“Kai… don’t let me go… Please, don’t?—”
“Never.” He shakes his head and leans down, planting a kiss against my lips, only pulling away to whisper, “You’re mine… I’ve got you now.”
Chapter 17
Kairhyse
Four days later
Rubbing my temples, I watch as Sydni, Niyla, and Brice converse with the ticket counter attendee here in Ashfer. This bus and train station is the only transportation service in the city. Its aquatic theme is just like the rest of the city’s aesthetics; the wide-open ceiling allowing the breeze to flow in straight from the sea itself.
I’m honestly beginning to miss the inner city.
This is our final shot before we move on. A few ports down the coast have reported strange ‘sea’ activity. I have no idea what that entails, but anything out of the ordinary right now is worth chasing down.
“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, Kairhyse.” Alaric steps up just enough to come into my line of sight.
“I don’t think so,” I remark. “You are up to something, and while this little alliance of ours holds steady right now…” Dragging my gaze to his, he simply stares at me with a light smile on his lips. “It won’t last.”
He sighs, but doesn’t shift from his casual demeanor. “We want the same thing.”
“What is that?”
I’m surprised I didn’t take his head immediately when he says, “Xeraphine.”
If he thinks this is going to be some kind of ‘let her choose’ nonsense, he’s delusional. She doesn’t get a choice—it’s me or no one. I’ll end anyone she even so much as considers wanting. This isn’t some love triangle, and there’s no room for him in this equation. Ever.
My teeth grind as I prepare to tell him to fuck right off, when Sydni isby my side. Her heavy, long-winded sigh comes with a simple, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
With flared nostrils, I turn to look at her. My poor butterfly—her skin is nearly transparent, veins faintly visible beneath, and her eyes are fading to a soft pink. She needs to feed, or I’m not sure she’ll be of any use to us. As for me, I feel… fine, ironically. Physically, at least.
I feel irrational about everything. Alaric could have simply meant getting Xeraphine back, but my mind immediately went to him trying to win her over. He doesn’t understand her,Gods themselves, she eats men like him for breakfast and shits them out by dinnertime.
Maybe entertaining it would have my little demon doing that… Destroying him… maybe…
Shaking my head, I look up at Niyla who comes to stand right behind her. She has her eyes trained on Alaric when she says, “Bay authorities said that a little over a month ago, cameras went out around the marina. They offered all the video footage they have for the past ninety days.”
“I can’t find it a coincidence, the timing of that,” Syd says.
“Doesn’t matter. It just means we won’t get anything on the video footage—Godsdamn it!” I shout.
Running my hand across my face, I look up through the open ceiling. What am I going to do?
“We can’t leave now with this—” A softoofcatches me, bringing me to find Sydni falling against Brice. There’s a girl on the floor, shaking her head, and snarling as she looks up at my butterfly.
“Watch it!”
Niyla bites out, “You ran intous!”
The girl scrambles, her black hair that’s soaking wet, falling over her shoulders. “Yeah, well, get out of the walkway.” She shoves past us and moves straight to the ticket counter.
Brice has his hands on Sydni’s shoulders. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She shrugs him off and turns to look at the girl. “That was rude.”
“Hi, I need you to help me find someone.” That girl is basically screaming at the attendee. I grab Sydni’s wrist, and begin directing us away from them. “What do you mean you can’t help me? Who the fuckcan up here?!”
“Why would she come to a transportation department for help?” Niyla comments, also checking on Sydni as we make our way toward the door.
