“Them pressuring you to become sovereign? That situation?”
Sure. “Right.”
“Vax, if it’s any later than two hours, even a single minute, I’ll have to track you. Are we clear?”
Unfortunately, yes.
Several things he’d said had referenced such a thing, regarding us all.
He thought we were all chief targets to Ruxnoth.
That had been in spite of me, Ambrose, Ketheron, Kai, and even Sylas, assuring Winter that even if Ruxnoth had survived, he would be in no state for a while to act against any single one of us.
“You’ve made your limit clear, and I’ll respect that. You have my word, little death.”
A sigh escaped him on a fractured breath. “Yeah, okay. That’s… good.”
Zayn led him into the kitchen, catching my eye and signaling that he’d keep him occupied.
Because I wasn’t meeting with that contact.
Iwouldbe stopping by to retrieve the things Winter had asked for. When he’d been gone, none of us had been able to get past his ward erected around his dormitory, but he’d given me a little bit of his magic to see to it. But that retrieval would take little time at all. There was something else I needed to see to.
Something necessary, and that needed to happen now.
“Be back soon, beauty,” I told Evira, but as I went to head out, she followed after me.
She closed the door behind her and we made it down the porch steps out of earshot.
“Be careful, all right? If you’re caught doing this, you could very well end up amongst those in custody.”
“I won’t be caught, I can assure you.”
“Good, because if you were locked down there, you know I’d blast my way in dragon-style and literally fly you out.”
I pressed my hand over my heart. “I’m honored. To be willing to create such a disastrous ruckus all for me is beyond touching.”
She moved closer, pressing her hands to my chest. “Of course I would. Hell, let’s face it, I’d do a lot more than that without blinking.”
“We both know you’d analyze the political ramifications and all potential fallout first.” I stroked her soft hair. “Something I utterly adore about you.”
“You do, don’t you? Adore it? I mean, not just that, but—urgh.”She shifted her weight. “Sorry, I didn’t think you and I needed the actual words… with the animal thing… the primal connection… but with everything that’s happened—”
“We don’t, Evira.”
She arched an eyebrow. “So… we’re already… there, then? Adoring and all that?”
My lips quirked. “I love you, too.”
A bright and beautiful smile spread over her lovely face. “I love you.”
She threw her arms around me and breathed me in.
I held her to me, stroking her hair, up and down her back.
But then a growl escaped her and then she eased me back. “All right, go. Go now, or you’re gonna be on your back right here on the grass.”
“Well that’s the direct opposite of an incentive to take my leave.”
