Page 22 of Iridian

“Let me through.”

Helen and Nicholas who were standing in front of me turned to look at me and I didn’t hesitate. I moved between them, pushed them to the side, and for a second there I thought I would make it. I thought I’d walk all the way to Taland and take his hand in mine and then we could get the hell out of here.

Except both Helen and Nicholas put their hands on my shoulders the moment I stepped between them and stopped me.

Wands were drawn. Magic released in the air from the mages in the room in an instant—all that power.

Taland aimed his palm at Helen now—that same hand he’d extended for me.

Fuck.

I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath.

“Rosabel isn’t going anywhere without the bracelet and without the Script,” Helen said, and her fingers dug into my shoulder, and I could have sworn that magic leaked out of her, whether intentionally or not.

“I would normally agree with you,” Radock said, half a bitter smile on his face as he slowly, casually put a hand in the pocket of his black pants. “But see, that girl saved my brother twice.” He raised two fingers. “And now I am in her debt, which doesn’t sit all that well with me, to be honest.” I could hardly believemy ears. “So, I’m going to have to insist on this, too. Let the girl come to us and then we can sit and talk.”

“Talk?” George said, and he meant tomockhim, but then Aurelia said, “Yes,talk,Mr. Levington. We all need to talk about Hill. We all need towork togetherto stop him before he actually brings back the dead army and dooms us all.”

Silence in the room. I didn’t look away from Taland, and Taland didn’t look away from me.

Then he winked at me, and I smiled again. It was automatic—when he was calm, my nervous system decided there was nothing to worry about. I trusted his sense of judgment more than my own, I think. Or I justbelievedthat we were both here now and we both knew there was no such thing as impossible because of everything we’d gone through. We both knew we had no limits when it came to one another. There was nothing we couldn’t do.

And that put me at ease.

Fascinating how my entire mindset changed simply because he was here. I’d been surrendered to death just minutes ago, but now I had a thirst for life deeper than ever before.

“He’s going to do it,” Zachary said when nobody else spoke.

“He has everything he needs,” said Kaid. “We have word that the Devil has already found the bones of Titus. And the Devil is working with Hill.”

My stomach fell. Could it be that Kaid was telling the truth?

“The girl,” said Radock. “Let her go and we can talk.”

“Oryou can keep your little brother under control and give us the Script as a leader ought to do,” Flora said, her condescending tone sending ice-cold chills down my spine.

Radock laughed—actually laughed. “You think he toldmeanything?” He shook his head again and again. “How do you think he got us to come here in the first place? My brother isvery thorough when he wants to be, and he’s always wanted to be thorough when it comes to this girl.”

Behind him, Zachary smiled mischievously. “Yep. Afraid we can’t help with that, but we’re sure hoping you’ll help us.Allof us.”

The hands on my shoulders seemed to grow heavier by the second. I shook my head at Taland just a bit to tell him that he was fuckingnutsto be doing this, and that I loved him for it.

The corner of his lips curled up just slightly in a smile. My heart all but leapt out of my ribcage to go to him.

“And if we don’t?” asked Ferid, who had his feathers in his hands—two of them, big and shiny and ready to be used.

They were preparing, all of them. Even Madeline had spread her fingers as she watched Taland,hatedhim with all her being the way she usually did me.

“If you don’t, we’ll fight,” said Aurelia with a shrug of her petite shoulders. “You’ll lose—and I’m not saying that to try to scare you or anything. I’ve just seen what this thing can do.” And she pointed her finger at Taland’s wrist. “A single spell and the Regah screen was in pieces—not only that but a good portion of the entire neighborhood shifted, and everyone within a mile radius fell unconscious. A single spell did that—from her.” She nodded at me, and grinned. “Him?” She then pointed her thumb at Taland by her side. “He’s even more powerful, far as I know. And he really doesn’t give a shit about anything, so…” Again, she shrugged. “Your call, I guess.”

“You really expect us to believe that this boy will go to warwith usknowing his family will die if we don’t hand Rosabel over?” This from Natasha, who shook her head like she couldn’t even believe her own ears.

“Well, considering he called Madeline Rogan and gave her the location ofourown headquarters just to get her out…” Radock said, and the look on Madeline’s face.

I wouldneverforget the shock, the terror that darkened her eyes. “It wasyou,” she whispered, then pressed her lips like the words slipped out of her involuntarily.

“It was,” said Radock. “I was furious, too, when I found out—but what can you do, I guess. Young love.” And he grinned that awful grin that made you think of anything but positive emotions. That made you think of certainpainfuldeath instead.

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