And then I buried my head in his shoulder.
His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly as he stroked my back. “Shh. You’re okay. You’re here with us. He won’t hurt you ever again. If I have to decimate the entire fucking Veil to see to it, I will. Corvin will never lay a hand on you again.”
“Okay,” I murmured, sinking into him.
He wouldn’t.
Corvin Morvain was dead. And he would remain that way.
He had to.
23
~Velra~
“It’s nice having you back here with us,” Warlow said, smiling at me in that welcoming and warm way of his, as he led me through the foyer and deeper into the house.
“It’s nice being here again too,” I told him. The familiarity of it. The first place I’d felt safe ever since I’d been turned by Chimera Circle into something… more. “How are you doing with Blackline Protocol still being in effect?”
I knew he hated it, that it had come to that.
For all his efforts—our efforts—through Crossborn to bring hybrids in out of the shadows, to help them join the world all over again instead of being forced into hiding for their own protection, instead of being outcasts… nowPuritashad caused this.
He eyed me over the shoulder of his red flannel shirt as he led me toward one of the salons. “Cor says I’m handling itgraciously.Ry says my impatience is showing. And Jaxon says the territorial nature of my wolf side is raging on behalf of all hybrid beings like you and I.”
“Wow. That’s… intense.” I smiled sadly. “Right there with you, for the record.”
“I know you are.” He brightened a little as he told me, “I just got word a couple of hours ago that Wraeven Academy will re-open tomorrow to hybrids. Wards have been reinforced and an Underveil Shield is in place. You will be free to return.”
“Huh. More intensity.”
“I understand,” he said, as we reached the salon.
It was the modern one, as opposed to the other two that were full of ornate furniture and antiques. This consisted of black marble flooring and a wraparound black and white striped couch with a matching armchair, abstract paintings on the walls, an edgy crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling, along with curtains over the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end that were silver with black tree branch patterns covering them.
He took a seat in the middle of the wraparound couch and patted a cushion beside him.
As I sat down, he told me, “But stopping your life in a crisis like this is never a good idea. It will wear you down. And it will keep you from experiencing, growing, and being who you are, enjoying yourself, and taking pleasure in things.” He sighed. “I spent decades in hiding because of the hatred and fear of hybrids—and those like Chimera Circle who wanted to get their hands on me. Ryker hid me away, protected me, long before he was even Head of the Guardian Movement. Those years spent like that… they took so much of my life from me.”
“And prevented us from meeting far earlier,” Cornelius’ voice boomed, and I turned to see him gliding into the room, even in just his gray dress pants and charcoal muscle tee, looking so elegant and… almighty, honestly.
“You’re back earlier than we figured,” Warlow said.
Cornelius smiled at me, then walked to him and planted a sweet kiss on Warlow’s cheek, before then settling into the armchair across from us. “Yes, well, I was able to concludemy business efficiently and without as much pushback as I’d prepared for.”
“Business with Remnant, perhaps?” I asked.
The two of them stilled.
“So that’s why you’re here,” Cornelius said. “Given the dire circumstances, we didn’t think it was merely tocatch up.”He smiled at Warlow sadly. “Although Warlow had hoped for as much.”
“So had I,” I admitted. “And when this is all over, we’ll do that. But with the way things are—”
“You have discovered my connection to Remnant and you wish to know how deep it runs in order to protect Lazriel Thaine—and Sylas Morgrave.”
I sighed. “I know you wouldn’t hurtme, but I also know that you do what you believe must be done in order to manipulate things to your liking.”
“Oof,” Warlow uttered.
