Page 23

Rebecca led us all from the sitting room to the living room. Apparently, Nick had something to show us on the television. I hoped it would help me figure out what to do about Gage and Adam.

Though my heart felt full and on the cusp of bursting from the trio's declaration of love, it put a gulf between us and Adam and Gage. I didn’t want to be responsible for breaking their group apart, but Gage’s words last night were vivid in my mind.

I do not and will not ever love you.

The rage and disgust on Gage’s face churned something ugly inside of me. Was I ruining them? I glanced around the room at three men who had rallied to my cause. Were they here because they wanted to be or because of their love for me?

Nick said they agreed with me. But did they really? Did they think Adam was being too idealistic? I was definitely the more pragmatic out of the two of us. I only wished Adam could see it my way.

Gage, on the other hand, should have agreed with me. Out of all of them, he has the most blood on his hands already. Was it simply out of loyalty to Adam and the council that he stands against me? Or was it something else? He had finally started to open up to me before. He’d even let me see his face.

And yet...

He couldn’t come to terms with the fact that the Eva they saved and the Eva I am now was one and the same. The mage was stubborn, and it would take nothing short of an act of God to get him to change his mind.

Shoving those thoughts away, I focused on Nick. “What did you want to show me?”

Nick found the controller for the television and pushed a few buttons before a news channel appeared. The date and time in the corner showed it was from earlier in the day. My brows furrowed as Adam appeared on the screen with one of those sticks pointed at his face.

“Arch Mage Adam,” the reporter called out. “Is it true that you and Rebecca have called off your engagement? Can you tell us what happened?”

A small gasp escaped before I could hold it in.

Rebecca placed a hand on my shoulder from behind the couch I sat on. I glanced up at her, questions whirling through my mind. I didn’t voice them now, but she certainly knew there would be an inquisition later.

“Unfortunately, it is true. I’m sorry to tell you but there was no big scandal. We both want different things, and I still care for her very much and wish her all the happiness in the world.”

Nick pushed a button, and the video of Adam sped up until it started playing normal again. I barely could pay attention to it, my heart thumping in my ears.

Adam broke the engagement. Or maybe Rebecca did? Either way, he wasn’t attached to her anymore.

Elation filled me. A desire to run to him, kiss him, beg him to help me wrapped around my every thought. Then a hand on my thigh, squeezing slightly drew me back down to earth.

I glanced over at Luke, who smiled in understanding. His fingers traced a path up and down my thigh. Blake, on the other side, held my hand firmly with his own. The small brush of his fingers against my wrist made my pulse jump.

“Pay attention to this,” Luke murmured into my ear, gesturing with his free hand to the television.

Zane sat on a chair to the left of us, his eyes softening as he took us in before turning his gaze to the television as well.

A new reporter was speaking this time. “You have just stepped into your role, and yet you are pushing for a bill that many would say is a radical change in our way of life. Do you think that you are, as some are saying, pushing for too much too soon? What would your grandfather think of this new path you are trying to set the council on?”

The condescending tone to their voice as they spoke to Adam set my teeth on edge, my fingers tightening around Blake’s. He squeezed back, grounding me to the couch in that moment, keeping that rage inside of me from becoming all encompassing.

Adam ran his hand through his spikey, ash blonde hair and then stopped, as if remembering where he was, who was looking at him. “My grandfather has long believed that we need change. The balance of the human-mage alliance has teetered for far too long toward the mages, and I believe that we are ready to release the reins.”

The reporter coughed to cover a laugh. “It doesn’t seem like the other council members agree with you. A three to two vote. Ouch. How will you convince the others that it's time to change?”

“It will take time, but I believe we will get there if we have the patience and drive to do it.” His eyes locked on me through the screen, as if he were saying those things directly to me.

Three to two? My insides seethed.

I was up and out of my seat before either twin could calm me down. “I’m going to kill her.” My hands flexed at my side, burning magic seeping out as my rage boiled to the surface.

“Eva,” Luke began, crossing the room to stand near me but not touching me. I didn’t blame him, I’d likely burn the whole house down with how pissed off I felt right then. “It’s alright. It’s just a small setback.”

I turned my glower on him, my words stumbling from my mouth in a torrid wave of vitriol. “I knew she was being too agreeable. I should have sic’d her own dog on her, let him chow down on her face. Then see if those fancy treatments could fix her mangled face.”

Luke continued trying to soothe me, his words nothing but noise in the face of my blood pumping in my ears.

If I’d been in my right mind, I would have thought about what Nick would think of me now. He’d been on my side as soon as he stepped into Rebecca’s house. Would he backtrack his support after seeing me lose control like this?

