Page 6 of Third Offense

Ketos merely smiled and shifted his attention to Vasilios. “I’m not offended.”

Auric appeared ready to challenge that opinion with another strike to his face, but I caught his wrist before he could move, giving it a squeeze. I was the volatile one in this relationship. Not him.

Get your shit together,I said with a glance.

Then I looked at Vasilios expectantly and arched a brow. I wanted him to keep speaking, to give me something to work with here.

I understood the whole history thanks to Kyril’s lessons. The Noir were godlike beings who used to live peacefully with the Nora until a lethal disease wiped out ninety percent of the Noir race. Kyril claimed King Sefid created the Stygian Plague, that he’d done it in response to his Noir father rejecting him and his Nora mother.

The truth of that remained to be seen.

But the Noir existence was clearly real, as I stood facing the unequivocal king. The last of the original Noir. An essential God, if Kyril was to be believed.

The display of power he’d exuded that had forced us all to kneel certainly seemed in line with Kyril’s explanation.

Which meant my mate was a Goddess.

Something my spirit had recognized long before I knew all the facts.

It was why I’d felt compelled to protect her.

To worship her.

Tomateher.

Because she was mine. Mine and Auric’s.

Not yours,I thought at the golden-tipped-black-winged asshole.

Vasilios narrowed his gaze, quickly picking up on my aggression. He rightfully seemed to recognize me as the greater threat. Auric was an admirable warrior, butKingVasilios knew firsthand what I was capable of.

“We clearly have a lot to discuss,” he said, his invisible power tugging at my muscles to follow him when he turned. “Walk with me.”

He led us away from the house. Away from Layla. Away from my cousin and his mates.

My muscles tensed. I didn’t appreciate being removed from those I consideredmine. Nor did I appreciate being led toward an unknown destination in a place I’d yet to scout.

Especially when I couldn’t access my wings.

Fucking elixir.

I’d sensed the potential to fight through the magic earlier when chaos had ensued, but I hadn’t been able to fully break free of the enchantment.

It’d loosened, though. A little. Suggesting I could break it if I focused hard enough.

I glanced at Auric to gauge his thoughts on the matter. We’d developed a means to talk without verbal communication long ago.

He was my commander.

I was his warrior, the one he could never quite leash.

We were still figuring out the hierarchy between us, but we listened to each other when it mattered.

Like right now.

Auric wanted to talk with his fists, but our adversaries held too many unknowns. Emotion should be channeled, something I often practiced when my bloodlust and rage proved useful. Auric knew better, but Ketos was an unexpected challenger when it came to our Goddess.

I don’t trust them,Auric said with a subtle flex of his jaw.