He blew out a heavy sigh. “Lucille wants to take her squad out to hunt for demons.”
“No.”
We had enough patrols. I refused to risk my cordistella ending up as a pile of flesh and liquefied organs. It was out of the question.
“She’s expecting that answer. So she said she’d deal with you.”
I chuckled. “Is that so?”
Was that why the hellion’s emotions currently wavered between fear and determination? Was she preparing herself todeal with me?
“Where is she?” I ground out.
The fact that I couldn’t sense her location while he could grated on my nerves. Of course, my shadows could always hunt her down; we’ve tasted her blood enough times. But just to instantly know any time I needed would give me peace of mind. Maybe that’d come after we officially bonded.
“She’s headed to the library.”
I brushed past him.
“Ronen.”
I paused.
“Let her do it.”
“Excuse me?” I whirled to face him. “Did you forget what happened when we faced Ridigar?”
“If I go with her, I can protect her from Ridigar.”
“No. If you go with her, you’ll be a liability. He wanted you dead.”
“I just put you out of breath, Ronen, and I didn’t even attempt to touch my flames or lusceler. I can protect her. This is her home. She wants to help and show her squad she’s capable of doing that.”
Every second he spoke, he lost the little respect he had gained. Istepped toward him, tempted to wrap my shadows around his throat and strangle the absurd words from him.
“You want to talk about home? If anything happens to me, Hell will be the destination for my soul. I will never be redeemed. I will never end up in any other dimension but this one. So if it’s destroyed, I’ll be destroyed with it.”
“You have an Obscurus Rune.” Aspen’s eyes widened in realization. “Does she know?”
I clenched my teeth and turned away. “No. It was a price for hiding from Etan. I want to go out there as badly as Lucille, but Hell needs a damned leader.”
“Trust me when I tell you, if you tell her she can’t do this, she’ll find a way. Only it won’t be on your terms, and it’ll be a lot more dangerous.”
“This isn’t the same as Elora. One drop of their blood or a bite and she dies.”
“You think I want her out there?” He stepped closer, his shoulders pulling back and steel hardening his expression. “You’re right, I love her. But she doesn’t love me. I’ve made peace with that. Still, I’d rather she stay cooped up in your room if it’d keep her safe from all this shit. But I had to learn the hard way that if she’s set on something, one way or another, she’ll do it, despite the fact that she’s only lived twenty years and just started training.”
Something about his words slithered beneath my skin and needled at my thoughts. Something that didn’t sit right with me.
“Then help me keep the stubborn hellion from leaving the damned castle.”
Aspen shook his head, testing my last nerve.
“The answer is no. Neither of you are permitted to leave.”
“Ridigar was one of your elite Dreads, and he betrayed you right under your nose.”
My shadows jerked beneath my skin.