Zane’s voice, but not Zane’s, pulled me from my tirade of murderous thoughts. “I wondered how long it would take you to stop trying to please them.”

My glare landed on the demon, his red eyes burning through Zane’s as he pulled a cigarette out of his coat, perching it between his lips.

“Don’t smoke in here,” Rebecca snapped, snatching the stick from his mouth before he could light it.

The demon snarled at her.

“Don’t,” I snapped, dragging his attention back to me. “Behave or I’ll make you leave.” I flexed my fingers in his direction.

Unsurprisingly, the demon laughed. “Oh, don’t threaten me with a good time, sinner.”

“Is this the demon inside Cleric Zane?” Nick’s voice quizzical but wary. “I’ve never met him before.” Nick glanced in my direction. “You’ve encountered the demon before?”

My rage lost its blunt edge as it focused on the demon in the room. Something that I could hurt. Something that wouldn’t break if I did. “Yes, we’ve had the pleasure.”

I knew the words were the wrong thing to say the moment they came out of my mouth. The demon licked his lips, eyes burning into me. “And it was delicious.”

My face burned, the memory of last night making my insides clench. “If you want it to happen again, you will be useful to the conversation, not a threat.”

“He’ll always be a threat.” Blake’s purple eye peeked out beneath his black hair, glowing faintly.

Leaning toward Blake, the demon snapped his teeth in his direction. “That’s right, conjurer. I’ll rip into your flesh and feed on your organs the moment you look the other way. Then that little hell hound of yours will be dessert.”

Sighing, I stalked over to Zane and flicked the demon in the forehead, sending power down where I touched him.

“Fucking hell’s balls, what the fuck was that for?” the demon howled, clasping the spot on his forehead where it burned a faint orange.

“I said behave. I have enough to deal with without you threatening the only mages on my side.”

“Well,” Nick lifted his hand, a sheepish expression on his face, “not the only ones. That’s what I also wanted to talk to you about.”

“Hold on a moment.” I turned back to Zane’s body, glowering down at the demon. “Can you behave, or do I need to send you away?”

His hand shot out, grabbing me around the waist before pulling me into his lap, his hand sliding up the inside of my thigh through the slit in my dress.

“Oh, I’ll behave alright,” he breathed into my ear before a shudder went through him. Zane froze beneath me, his eyes flickering back to his natural green brown hue. “Eva, I... sorry... the violence you were emitting summoned him. I couldn’t hold him back.”

“It’s fine.” I didn’t move from his lap, his fingers flexing against my inner thigh. “He just likes to cause chaos. But I’ll stay here just in case he decides to come back, if that’s okay with you?”

Zane inclined his head, not lifting it to meet the eyes of everyone else in the room. The cleric might have come to terms with his demon, but he still seemed to hold some sort of shame in losing control of him.

I wished I could help him, but this was something Zane had to fix on his own. I couldn’t make him change his outlook on his demon. Only he could do that.

Shifting my attention back to Nick, I waved my hand magnanimously. “Please continue. Tell me how the mages in this room aren’t my only allies. Because all I want to do right now is hunt Beatriz down and show her I don’t make idle threats.”

It was Rebecca who spoke this time. “As I mentioned before, there is a group of mages who have been fighting to give humans the same rights. Even more humans have been joining the group now that word has gone around about you.”

“They know about me?” I arched a brow, forcing back the shiver that Zane’s fingers were causing as they slipped up and down the line of my thigh.

“Yes.”

“But not enough of them,” Nick interjected. “This has been long in the making. An underground chain of mages and humans working together to break the chains of the power the mages have held onto beyond what was necessary.”

My fingers curled into the blood red locks at the base of Zane’s neck, anchoring myself as I took in all this new information. “How do we spread the word then? If they know about me and what we are trying to do, will they stand up with us? Force the council to change?”

“You.” Nick pointed at me. “You’re going to tell them you’re here. You’re going to make the world see you and see us. That we aren’t going away. That we won’t stop until the humans are given the same freedoms as the mages.”

I leaned into Zane’s body, a hum of excitement zipping through me. “And how am I going to do that?”

“You just continue doing what you planned to do. Beatriz, Jetta, and Carisa are probably going to be collaborating together now. Which means they’re going to be ready for you. And you’re going to give the world a show.”

The hand on my waist tightened almost painfully. Red eyes burned through hazel, his lips ticked up into a wicked grin.

My heart beat in time with Zane’s, rearing with excitement together for what was to come.