Page 39 of The Marked and the Broken
I exhale a long tired breath and reach up to push hair out of Ryker’s face. “Think if I just close my eyes and stay like this with you, they’ll work it all out on their own?” I ask hopefully.
He scrunches up his face adorably with doubt. “It’s not looking likely,” he confesses, rubbing the tip of his nose against mine.
I pull him in for another kiss. “Well, thanks for the cuddles then. Let’s work some serious make out time into the schedule soon, okay?”
His laughter washes over me, and I sit up with the feel of his happiness on my skin. The arguing in the room pauses as attention is turned to me. My eyes land on Aydin, and a spike of pain slams into me.
“Did you know?” I croak, not sure what I’ll do if he says yes.
“No. Evrin and I had no idea they were still doing that.”
I nod and stand up, shoving a heavy weight off my chest with his words. “Silva?” I ask as I get up, my legs shaky.
“He’s upstairs. Ryker and I refused to heal him, so he’s recovering the old fashioned way,” Evrin supplies. His tone and features are pissed, and I’m pretty sure he mumbles “stupid prick,” but it’s so quiet I can’t be sure.
“You okay, Killer?” Knox asks me from where he’s leaning against a wall on the other side of the living room we’re all gathered in.
“I think so,” I tell him. He pushes off the wall and makes his way to me. Knox pulls me into a hug, and I realize right now in this moment, how much I’ve missed him. He’s been so serious and frustrated since Enoch and his coven showed up, and I hate that he feels more guarded to me now. I know he’s still ride or die, but it sucks that he’s not as carefree as he usually is.
“Miss you,” I tell him quietly, when he cups my cheeks and searches my eyes.
“I’m here, Killer.”
I nod and give him a small smile before I turn back to the rest of the room. Knox wraps me up in his arms, and I lean back into him, happy to use his strength right now instead of trying to pull my own armor up and over me.
“Your…uh…magic went a little crazy when you passed out. Any clue what happened?” Valen asks me.
“Sentinel magic,” I fill in, and Valen looks around like he’s hoping Siah didn’t just catch my mistake. “It’s okay,” I reassure. “Sorik trusts him, and he already knows. Sorik talked about being Chosen and his runes even though Siah was there. I figure the Sentinel cat’s out of the bag.”
“We don’t even know if we can trust Sorik yet, Vinna,” Valen warns me.
“You can trust Sorik,” Siah speaks up from the big chair he’s sitting in. He looks completely healed. “I’ve yet to meet a more decent being than Sorik. We’ve been close since we were brought into this world”—Siah motions to us—“but he kept your mother’s secret, their secret, until he had no other choice. He needed help getting to you, and I know he’s been working tirelessly on arrangements for you since.”
My features must fill with obvious question, because Siah shakes his head.
“I don’t know what the arrangements are; it was safer if I didn’t know. All I have pieced together is that he’s searching for something, and I’m watching his back while he’s doing that.”
“Why would you help him?” Evrin asks, his tone suspicious.
“Because regardless of the fact that we’ve been sired into Adriel’s nest, it doesn’t mean we all agree with his obsessions.”
“Then why not leave?” Bastien asks, and there’s no missing the accusation in that question.
“And go where?” Siah demands. “We’re not a beloved supernatural species. No one is throwing their doors open to welcome us and offer a safe haven from the mad masters that rule us. There’s too much bad blood and prejudice out there for us to survive on our own. Not to mention that we’d be hunted down by our own kind for breaking from our sires without permission.” Siah narrows his eyes at Bastien. “So you tell me where we’re supposed to go.”
The room falls quiet, everyone’s gazes locked on each other. Uncertainty and tension wafts around each of us as we all try to work out what happens now.
“So how do we stop him?” Sabin finally asks.
“I don’t know if you can. He’s obliterated much larger numbers than you have, so attacking him won’t go well.” He jerks his chin in my direction. “As soon as he finds out that she’s this close, he’ll throw everything he has at you in order to get to her.”
“Then we make sure he doesn’t find out,” Bastien announces, glaring at Siah.
“I’m not going to tell him, if that’s what you’re getting at, but they haven’t exactly been discreet in their hunting.” Siah jerks his chin in the direction of Aydin and Evrin. “It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes who they are and lamia are sent to investigate.”
“Will he trade for Lachlan and Keegan?” I ask Siah.
“Trade what?” Aydin asks confused.
