Page 6 of Wrath

Phineas whistled. “Damn. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Lupe placed a huge, comforting hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “They’re bowing to you, my mate.”

His deep voice rumbled through me.

A breath of disbelief escaped me—the noise bordering on hysteria. “Me?”

“You’re the Liberator, aren’t you?” Lupe asked, though I knew he didn’t expect a response.

The question was rhetorical. We all knew about the title the humans had given me.

“Great.” Bash rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Just what the princess needs—a bigger head than she already has.”

I reached across Ryland to swat at the mage’s shoulder. “Are you saying I have a big ego?”

“I’m saying you have a big head,” Bash quipped. “The thing’s the size of a fucking watermelon.”

This time, it was Lupe who hit the mage—much harder than I did.

Still, Bash’s words helped dissipate the tension thrumming between us. I could practically feel the muscles in my shoulders loosen.

“You’re an asshole,” I muttered, still focused on the kneeling humans.

Oh my god. How did I get them up? Was I supposed to snap my fingers? Wave? Order them to their feet? I was an assassin, for fuck’s sake, not a leader.

“Are you supposed to do something?” Dair murmured softly, echoing my own thoughts.

“What do you suppose I do?” I hissed. “You guys are the princes.”

Ryland’s shadows converged around him, and he disappeared from view. He reappeared a few feet in front of me and hovered over the railing of the boat, his scarred features set in a look of amusement.

“You could order them to rise,” he drawled.

“I don’t want to order anyone,” I snapped.

“They’re probably getting sore necks,” Devlin interjected. I glared at him, but he simply widened his violet eyes and held his hands up innocently. “Just trying to help.”

“Don’t.”

“Who’s that?” Jax scratched absently at the nape of his neck as he squinted at someone in the distance.

I followed the direction of his gaze to see a figure walking through the kneeling crowd.

At first, I didn’t recognize who he was, but as his features came into view, I caught sight of his sharp jawline, graying hair, and cutting eyes. The wry smirk on his craggily wrinkled face was unmistakable.

“B,” I whispered, stunned.

I knew that the man couldn’t hear me—not with him as far away from us as he was—but his smile broadened. Even from this distance, I could detect the sparkle in his eyes, the amusement that never seemed to falter no matter what life threw his way.

“I heard there’s a war going on,” he called with feigned casualness, twirling his sword around in his hands. “Thought you could use an army.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “It would be an honor to serve you, Liberator.”

FOUR

Z

As soon as the ship docked, we were led through the throng of soldiers by a few of the humans towards the largest tent at the very edge of the forest. It felt…strange to be the sole attention of so many gazes. An uneasy skittering sensation unfurled in my belly.

And when the people weren’t staring at me with something akin to worship, they were eyeing my mates distastefully. One woman even screamed when she caught sight of Killian’s horns.

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