“Yeah, it's her.”
What the fuck did they want with Rani?
She’d somehow migrated to where her head was tucked under one of my arms, like she could burrow into me and hide completely. Her entire body shook, and the utter rage that evoked in me did not bode well for the djinn.
“Interesting,” the asshole said again.
I rolled my eyes. “Are you going to say anything to explain why I’m forced to deal with your ass right now, or just keep uttering the same useless word?”
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t take the bait. “Your little human is glowing. We wondered what you were hiding behindthat barrier spell of yours, but I’ve got to say, a new siren wasn’t on our list of guesses.”
So theyhadbeen watching us. We knew it, of course, but it was one thing to assume and another to hear it confirmed. This interaction had gone on long enough. We needed to get out of here. Ideas ran through my mind, each one discarded for the danger it put Rani in, but I was running out of options. Something told me we were going to have to fight our way out of this, and I only hoped she was up to the challenge. I gathered more power and funneled it into the parts of my magick already visible.
A plan formed, weak in terms of what I would like, but it was better than nothing. Now, to distract the fuckwads who thought they could look at my bond and get away with their eyeballs intact.
“She’s been registered with the tribunal and her faction,” I called out, still subtly infusing my ice. “But your concern is noted and unwanted. So, kindly, fuck off.”
“Has she now?” the big asshole leered. “We’re just going to have to check on that, won't we? Fortunately, or unfortunately for her, it doesn’t look like she has her tracking sigil.”
Herwhat?
At the obvious confusion on my face, the djinn sneered,
“The tribunal decreed that all sirens receive a tracking sigil that both registers their location and their power usage so they can catch the ones causing trouble. Something you would knowifyou’d registered her as you claim to have done.”
What the actual fuck? Wedidregister her. But either this was a new decree that cameafter,or the people we told knew this was coming and hadn’t had time to warn us. I was betting on the latter. I needed to talk with Kai.
“She will have to be taken in to receive hers.”
Rani’s grip on me tightened, and if she could have made herself smaller, she would have shrunk before my very eyes.
“Over my dead body,” I snarled.
The djinn grinned, the only warning I got before all hell broke loose. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
It took a second—no,lessthan a second, a heartbeat—for me to throw a dome over us. All that pooled power was just waiting to be activated, and now two feet of ice protected us on all sides. I felt the djinn attacking my little igloo and losing their shit when they couldn’t break it down. I smirked. Dicks. Like I wasn’t strong enough to take them both on. They had no idea who they just fucked with. A small, trembling body burrowed into my abs, and I glanced down at Rani. Terror had her paralyzed. Fuck.
Gently prying her hands from my shirt, I crouched before her. She followed me down until our knees were touching. The ground was cold and unforgiving, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she flinched each time the djinn hit the ice. What were they using out there, an axe?
“Rani, baby, you need to get up.” I squeezed her hands. Nothing. Shit. This was not the time for her to lose her fire. “Get up!”
My hands left hers to grip her shoulders instead. I tried to pull her, but it was like she merged with the floor. Dammit, where was her rage when we needed it? I could hold the igloo for as long as she needed, but the faster we got out of here, the better her chances of getting away. An idea sparked, and I cupped her face, tilting her head back until I revealed that stormy gaze.
“If you don’t get up, right the fuck now, I’m going to kiss you.”
Her head did a little jerk, and some clarity returned to her eyes, followed by a familiar burn that, for once, I was glad to see directed at me.
“What?” she frowned and shook her head again. I refused to let go, and it only ignited her more. Her hands clamped around my wrists, and those sharp nails dug in. “How is that a threat?”
I snorted. Any harder and her grip was going to draw blood. I’d say she saw it as a threat well enough but that damn attitude of hers refused to concede. What was wrong with me that I found it so attractive?
“You’re right. It’s not.”
The slow spread of my smile was the only warning before I pulled her in and kissed her anyway.
CHAPTER 11
Rani
