to his will. The second I agreed, he’d drawn it from my flesh. It was ten times more painful and left no marks. The sudden intrusion had left me gasping on the floor and Hudson snarling at a thousand mages.
“She gave them a vial of her blood,” Hudson snapped.
“Willingly?” Aunt Liz asked carefully.
I nodded. “They are powerful mages, their dwindling numbers merely a false rumor. With one vial of blood, I bought us the support of an army that will march against Eloise. I’m still here, and nobody died.”
“Yet,” Lucifer snapped.
“Call her father,” Dave said. “Maybe he can talk some sense into her.”
“It’s too late,” Liz replied. “She gave it willingly. Did you at least specify terms?”
I lifted my chin. “The promise of no one getting hurt.”
“That’s a loose condition, and you know it,” Hudson growled. Indigo fed me power, and I dropped my weight, sliding my feetto the floor. I twisted my foot around his ankle and elbowed his stomach. Caught unaware, he landed on his ass.
I spun to face him. “Remember who you chose as your mate. I am not a woman who will pander to your every need. I will not sit meekly by while the big, bad males fight my battles for me. If you need that, then this will never work, and you would be better off having Mercy in your bed.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t deflect your poor choices with barbed words, Cora. You are better than that.”
“Poor according to whom? The Devil? The Principal? My mate? Tell me why I should not take every advantage we can get to defend against and defeat Eloise Roberts? Explain to me why walking away from a thousand powerful individuals posed to fight with us is a good choice?”
He snapped to his feet and reached out a hand toward my face. I batted it away. “Don’t touch me.” My skin was itchy, like something was crawling beneath my flesh.Hate. Pain. Death.
Hudson froze. “Sacrificing yourself won’t solve our problems. You can’t stop her by making rash choices.”
“Watch me.”
I spun in a circle, catching the eyes of the stunned people I love. “Like it or don’t. It’s done, so you can learn to live with it, or leave.” The need to retreat burned in me, and I made it a whole two steps before my father appeared in front of me.
He cocked his head as he swept his gaze down my body. “You are in pain.”
My eyes stung. I was always in pain. “No lecture about stupid choices?” I snapped.
He shook his head. “I understand it.”
My shoulders sagged.
“Don’t credit her decision,” Hudson growled.
My father lifted his gaze and stared at my mate. Power flooded the room, and Indigo sighed in the heavy presence, like she was stretching her wings.
“You would do well to remember who my daughter is, Principal. She’s fire and death. No mage can command her blood. It is effectively useless to them unless they want to die. The first time they try to use it, they will understand her true force isn’t in being half angel.”
What does that mean? No, I’ve gone down enough crazy roads lately. I don’t care.
“It was still ill advised,” Lucifer said carefully, like he was trying to decipher the meaning behind Abaddon’s words.Good luck. Let me know if you figure it out.Right now, I needed a bath, followed by my bed. I was done with this day. I was done with my family. I was just done.
“Cora,” Sebastian whispered. “We worry because we love you. Everyone here is just trying to make sense of what is happening. Try to understand it from our point of view.”
Rage ignited in my veins. Seriously, my best friend wasn’t backing me? He’d witnessed the worst moments of my life. How could he not understand that these risks were necessary? I spun on my heel. Energy crackled down my arms and zapped my fingertips. My skin was tight and stretched as power rippled under my flesh.
