Page 83 of Wicked Bonds

“Leela’s not working for Osiris. I can hear her thoughts, Luc. She’s on our side. There’s a fealty bond between her and Stas, too,” Balthazar informed him. “She’s safe.”

“Fealty bond?” Luc repeated, sounding intrigued.

“Ask Caro about it,” Balthazar suggested, clearly having seen that link in Leela’s mind. Caro had been present for the fealty bond between Stas and Leela, which meant she could explain it. “Tell us more about Vera and her allegiances. We need to know before we have to jump again.”

Luc was silent for another beat before saying, “From what Mateo said, it has something to do with a memory she saw in Osiris’s mind. He doesn’t know the details but claims she’ll tell us when she’s back.”

“And where is she now?”

“He doesn’t know.”

“Convenient,” Balthazar murmured, making Leela frown.

She’s an ally, she promised.

He didn’t look at her this time, instead focusing on the speaker. “Has he said anything else useful?”

“No, just asked that Clara be taken out of the cells, which has already been done. She and Gabriel are staying near Ezekiel and Skye on the quieter part of the island. “

Which meant they were closer to the rockier beaches. Most of the Hydraians lived together near the port, but some were spaced out over the hills. And some chose to live in the dense part of the island, surrounded by trees. Then there were the beaches with more rocks than sand—that was thequietpart. At least in her experience of misting around the island, anyway.

Balthazar nodded, not that Luc could see him. “That’s likely better for Clara. I can’t imagine she wants to be around others right now.”

“No, and she said as much when we released her again.” Luc sounded a bit more tired than usual. “The island is growing restless. I need to prepare everyone for the inevitable.”

A Seraphim attack, Leela translated, causing B to nod again, this time at her in confirmation.

“I’ll be back to help soon,” he promised. “Just as soon as we know the baby is safe.”

Which meant the wards had to be in place.

How long?Leela asked him.

Three days, he mouthed at her.Maybe more.

Hydria wasn’t that big, but the wards would have to be intense to protect it. So the timeline made sense.

“Check in again in a few hours,” Luc said. “I’ll need your input on how to handle Mateo. The others want his blood.”

Balthazar’s eyebrow inched upward, something in Luc’s voice catching his interest. “And you? What do you want?”

Luc remained quiet for a beat. “I want the right man to pay for the crime. And that man is already dead.” His words were soft, almost barely existent.

Then the line went dead.

Balthazar stared at the speaker for another moment, clearly lost to his thoughts. Then he returned his focus to the stove and started stirring whatever soup he’d crafted. “We need to eat,” he told her. “We’ve been here almost as long as we were in Melbourne.”

Leela swallowed, her gaze automatically lifting up to the wards. Part of her wanted to check them, just to be sure. But she knew they were right. She’d already reviewed them several times.

Yet she couldn’t shake this feeling that they weren’t enough.

“Eat first,” Balthazar said, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard and filling it with fresh ramen. “Then you can check again.” He started adding items to her soup, including a hard-boiled egg, and some sort of vegetables from another skillet. It was an intricate meal that was definitely heavier than just some broth and noodles.

He set the bowl in front of her with a proper spoon before walking across the kitchen to the counter beside the fridge. Her eyes widened as he brought back a board of freshly prepared sushi.

“How…?” She trailed off, unable to finish because her stomach was demanding that she start eating.Now.

“Luc keeps this home prepared for his frequent visits,” Balthazar explained. “Since I don’t know what your Seraphim will do when they find this location, I thought we might as well ensure most of the fresh food doesn’t go to waste.”