His deadly glare stays pinned to her, though, even as he stretches his hand across Thayla, toward Amick.
That was a little detail he seemed to leave out of his story.
He clutches the Binding, staring into it intently before finally taking his first step forward.
The confident strides he takes don’t fool me. His chaos wafts back here toward me like the smell of yummy cookies floating in the air.
I could gobble that shit up.
“Think fast,” he says, then tosses it in the air to her.
She stutter-steps, catching it against her chest, and an outraged huff falls from her lips as a belly-gripping laugh comes from mine.
“You imbecile,” she screeches.
He turns his back to her as he walks toward us with a pleased smile on his face.
“Desperate bitch.”
“Shit. I didn’t realize they hated each other,” Thayla mumbles and I hum.
“Hate isn’t a strong enough word.”
“Well, there you have it. The boys and Thayla fulfilled their end of your demand, Kira, and accomplished something none of us have been able to. They’ll be going now.”
“Oh no, they won’t.” Sabelline’s mocking voice stabs my eardrums and my blue eye twitches. “They didn’t follow the rules, my dear.”
A sickly satisfied smile crosses our father’s face as he looks over at her as she grips her Binding. Her eyes blaze as she senses the essence or energy, whatever the fuck it is she’s doing.
My heart drops to my asshole when he turns that elated gaze toward us.
“Is that so?”
“Well, a certain someone tried but failed to tamper with it.”
“Oh, Thayla sweetheart, you make me—”
“It’s not her essence, sadly. She really would’ve made a scrumptious addition. Who is it that always meddles when he knows better?”
My father’s power shoots from his hand as his face clouds in fury.
I jump in front of Amick and his familiar coils wrap around my body, squeezing the breath from my lungs.
“I can see how this is probably confusing for the two of you. Neither of you thinks beyond what’s in your pants.”
My name rips from Thayla’s throat as my father snatches me forward. My knees hit the ground before him and his hand wraps around my jaw, shoving my head back so he can look in my eyes.
“I do loathe when my most disappointing offspring impresses me. How did you manage to wrap Amick’s essence around the Binding?”
“You’d love to know, wouldn’t you?”
My purely chaotic giggle tears free when he slings me to the side.
Unfortunately, it dies just as quickly when my harmony rushes forward, fighting off Sabelline’s power as she grabs a handful of my hair.
“Now, Riven, my sweet boy. Your daddy warned you all there would be consequences if my Binding was tampered with. Were you craving to come home? You could’ve asked at any time. The feeders and I have missed your harmony so much.”
“Let him go, Kira,” Derivius warns, voice full of pent-up worry.
