“Everyone stop,” I shout and they all whip their attention toward me. “Either we all go to the temple—I didn’t even know he still had a temple—or he’s coming to get me.”
“That motherfucker. I’m going to punch his teeth out.” Riven sneers.
They start their yelling once again and I blow out a harsh breath. The entire house falls silent, though, as a hoot washes through the air.
“I understand all of your anger in this moment, but it’d be wise for you to do as Derivius has asked,”V says.
“What does he want to talk to her about?” Amick asks.
“He wants to speak to all of you. About many things.”
That keeps the silence at bay as all their attention falls on me. I shift on my feet. Both curiosity and pure fucking annoyance at his timing battle through my blood.
“I’m going to change.”
I won’t be going to a damn temple in a shirt and underwear.
So much for taking my time getting ready this morning.
I mean, I purposely washed my hair last night, so I didn’t have to this morning but still. I planned on taking as much time as possible.
The stampede behind me follows me into my room and continues into my closet. Their pissy, muttered words silence as I sling my shirt off, put my hands on my hips, and spin toward them.
“Now that my boobs have got your attention, listen. I understand you’re all mad at him for ignoring us. I’m mad at him, but what I’d rather happen right now is for the four of you to take me to his temple rather than him to swoop in here and steal me away, forcing the four of you to follow anyway. So, if you would, please and fucking thank you, go get ready to go.”
They each look down at themselves, then back up at me.
Right. I’m the only one who was fucking off this morning. You know, trying to prolong the inevitable as long as I could.
“Okay then. Just stand there while I get ready.”
They may be mad as hell right now, but that doesn’t stop their eyes from devouring the sight of me as I get myself dressed. That shit makes it incredibly difficult to put clothes on.
Fucking Chaos. I had plans to seduce them after breakfast.
Not this.
My grunt of frustration has Kyzen slipping past the threshold and kneeling in front of me. He fixes the bent heel of my shoe and helps me glide my foot the rest of the way in.
He doesn’t give me any calming words or promises that everything’s going to be fine. It’s clear from the stern glint in his eyes, he’s not happy whatsoever about this adventure.
“We aren’t walking through the forest. V is going to take us all to the temple,” Amick says as Kyzen and I come out of the closet.
“What forest?”
The wrinkles on my forehead deepen as Creed and Riven take turns describing this fucking forest full of poor undead creatures. I don’t agree but can understand why they added separation between Derivius’s temple and the other ones.
The creatures were a step too far, though.
Part of me wants to see them. The other part completely rebels against that because I’d have to defend myself if more than what Creed could handle attacked us. It’d break my heart to harm an animal. Regardless of the fact Creed explained they have no intelligence or emotions anymore.
“Ready?”V asks when we walk back into the living room.
I give him a nod, and he soars over to my shoulder. The guys each lay a finger on him and his flash of white light steals the sight of our house from my eyes.
The rising sun that greets us is overwhelmingly different than what we usually see outside our window or in early morning training. It’s slightly obscured, but I don’t linger on that detail very long. My gaze lands on the flicker of torches coming from the opening of the…temple.
What’s left of a temple.
