A sound at the chamber door had Xumi sitting up to glare at her offspring. “You’d better have a good reason for disturbing me.”
The bronze scales identified him as one of the twins, but I had never been very good at telling them apart. He ignored his mother, staring at me instead. I didn’t like the gleam in his eye.
He was, however, there on business. “Everything is in place,” he told her. “That Bellati won’t know what hit him.”
Xumi’s gaze slithered back to me, and she smiled. “You are soo much fun. But who knew you’d be profitable, as well?”
“He won’t come for me,” I said, torn between hope that he would, and fear that he wouldn’t. But if he did, he’d end up captured.
Xumi was exceptional at what she did.
Her eyes glowed briefly. She reeked of pheromones—and me. Something that should have been intoxicating, but instead turned my stomach.
“Galeran is pretty sure he will come,” she purred, “and his Seer is better than mine. But when your Bellati arrives, I have a little surprise for him.”
She withdrew her talons and rotated her body off me. “My services are worth so much more than what that damned Bellati is willing to pay. So I’ve sent your best friend to lay a trap for this Sebastian.”
I struggled to hide my shock. She’d pulled Haki back into this?
Her eyes gleamed at me. I had no doubt I hadn’t hidden anything well enough. When her lips curved in a sickly smile, I wondered with a sinking sensation just what I was missing.
“Galeran will have to up his ante to get what he wants.” She purred. “And maybe he’ll decide to leave him with me. That would be—delicious.”
Shards. I didn’t know if she was brave or suicidal. After what I’d seen that Bellati do, I wouldn’t be messing with his plans. But my gut twisted at what awaited Sebastian. If only there was a way to warn him...
Xumi leaned over me and trailed her talons along my shaft. Even spent as I was, it responded.
Sometimes being a shifter had its drawbacks.
I closed my eyes as she leaned close to whisper to me. “It’s so much more fun with two.” As she continued to stroke me, she said over her shoulder, “Bring your brother. I think I have a hankering for altitude.” She dug her talons into me, and I couldn’t stop the flinch. “Show me your pretty wings, Talakai.”
I gritted my teeth. It was going to be a long evening.
33
Matt
The bloody gate spat the four of us into a back alley. The sky was much darker here, as though the sun was setting, so there must be a time difference.
I glowered at the guardians, and despite the cloak disguising me, one seemed to pick up on my hostility. At least, his hand moved to the sword slung at his waist.
Anna’s concealed head tilted up toward me. “Matt, you gotta get a grip. You are acting kinda rabid.”
I yanked my hood forward to better disguise my features and transferred my glower to the buildings. Based on the stone-block construction and cobblestone roads, Mierva could have been Eras or even Latak. It was similar enough to make me wonder if all the underworld cities looked like this.
We’d borrowed cloaks from Jacques. Sized for a Satyr, Anna’s fit well—with the exception of the sword, which we had decided to leave beneath the fabric—but mine would have been comical—if there was anything about this situation to laugh at.
I most certainly wasn’t laughing.
I’d always prided myself on my Aussie sense of humor, but it had vanished like mist on a hot summer day. My beast prowled beneath my skin, clawing at me for control.
It was normal for my attitude to alter when the moons approached full, and those hanging above the academy were only a day or so from it. But I hated gating, too, and then there was the blasted Satyr sniffing around after Anna...
My Dire nose was all too aware of how delicious she smelled. That Jacques detected it too—and undoubtedly exuded attractants of his own—well, my beast wanted him gone. By bleeding him dry, if necessary.
To be honest, even having Haki near her was driving it crazy. I didn’t know why it was suddenly so aggressive. But it was. The Dragon came through the gate with us, but he stopped in the alley, glancing at the guardians watching from the shadows.
“These guys are all on Xumi’s payroll,” he whispered to us. “She wanted me to bring Sebastian through. Keep your hoods up. They only know I’m bringing someone, but they’ll report back to her. Matt is tall enough that they might think he’s the Bellati.”
