Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Illium’s heart ached. Am I invited?
You remain on probation. A harsh exhale. Jason sent me a mass of intel. Dmitri and Venom have told me to contact them at will if I have questions about setting up a Tower or a court, whatever you decide. Galen—
It’s okay, Adi, Illium said when Aodhan abruptly broke off, as if he couldn’t form the words anymore, even in his mind. We can talk later. He held out his hand and Aodhan took it to spin into him, the two of them sharing a hovering embrace for a long moment before they spread their wings and carried on, riding the winds farther and farther from the place they’d called home for the vast majority of their lives.
The one bright point was that Illium hadn’t had any trouble finding a squadron’s worth of warriors to come with him. He’d actually ended up with two full squadrons made up of highly experienced warriors.
A unit of vampiric ground fighters was also joining him in his new territory.
Raphael could’ve made all three stay in New York simply by asking—he was their liege and they were loyal. Instead, he’d accepted their resignations at once.
“I would you have a trusted group at your back from the very start,” he’d said to Illium. “It may be that your own version of the Seven will grow from these units who have fought side by side with you for centuries.” A hand squeezing Illium’s shoulder. “Losing two squadrons and a ground unit is a small price to pay to know that you’ll enter your territory surrounded by friends.”
The squadrons had flown ahead, because both Illium and Aodhan were faster flyers. They’d catch up an hour or two out from the border of their new territory. The vampiric ground unit was already in the air, their flight having taken off earlier that day.
I couldn’t do this without you, Illium said. I’d be lost.
You’ll never be without me. I asked Jason to spread the word that I’m quite psychotic under my sane exterior and will decapitate anyone who tries to jockey for my position as your second.
Illium bit back a smile. Who’s annoyed you?
Dmitri told me that several strong angels and vampires reached out, wanting to know if the position of your second was open. Obviously, they’re utter imbeciles to even ask the question, so you didn’t need to be informed about them.
Illium burst out laughing, the grief of goodbye overtaken by sheer delight. Because Dmitri and Aodhan had been right—the people who’d asked that question weren’t people he wanted on his team. Anyone with a single brain cell in their head knew that the position hadn’t ever been open.
It was always going to be Illium and Aodhan.
Yesterday
41
Illium was in Dmitri’s office talking to him about a security upgrade when Dmitri’s entire system flashed red with an urgent message from a priority sender. “Shit.” Dmitri’s heart kicked as he opened it. “Bluebell, Operation Cubs is in progress. Initiate the agreed protocol.”
He barely heard Illium’s “Whoop!” as he raced out of his office. Honor!
I’m just picking up a crossbow, she said. Heading out to assist on a hunt for a vampire who’s given in to bloodlust.
Pounding straight into the weapons locker at the end of the hallway, he picked her up and spun her around. The leather of her hunting gear soft and pliable under his palms, her muscles fluid and strong, she placed her hands on his shoulders and laughed. A tattoo of translucent green wove over her right cheekbone, the semi-permanent art that altered patterns throughout the day one of the few things Honor liked about this century’s fashions.
“What’s got into you?” she said when he stopped spinning and put her down.
“Healers have told Andromeda to prepare.”
Honor thrust the crossbow in her hand straight back into its holder. “I’ll ask Ellie to cover for me while you drive.”
“I have it under control!” Illium called out as they exited the weapons locker. “I’ll brief Venom when he gets back, and I’ll tell Ellie she’s needed by the Guild!”
Dmitri shot the other man a wave of thanks before he and Honor sprinted onto the platform for the elevator. The protective gravity rings spun up around them in a split second, the trip down to the garage so fast that they barely felt it.
Their bags were already in the vehicle, had been since the day Andromeda and Naasir had reached out to ask them to be there for the birth. The jet had also been on standby for the past week, even though they were a month out from the birth.
“Keir did say it could happen early,” Honor said as their vehicle raced out of the city in silence, Dmitri having put it in auto mode for maximum speed. “They’re prepared.” Her tone was jittery.
Dmitri’s hand squeezed the steering wheel, even though he’d willingly given up a measure of control of the sleek red vehicle. Still a Ferrari, one born in this century, complete with technology so advanced that it wouldn’t even have been a dream to the farmer Dmitri had once been.