Page 24

Chapter Twenty

Long before they’d faced each other in debates, the professionals at DNB Investments and McArthur Vegas had agreed that they wouldn’t hold meetings on Fridays.

It would give more time back to those who traveled from DNB and allowed those working at McArthur Vegas to cover the duties of their day jobs.

For the first time in years, Jade was taking personal time off—and she was visiting legion lands.

Last night, she’d requested permission from Julian, and he’d eagerly welcomed her home. At the sound of his telepathic voice, she all but melted with relief. She’d missed hearing it on a daily basis, like she did when her place had been alongside him.

As required by Julian’s strict rules, she phased to the legion’s capital. She eagerly took in the sights. Little had changed: gorgeous Japanese cherry trees in bloom rounded the central terrace, and the grey cobblestone walkways were covered with light-pink petals.

Individual barracks, all the same shade of grey, trailed along the offshoots, the spiderweb network centering around Julian’s home and branching off from there.

It spanned miles outward in every direction, easily housing all seven hundred people of the First Legion, even those members who’d preferred to be left alone and took its furthest regions.

Jade was quite possibly the member who lived the furthest away, but a handful of Julian’s kinsmen were more inclined toward nomadic tendencies.

Breathing in fresh southern Illinois air, she luxuriated in the peaceful feeling of legion and home.

Here, her mind didn’t feel as stretched or as heavy, and her heart contented in the closeness of her people.

Her leopard was fuming, however. After years away, she had almost forgotten how feral the cat became when she set foot back in the legion capital.

“Jade!”

Lark’s cheery voice was the first thing that greeted her before a full-body hug attack. Grinning, Jade twisted in her grip to respond.

“I’m back home! Temporarily, anyway.” Jade held Lark at arm’s length and assessed her friend with a frown and a fresh helping of worry. “You look terrible.”

Dark circles yawned under Lark’s green eyes, and her frame was gaunt and withered in emaciation. Only days ago, her best friend had looked the picture of vitality. For an immortal, such a sharp turn for the worse was incredibly rare—and incredibly revealing.

“Kinnick is up to his old tricks.”

Lark’s posture stiffened, and she glanced around as if checking to make sure the vile man wasn’t nearby. Jade knew exactly what she meant. Though he’d been gifted with mender abilities, Kinnick preferred to cause harm.

One of Kinnick’s favorite pastimes was stealing energy from his victims, and they ended up looking exactly like Lark. Jade growled at the thought.

There was a darkness about Kinnick that Jade, Lark, and Quinn had always sensed.

They’d often discussed whether it had appeared because his fated mate rejected him, or it was the reason he’d been rejected.

Jade maintained Sadie’s choice had been the consequence, not the cause, but they didn’t have the option to ask her anymore.

She’d ended up dead only months later under suspicious circumstances.

When she’d brought the matter to Julian’s attention, he had promised her he’d investigate. The realization that he had never spoken of what he’d uncovered hit her all at once. Her question had been lost to time, and the matter had simply slipped her mind.

No matter what, Kinnick was dangerous.

Jade locked arms with Lark, and they strode beneath the trees toward Julian’s home. “I thought I told you to stay away from Kinnick.”

“He returned from that charity ball with a snake in his boot.” Lark’s mouth twisted in disgust. “I was just the person he decided to take it out on.”

Guilt pressed into Jade. If she’d kept Kinnick at the charity event, or stopped Niko from aggravating him so much, she could have saved Lark distress.

“Where’s Quinn?”

The third member of the small group that had banded together after the night that saw the king and queen murdered, the legion’s senior mender would have had something to say about Lark’s state.

“Kinnick’s rage wasn’t directed solely at me.” Lark sighed. “When Azrael saw what he was doing to me, he stepped in and earned himself a mangled leg from Kinnick’s hyena. Stupid mutt.”

“And Kinnick’s injuries?”

A giggle. “He is now missing a right arm.”

Satisfaction bloomed in the wake of fury. “Good. Serves him right—though I wish Az hadn’t been injured.”

Jade hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d told Niko that Azrael was a good man. He’d always protected the three of them and hadn’t shown an ounce of the hostility that typically characterized Reapers.

Jade loosened her grip on Lark’s arm when they arrived at Julian’s mansion. “Coming in?”

“Not a chance,” came her friend’s immediate retort. “I’ve been staying with Quinn in his extra bedroom for the last few months. Julian had so many people coming and going it began to feel like a revolving door. No thanks.”

“Okay. See you soon?”

“Yep. Good luck.”

Walking up the gorgeously paved path toward the colossal mansion, Jade allowed herself a moment of admiration. Beautiful mousy-grey stone and dark rimmed windows outfitted the front, a row of perfectly square hedges buttoning around the foundation.

