Page 23 of Iridian

“Helen?” Nicholas said from my left, but I refused to look away from Taland still. I refused to do anything but stand there and wait until they made up their minds because I knew one thing by now. Ibelievedone thing with my whole heart—no matter what happened next, I was getting out of here with Taland. One way or the other.

“Wereallyshould get this over with sooner,” said Kaid. “Hill is on his way to the dead army right now. Do you really need us to remind you what happens if he actually succeeds?”

“He can’t succeed without that bracelet,” said Madeline.

“Who’s to say this was the only one he had?” said Radock.

This time, you couldseethe way they were all defeated by the thought of loss. Defeated by the certainty that David Hill might be out there right now, summoning the dead, coming to kill us all, to rule the world.

“Tick-tock,” Zach whispered, and he was still smiling, like the gravity of this situation was completely lost on him.

“The power of the Rainbow,” Nicholas started, and slowly he removed his hand from my shoulder as he looked at Helen first, then his colleagues. “I am almost certain it won’t work on me. It cannot be separated from her anymore. It has merged with Rosabel’s energy already. Itwon’twork.”

I could kiss the guy for saying that right now, but…

“Is that what you were trying to do,” said Taland, his voice low, barely a whisper, and I knew what he looked like when he was angry, even if the expression on his face didn’t change at all.I knew the shade of brown his eyes took on—and right now, he was raging on the inside.

The next moment, tiny flames in all colors sprung on his skin, on his hand that he’d aimed at Helen, demanding the focus of each and every person in here with me.

I shook my head once—no.He was not going to attack now when we were close.No, Taland, don’t you dare,I thought, and I like to think he understood.

“A fight isn’t going to serve anyone,” Radock said. “Wewillwin against you, but as much as it pains me to say this, we need you to win against Hill, just like you need us.”

His words fell over me, warm and comforting—because I had been thinking the same thing—but heavy as well. Because he was absolutely right. As much as these people had worked against one another for years, now was not the time to fight. Now was the time to stand together—at least until the common threat no longer existed.

“Who would have thought?” said Natasha, shaking her head, and she took her seat on the couch again, reached for her glass on the table. “The likes of David Hill to force a truce between us—who would have thought?”

“Natasha,” Helen said, but the old woman waved her off.

“Sit down, all of you. Let the girl go. Let’s talk.”

I didn’t think, didn’t blink, didn’t even breathe as I waited and waited…

Helen dropped her hand from my shoulder, too, and I moved. My legs carried me to Taland, and I fell in his open arm with my whole being. He wrapped it around my waist and held me to his chest tightly, his other hand still raised. Still not entirely convinced that the Council was going to stand down. That they’d actuallyagreedto let me go and talk.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, holding onto his neck tightly, eyes squeezed shut, the sound of his heartbeat and mine in my ears. “It’s okay, Taland. I’m okay.”

His other arm wrapped around me as well, and he took us a couple of steps back while the others moved forward. All of them, closer to the Council.

“All right, then. If you would be so kind as to pour us a drink, too, we can begin to plan,” Zachary Mergenbach said, but I still hadn’t opened my eyes or let go of Taland, and he still hadn’t let go of me.

For a moment there, he lowered his head and pressed his lip to my shoulder, and I heard the deep sigh that left him—the relief. I could only imagine what it must have been like in his head—but it was over now. I was smiling because it was over.

“You’remad, Mister Tivoux,” I said, and if we were anywhere else, I’d have laughed my heart out.

“I am, indeed,” he said without hesitation.

I wouldn’t have had him any other way.

Chapter 7

Rosabel La Rouge

Madeline Rogan sat about five feet to my side with her eyes on my lap where I held Taland’s hand between mine tightly. We were sitting together,allof us. Selem and the Council, Madeline and me, in her mansion.

Impossibleseemed like a small word just now, but here we were.

“You are certain that this is the Script of Perria,” said Flora the Redfire as she looked down at the piece of paper in the middle of the coffee table that they’d put back in place again. Madeline had called up for more empty glasses from the liquor cabinet with her magic, which had been another shock.

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