Page 27 of Wicked Warlock
When she pulled away from Ashryn, her eyes widened even more, and her cheeks turned a dark crimson. “Oh… ohhhh.” She kicked her legs over the side of the altar and climbed down. “False alarm, not dead. Still alive! Everyone feel free to go eat your feelings.”
I needed five chocolate cakes to even help ease this one whole situation. I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at the strands. “So I take it, it wasn’t a pleasant trip.”
Astrid staggered over to Beckett and leaned up against him. “You could say that.”
“At least you all are back.” I glanced around, searching for the one person I missed. “What the hell happened, and where is Nova?”
Chapter 10
Astrid
“And someone had to die.”
The courtyard was completely empty of the students and teachers. We all turned the funeral chairs around and moved them to sit together. Grayson paced back and forth next to us, at times moving too fast to see, and at others, slowing down enough that I could feel his frustration rolling off him. “Let me get this straight. So, in order to get Serrina back, someone had to die? And you lot all decided it was Nova?”
“It wasn’t like that, Vamp.” Kylian slouched in a chair with his legs spread wide and one arm draped over the back of it. “The dead dude wanted to keep her, and she took the deal.”
“Don’t think I won’t throw your ass again.” Grayson narrowed those dark mahagony eyes at Kylian.
Kylian shrugged. “I liked the ride.”
“Bugger off, Elf boy. I’m sure you could be Santa’s helper somewhere. You certainly weren’t helpful in this sodding situation.” He kept pacing.
“First my name is Kylian. Like kill-yan. Second, wrapping presents is for bitches.”
Grayson scoffed. “Says the poor sod who’s clearly never romanced a woman in his life. Honestly, Zin, we sent this him on the mission. It’s a wonder any of them made it back alive at all.”
“I’m the one who got them to rescue your friend over there.” Kylian motioned to Logan. “Otherwise you’d all be planning his funeral.”
Logan turned a sickly shade of green. He pressed his hand to his stomach. “Thanks, man.”
Zinnia pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “Hades is the one who wanted to keep her, you mean?”
I shook my head. “No, his son. Liesin.”
“So, Liesin, son of Hades, wanted to keep Nova and you all just let him?” Zinnia crossed her arms over her chest.
“No, that’s not how it went down.” I sighed. “Serrina died here on Earth. It was a true death. A death caused by the soulmate bond. But we couldn’t leave her there.”
Ashryn shivered, and Serrina moved in closer, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with her. “I’m fine.”
“So, to get Serrina back, Hades made a trade. Nova for Serrina. Actually, Nova made the deal before we could stop her.” I looked to Beckett. “Right?”
“It’s true.” He slouched down in his chair, seeming less concerned than I thought he’d be. “She just did it.”
“But I don’t think she’s dead. She told me we’d see her again. Something about the glint in her eye kind of makes me think she has a plan.” At least that’s what I hoped. “Plus, I’m pretty sure she felt responsible for all of us dying.”
Maze sat with a pizza box on his lap. He held a slice in his hand and took a big bite. He spoke around his food. “Told you I wasn’t wrong. She killed you, didn’t she?”
Beckett wrinkled his nose. “Dude, chew and swallow.”
“Listen, I haven’t eaten in nine hours because I thought you all were dead.” He took another bite. Odin pawed at his pant leg and, without thinking, Maze pulled another slice from the box and dropped it on the ground in front of Odin. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
When Odin looked up at him with that one bright green eye, Maze rolled his eyes. “Sometimes you gotta take a nugget break and eat pizza.”
Beckett chuckled. “Didn’t eat for a whole nine hours? You must care.”
“Shut up.” Maze’s face fell into a look of disgust. “All I care about is that I was right, and Nova killed you all, didn’t she?”