Wide, black double doors beneath a castle-like arch and modern light fixtures set the tone for the entryway. It was the only home in the capital that wasn’t a carbon copy of the others.

She frowned. If the legion was in such dire need of money, why had Julian’s home never seen the strain?

For twenty years, he had told her about the shortage of funds they’d run into, and how her excess was funding them barely above the bottom line, but no shortage of improvements had been made to his home in the interim.

A brand-new Ferrari sat in the driveway.

She couldn’t simply shrug off the discrepancies. Niko’s comments last night had made her sensitive to the fact that Julian hadn’t been entirely honest with her. If what he’d claimed was even partly true, it was concerning.

Jade didn’t knock; she had no need. Julian’s home was open to all his kinsmen at any time.

Leaving the oppressive heat of the mid-morning sun, she stepped into the air-conditioned chill of the foyer. Sleek furnishings and tasteful art decorated the open space, but it still managed to seem almost sterile.

Both furnishings and art had been upgraded since her short visit five years ago. Only the floorplan had remained the same. Walking down the long, red-carpeted hallway toward Julian’s study, she focused on her internal conflict.

As she had since the moment of her arrival, her snow leopard paced in agitation. Whenever Jade set foot on legion lands, the cat became a ball of reckless energy, baring teeth and snarling at the slightest provocation.

Used to reinforcing the chains around the cat, she gave it only momentary thought before picking up the sound of an argument coming from the study.

A muffled voice, one she recognized as another prime’s, was raised in anger. “I want my dues, Julian. You owe me this much. It’s been put off for far too long, and I want what you promised me centuries ago.”

“You’re right, Erro.” Resignation trifled with Julian’s cool tones. “Besides, Kiante has crossed the line far too many times. You’ve just taken his place at the front of the queue. I’ll inform you when the treatment is ready.”

“Good.” A pause. “Thank you, Julian. I appreciate that.”

“I know you do.”

Almost snide, Julian’s muffled voice seemed to hint at something deeper, but Jade couldn’t put her finger on it. The door to his office opened and revealed his broad smile meant solely for her.

He’d known she was there. Of course he had.

Julian’s smiling eyes reached her first. While he wasn’t devastatingly handsome, he had a pleasing facial structure that tended toward charming.

Chocolate-brown hair, styled in a classic side part, was well kept, and his perfectly pressed white button-up stood out against his gently sun-tanned skin.

Flat brown eyes, the color of clay, were fixed on her with familiar intensity, a keen intelligence that outshined any physical trait. He’d never stand out in a crowd based on looks alone, but the impact of his magical signature and innate power almost made her stagger.

He alone held the strength of the nation on his back, the ability to keep them together when the queen’s murder and the princess’ desertion could’ve made them fall apart. By merit of his age alone, he would’ve been deemed a worthy adversary.

As if noticing her discomfort, Julian’s oppressive charge deescalated. It was a trait that came with age: the ability to mask their power. Moving forward, he pressed his lips into her cheek.

“Jade, I’ll return momentarily. Hold tight.” Then, over his shoulder to the other man, “Walk with me, Erro.”

The blond prime behind him was wiry for an immortal. Erro gave her a dismissive nod before following Julian down the hall to continue their conversation, leaving her alone in the office.

Modern accents brought the decor into this century, making it seem newer and crisper than the rest of the house. Masculine furniture, including a set of jet-black leather couches, had replaced what she’d seen before, but the vibe was the same.

Power. It was all about power.

His desk was mostly clear except for a few novel trinkets. The only one she was familiar with was a royal purple rose, everlasting and immune to time. While the laptop beside it was open and powered on, she had the feeling it was rarely used as a communication device.

Julian strongly preferred meeting in person to conduct business.

Idly fascinated with the fist-sized sphere on his desk, Jade closed the distance between her and the piece to examine the marble object with a critical eye.

Many objects in Julian’s office were endowed with otherworldly abilities, and he’d told her often to keep her wits about her while she was in there.

Sagani capable of transmitting power to objects were few and far between, but most of Julian’s collection was thousands of years old, so the possibility wasn’t completely remote.

The sphere seemed innocuous enough. A decorative object, nothing more.

The marble was such a pure white that it looked nearly translucent, and the only reason it stayed on the desk was the sheared off bottom that created a small flat side. Intrigued, Jade reached out to touch it.

Agony slammed into her mind as soon as her fingertips made contact. Julian’s hand, bloodied with the same crimson that coated the sphere, curled around it as he brought it down over and over on an unsuspecting victim.

Cries long drowned out, the platinum blonde victim of Julian’s assault stopped struggling as her life came to an end. Julian, his features set in a sneer, hissed before letting go of the marble.

The sphere dropped to the ground, forgotten, and covered in the blood of Kinnick’s mate.