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“Still, it’s bullshit. You’re a person, not a test subject.”

“That’s the thing, I’m not just a person to them,” she said, pushing off the desk. “I’m a thing, a dangerous thing.”

“They’re looking at it in completely the wrong way, sweetheart.”

“Regardless, it happened, and I need access to that test.”

“Why? You want to know what they found out?” I asked her.

“There’s just something I need to see for myself.”

“The Celestial side of things that they likely won’t understand?” I pushed.

She shoved her hand through her hair. “Look, will the two of you help me, or not?”

“It should be thethreeof us,” Vorzyr cut in.

“We’re infiltrating the Unity Council. If things go south, you’ll suffer. You’re already here as a punishment for recklessness and all of that. If you’re found to be a part of something like this, I can’t even imagine the consequences. You could be sent away, contained somewhere, even.”

“LikeThe Void?”Nyx asked, horrified, because it was the magical prison that held out of control supernatural beings and criminals.

“He could be charged, yes,” Ariana admitted. She looked at me. “Youhave your parents’ authority to protect you from something like that befalling you, and Nyx is covered under that because they love him as well. But Vorzyr is at odds with his parents, and as per my investigation into it further after he told me, the Dracoryn Realm as a whole. He won’t have the same support or protections.” She eyed him. “So,that’swhy I’m keeping you out of it.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “You want to keep me around, huh?”

“I told you, I like your company.”

“Just on your controlling terms,” I cut in.

She glared at me. “In or out, Kai? Nyx?”

“I love this stealth shit, and it’s been a long time since I’ve broken into anywhere worthwhile,” Nyx told her.

I looked out at him. “Work out a tactical plan and we’ll take it from there. I’ll research the details of the wards that the Unity Council uses.” I confirmed to Ariana, “I’m in.”

But once we had that test, that wouldn’t be the end of it.

I’d find out exactly what she wanted from it, what she wasn’t telling us.

It had to be something major if she was willing to go to these lengths to retrieve it.

14

~Ariana~

This was a mistake.

It really wasn’t doing what I’d hoped it would.

In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say it was doing the exact opposite.

Being here wasnottaking the edge off for me.

Not sexually and not power-strain wise, even though there was anInhibitorin effect here that prevented the use of magic while within the building.

My magic operated differently, because of its Celestial connection. But I’d never felt it as prevalent while under the effect of anInhibitoras I did right now. It had to be one of the changes that had come along with me reaching magical maturity. I’d been trying to ignore anything feeling different or being different. But this was impossible to deny.

I sipped at one of the few non-alcoholic beverages available atPolarisas I lounged back in a booth at the far back looking around at everything going on, trying to unsuccessfully soak up my building sexual need in the atmosphere and sexual energy coming off everyone around me. Instead of helping me tosublimate, though, it was going the other way and serving to ramp it up.