Joy rushed through my veins fast and fierce, and I blinked, my eyes stinging from the sheer emotions rocketing through me.
I could barely process everything that had occurred in the last few minutes, but as the car wound down the long drive, I reached over and threaded my fingers through Ursuline’s.
They werehere.
That was all that mattered.
“Where to?” a low voice came from the driver’s seat, causing me to look forward.
A handsome man sat in the front seat, lithe and humanoid, dark black hair and profile full of sharp edges. His brown skin held an unusual pallor, which made me wonder what kind of monster he was. Most of Ursuline’s connections seemed to be other monsters. Given the frigid reception so many humans gave, it made sense they’d band together in communities.
“Sofia’s house. At least for tonight,” Ursuline responded, squeezing my hand again. “Then we’ll most likely head to the Spires for a spell while we figure out where to go.”
Questions swirled inside, ones begging to burst free. The car zipped onto the main road, and the Triton Manor disappeared in the rearview. A breath escaped me, relief saturating through me. Even though I didn’t believe we’d escaped unscathed, that Triton would let us run off without pursuit, at least we’d pulled off the initial departure.
“What changed your mind?” I asked, glancing between Ursuline and the driver, unsure what they were willing to share around him.
“Jaffar is well aware of the goings-on in the city,” they said with a wan smile. “And he’s got a pulse on far more than I ever could. It’s safe to talk about this around him.”
I let out a small laugh. “Good to know.”
Ursuline drew in a short breath before responding, their features growing dark. “After you mentioned Alpha Blue, I looked into what they’ve been up to lately. There’s been a rash of monster disappearances related to them, all involving sea dwellers. I believe Frederick’s using his newfound connections to round up anyone who’s escaped New Atlantis. Anyone who isn’t under his thumb.”
Oh gods. My stomach rioted, and I swallowed hard to force the bile back down. Jason would’ve been under threat no matter what option I chose.
“Fucking asshole,” Jaffar said from the front seat.
They shook their head, a flash of torment in their eyes. “So, several factors led to me taking the leap. I don’t trust my employers to be truthful about my family’s safety any longer. And the Alpha Blue line is something I cannot be complicit in. Aiding Triton in kidnapping my own kind is reprehensible. Then…there was you.”
My heart fluttered, adding to the complex mix of emotions brewing inside me. “The thought of leaving you was breaking me.”
They caressed my side with their tentacle, and I shuddered from the contact. They were by my side, escaping with me.
“You two are giving me a toothache,” Jaffar called from the front seat.
Ursuline’s lips curved in a sexy smirk, and they opened their arm. I leaned in against their side, and their tentacle curled around my waist, keeping me in place. The heat from their body, the scent of brine and currants, and the rise and fall of their chest with their steady breaths all soothed me. I soaked in the feel of them, the fact they were here by my side, when I’d believed it would be an impossibility.
Yet, the news about Alpha Blue and Triton’s plans only reaffirmed the plan to leave. That stirring in my gut, the sense of unease had been on target. If I’d stayed, he would’ve used the connection with Alpha Blue to round up monsters, ones who’d escaped his clutches down below. The thought made me queasy.
“And Jason is going to check on my family,” Ursuline murmured. “He leaves for New Atlantis tonight.”
“Sofia is okay with harboring us?” I asked, even though I trusted Ursuline to have crossed their Ts.
Jaffar let out a laugh. “Sofia’s spent a lifetime getting monsters out of bad situations. Same with Cillian. We all contribute in whatever way we can. And we’d do that and more for Ursuline.”
They stilled—I could feel it with how I leaned against them. “I don’t need more,” they said. “I’m not going to put anyone in danger.”
“Would it kill you to accept assistance?” Jaffar said and jerked a thumb back in our direction. “Tell them, Elrich. They’ve offered pro bono legal help to all of us, have been there forpickups, to transport monsters in need time and again. Yet they think they deserve to live in torment.”
Guilt was a hell of a thing, and Ursuline had worn the mantle for a long while.
“I’m just grateful you’re here,” I said, squeezing their hand again. I basked in their warmth, in the movement of the car as we sped toward a new destination. I should be terrified. I didn’t know Sofia’s house or where we’d head next or even what we’d do after that, but with Ursuline at my side, I felt invincible. I’d get a job—whatever one would take me—and help as we made ends meet together. As we started a new life far away from here.
That reality sent a silent thrill through me, one I couldn’t deny.
As if those once-impossible dreams were now within reach.
Except, we had a massive hurdle before we got there. The Triton family.
