“No,” Emmeric said immediately.
He refused to put Iyana in that situation again, where she had to look the person who betrayed her and killed both her grandmother and friend in the face.Unless she decided she wanted to kill the star, Emmeric would try to keep her away from him at all costs.
Emmeric…
Whipping his head towards Iyana, Emmeric frowned.He recognized that tone.“No,” he said, again.
It’s a good idea, she said.
It’s a terrible idea.Do you want to see him?
Emmeric thought they had reached an understanding a few minutes before, but if Altair wasn’t lying about Iyana being his ‘star-bound mate,’ then maybe she was still connected to him despite all the shit he’d put her through.
No, of course I don’t.But we could ask him how to find Scuti and leave it at that.
“What do you think they’re talking about?”Talon whispered loudly.
“Hopefully something naughty,” replied Kaz in the same tone.
“Aww,” Tal said, returning to his normal voice.“There she is.We missed you, Kaz.”He went to pat her head, but the shifter slapped his hand away.
“We’ll go into Istoria tonight after dinner,” Iyana announced.“If anyone asks, we simply want to take in the local scenery.”
Emmeric absolutely despised this plan, but there was no way in the nine hells he was letting Iyana go without him, so he braced himself for seeing Altair again.Because Zane was unfortunately correct.That star always seemed to turn up wherever Iyana was.
Severalhourslater,theyleft the palace to go ‘check out the nightlife.’Emmeric had made sure to steal an hour of Iyana’s time before they left to remind her that she didn’t need Altair; that Emmeric was the one who understood her inside and out.
He’d watched her get ready, loving the simple domesticity of the moment, and still he was in awe of her beauty underneath the flickering lanterns of Istoria.She wore a normal pair of trousers, but a low-cut tunic that showed the swells of her breasts and also put most of her back on display.Instead of wearing her hair down to hide her scars, Iyana piled it on top of her head and declared she wasn’t ashamed of them anymore.Emmeric worshiped those scars with his lips and tongue, and would have torn that tunic right back off had Iyana not laughed and pushed him away.Her lashes were lined with kohl and she’d painted her lips a blood red.She looked ready for battle.
She was glorious.
Talon and Kaz jostled and joked with each other as they walked down the streets, trying to find a tavern suitable for their needs—something a little off the beaten path.Iyana and Zane made a valiant effort to keep up the act with their more exuberant companions, but Emmeric couldn’t bring forth even the ghost of a smile.He kept his eyes glued to Iyana, tracing every curve of her body, wondering what those red lips would look like wrapped around his cock.Once, she glanced at him over her shoulder, grinning widely, and winked at him.
I can show you later,she told him.
Phaedros take him, Emmeric could have come in his pants from that sentence combined with the promise in her gaze.
A smile almost graced his face, then.Almost.Because as much as he wished they were all a happy group of friends going out to have drinks, he knew better.They were hoping—fuckinghoping—a violent star with a penchant for betrayal would find them.
They finally found a tavern that appeared seedy enough to suit their needs.Walking inside, they ordered ale, then took their drinks and separated.Emmeric and Iyana took to one table with a good view of the front door, while the other three sat across the tavern in the shadows.If Altair were to show, they would be backup.Hopefully it was a precaution that wasn’t needed.
For the better part of an hour, the Aztia and Kanaliza quietly sat on a bench next to each other, their thighs pressed together.Emmeric didn’t know what to talk about, and neither did Iyana, apparently.Even their mental bond was silent, simply humming with anticipation and nerves.They sipped on their godsawful ale and waited.
As Emmeric downed the final dregs of his watered-down alcohol, he was going to tell them it was time to leave when the front door opened.
Two cloaked figures entered.One went to the bar and sat on a stool, picking up a conversation with the barkeep while the other walked straight towards them.
They lowered themselves into the chair across from Iyana and Emmeric and lowered their hood.
Golden eyes stared at Iyana, not even acknowledging him.Godsdammit, Altair had found them.
Chapter 38
Altair
AltairhadbeenfollowingTeam Save fucking Arinem since the day they’d left that inn.He’d made sure to maintain a careful distance—Iyana surely would have sensed him if he wandered too close, and Zane was too good at tracking and noticing abnormalities in his surroundings for Altair’s liking.When they entered the palace in Istoria, he knew they’d finally evaded him.There was no way for him to get inside without killing an inordinate amount of humans—which Okab now said was morally wrong—or without the possibility of Iyana killing him.
So he waited.
