Page 164 of Wicked Bonds

Had Patreel led them here?

Or had they misted right into a trap?

Balthazar shook his head—what was done was done. Stark and Vera were here.

And the warrior Seraphim were likely taking advantage of their absence in Hydria. Right now. At this minute.

Shit, Leela muttered.

Balthazar echoed the sentiment, but he wasn’t about to let the setback deter him. His Hydraians needed him, and fuck if he was going to fall into this trap set by the Seraphim.

This was where family mattered.

Where emotions excelled.

He would never give up fighting for those he loved, something these stoic Seraphim assholes were about to learn.

“We need to remove this net,” he said to Leela, determination darkening his resolve. “Sorry, sweetheart, but this is going to hurt.”

Chapter32

Stas

A Seraphimwith ruby feathers hovered just beyond the wards, his light green eyes and chiseled features similar to Stark’s.

“You must be Adriel,” Stas guessed, noting his muscular shoulders and thick golden hair. The color wasn’t as light blond as Stark’s but was a similar enough shade to match the overall resemblance to his son.Yeah, definitely Stark’s dad.

Be careful, Aya, Issac cautioned, concern radiating through their blood bond.

“And you must be Astasiya,” the Seraphim of Warriors responded flatly. “The council would like a word.”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” she replied.

“Gabriel was supposed to bring you in for a discussion. I fear his intentions have… changed.”

“Hmm, yeah, he’s been busy kicking my ass,” she answered honestly. “But we’ll see what next week looks like on the calendar and get back to you.”

His brow furrowed, the only sign that he might somewhat feel anything.Confusion. “You can’t ignore a summons, child. Edicts exist for a reason.”

“To control all of Seraphim kind,” her father answered, appearing beside her. “Yes, I find the whole High Council of Seraph quite fascinating. You sit around in a dome, reiterating the fates you wish to discuss and assigning edicts that everyone just magically obeys. How boring that must be for you.”

Adriel blinked at him before returning his focus to Stas. “Your upbringing has been flawed by the influence of abominations. We will correct that for you.”

“I bet you will,” her father drawled. “Didn’t work so well on Caro, though, did it?”

“We can help you understand the purpose of our kind and how we thrive.” Adriel continued speaking as though her father hadn’t said a word.

“The purpose being to blindly follow council orders without any regard to personal choice or desire,” her father interjected again. “I think we’ll pass.”

While Stas agreed that she wanted nothing to do with these beings, she was also willing to negotiate if it meant allowing Lizzie and Aidyn to live. “If I agreed to go with you to meet the council, would you spare Lizzie and her daughter?”

Adriel stared at her. “The abominations?”

Stas folded her arms, her wings beating softly at her back to keep her aloft. “They’re not abominations. They have names. Lizzie and Aidyn.”

He blinked again, his expression otherwise giving nothing away. “The abominations cannot live.”

“Then I guess I won’t be going to see your council.”