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“He was approaching it diplomatically,” Mia argued. “Jaxon has been sent to shift tactics.”

“Yes. Draco’s heir who once succumbed to darkness himself is definitely an undeniably more aggressive approach.”

“It’s more than that. The two of them were the ones who pulled me out of the True Celestials’ grip, and thereby enabled Ariana to be born.”

Lucian sighed and looked at Ryker. “My beloved, you have been far less vocal than usual during this conversation.”

Ryker shifted his weight, his black leather pants and his white silk shirt pulling taut, basically clinging to him like a second skin.Damn,he was a hot piece. “We can’t remain focused on whatthey’redoing, or even what the True Celestials will determine when it comes to Ari. That’s out of our control. Whatiswithin our control includes Ari taking back her full power to protect herself in case things don’t go the way we hope.”

Lucian smiled out at him. “So wise since becoming Guardian Head. I do enjoy this side of you immensely.”

“A world away from my wild and reckless days, huh?”

“I’d say,” Mia said.

But that brief moment of levity slipped away in the next moment as Mia wrung her hands in front of her sophisticated royal-blue peplum dress, and said, “Not telling Ariana what’s going on… I thought it would be the better option so it didn’t spook her. Or worse, destabilize her. Especially if nothing comes of this True Celestials and Celestial Plane issue. But maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we should tell her before she takes back her power, so if she panics and loses control, the damage won’t be as severe.”

“She’s more stable than you give her credit for, beauty,” Lucian assured her. “Your worry is based in fear of incidents past.Andmostly over your love for her and your need to protect her from everything.”

“He’s right, sweetness. We’re beyond that now.Butshe does need to take back her power and I do agree that she might not if she knew what was truly going on. And that would put her in an incredibly vulnerable position if this threat does come to pass.”

Damn,what the hell was going on? What exactly were they referring to? True Celestials? What threat exactly?

Before I could figure that out through further listening in, Lucian stiffened and scented the air, his eyes shifting back and forth.

Holy crap,his intuition was another level. He shouldn’t be able to sense me.

Before I could react—not that I could actually move fast enough to counter any action by an Ancient once he’d gotten a lock on me—an ice-cold hand covered my mouth, and then I was enveloped in a barely-perceptible shimmer a moment before I was blurred a good hundred feet down an adjacent corridor.

I staggered into a wall as I was abruptly released.

And then I stared, stunned into inaction, as a corporeal form materialized through the shimmer, the latter actually falling away in the process.

A woman stood there looking me over curiously in my midnight-blue silk button-up and leather pants, taking in my hair, too, and especially my horns. It was a studious, assessing examination. Sizing me up, basically.

And I was doing the same to her, taking in her flowing ombre hair that faded from silver to inky-black at the ends. Her eyes were a deep black with glowing amethyst irises. She looked to be in her twenties in human years. Her skin had a translucent grayish tone with, her arms wrapped in black, smoky marks.

She was wearing a black corset top with a mesh adorning her arms, the corset having silver charms shaped like broken chains. It gave way to a pair of black leather pants that were tucked into a pair of combat boots. She had deep, smoky eyeshadow that glittered, along with bold, black lipstick.

“He sensed your presence,” she told me. “Any longer and he would have been able to determine exactly who you were.”

As she spoke, her breath visibly frosted the air—her presence causing minor disturbances in the immediate environment around her.

“I know, yeah.” I’d been so shocked by the content of that conversation that I’d gotten caught up in what was being said, not watching out properly. “Thanks for the save and—wait—whydidyou help me out?”

“I get what it’s like to get consumed by my own abilities, especially when you’re approaching a stressful situation.”

“I really appreciate it.”

She offered a restrained smile, but reached out her hand. “I’m Velra Nox. Nice meeting you.”

“Nyx Laryn,” I told her, as we shook.

Her emotions bled into me at the moment of contact.

Cautiousness, but a sense of hope that it could be safe to befriend me, because she was getting a good, safe vibe from me.

She was nervous, too, but trying to hide it, believing that a badass attitude didn’t have room for feeling such things.