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“I know, Ari. Iknow.”

I could hear the pain in his voice, the regret that he’d had to take it there.

“We’ll deal with it together. It will be okay, Kai,” I assured him. “And I’ll be back soon, all right?”

“I’ll hold you to it. Just… be careful with Cassius up there. Be smart. Don’t let your guard down just because your family is up there.”

“I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. See you soon, Kai.”

“Soon, sweet Ari.”

With that, we hung up and I stuffed my phone in my coat pocket and breathed out a heavy sigh.

Not a moment later, voices reached me, and then I was looking over my shoulder in surprise to see Papa and Pops bursting out of the rear of the Compound, Papa looking none too happy. They didn’t see me from where I was over by the trees and a little rockery.

“You rushed headlong into the path of a Hellfire attack!” Papa was shouting, pulling at his hair and pacing up and down in front of Pops. “Ryker! After what happened the last time you came into contact with that… despicable substance!”

“I don’t need reminding. You know it still haunts me.”

“I’m well aware. You wake up screaming to this day.”

“Fuck, what would you have had me do? Ari was right there, two of the kids from Crossborn, Kai, and tens of Guardians in the immediate vicinity, too. Even Warlow was just down the way. Thankfully, he was spirited out by Branok Vire just in time, along with the lingering members of Crossborn still in the Great Hall. There was no fucking teleporting because that device knocked out everyone’s magic.”

“All but yours and Ariana’s.”

“Obviously.”

“You should have reacted from a distance.”

“I didn’t know what we were dealing with. I reacted based off no intel whatsoever.”

Papa blew out a breath, took a moment, then acknowledged, “I know. I know, my beloved.”

Pops went to him and stroked his cheek, gazing up at him. “My love, I am fine. Ari is fine. Please focus on that.Please.I need to deal with the fallout and run this debriefing in a few moments. But you know I don’t do well when we’re not good.”

“As you wish. I’ll have to forgo telling Mia and Jaxon how close you were to the path of Hellfire when they arrive then, or you won’t begoodwith them.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled to myself as I watched them head back inside.

I needed to go as well. I needed to be part of that debriefing. I couldn’t just head back to the Academy like nothing had happened.

But, as I turned to follow, a voice pulled me up short.

“You did well.”

I spun back to see Cassius strolling along seemingly casually, but his power rolling off him. He appeared to be letting me know he was going for a gentle and peaceful approach, while also wishing to remind me of the might he possessed.

That he could be a friend or an enemy depending on how I reacted.

He wasn’t in his golden armor, and he hadn’t been when he’d blown in earlier either.

A fitted white linen shirt stretched across his broad, musclebound form, tucked neatly into a pair of tailored black pants, giving off an effortless and elegant air. His long, wavy, white-blond hair whipped in the wind.