Page 52 of Gemini Hunted
Vasili’s glacial eyes flash like danger beacons.I’m not afraid! I simply don’t care for the detestable creatures.
“She’s just a kitten, bad boy,” I whisper, clutching the strap of my duffel. “And she needs us. She really does.”
Our bond fills up with his silence. A silence that’s more raw than lurky. With Ronin still so pissed and broody, plus all V’s insecurities about Zephyr and now his secret fear of cats exposed, my Goblin King’s morning really has been kinda sucky.
“Isn’t anyoneevergonna answer my question?” Mordred asks at an alarming volume. “Isaid—”
“Hush!” I whisper in a rush, sensing both Ronin and Max about to launch into orbit. “It is, okay? Villa Caligula actually is a haunted house. I mean, kinda. It’s really old and falling down, the basement’s condemned, it used to be the Academy dungeon in medieval times. They used to torture the students in detention, and rumor says a bunch of them died down there—”
“Andthat’swhere we’re going?” Mordred asks, wide-eyed.
At speaking volume, natch.
“Way to sell the place, love. But yeah, that’s where Mal wants to meet.” Ronin glances sharply at Neo. “Mind you don’t step in that trap, Red.”
That’s what Ronin calls Neo.
Red.
On account of our bookworm’s constant blushing.
“Is that abeartrap?” Neo gasps, giving the horrible rusty-jawed thing—yawning wide and half hidden in the fallen foliage—a very wide berth.
“Mantrap,” Ronin says grimly. “They’ve got a new sheriff in town at Mal’sdomus. Forced retirement for Mistress Aggie. She’s been back-benched to make way for a proper headmaster. Not sure I fancy the new bloke, considering.”
“Yeah, me neither.” I frown at the mantrap. “New sheriff or not, what’s that thing even doing out here? We’re literally on school grounds.”
I’m indignant, for real.
I don’t need any help spotting and avoiding hidden mantraps, because cat burglar, I’m trained for that shit.
But that doesn’t mean I like it.
Or Mal’s new headmaster.
Anyone who even grazes that rusty thing’s jagged steel jaws is gonna need like five tetanus shots. I suppress a shiver and edge warily around the barbaric device.
“Oh my gosh,” Neo moans. “Lucius.I really hope his wolf watches where he’s stepping.”
“Lucius Aries is far too canny to step into a mantrap,” Max says stoutly. “We will find him ahead at thedomus,just as we arranged.”
I sure hope so. Because what if we don’t?I think but don’t say.
Although thinking is basically the same as speaking in a telepathic harem, unless I deliberately guard my thoughts. Which I don’t like doing from my guys. We’ve had enough secrets, including this latest one with V summoning Mordred, to do real damage to the trust factor in this harem.
I mean, not that Mordred’sinthe harem.
He definitely isn’t.
Mordred is just a temporary thing.
Even if he ended up sleeping at the foot of our bed last night—basically lying across everyone’s feet (minus his trident) because hereallywanted to stay with us and I didn’t have theheart to send him away—while Zephyr and Ash pointedly slept on deck.
Which was as far from the demon—and V—as Zephyr could physically get without actually leaving the boat.
So, yeah, we’ve got a few trust holes to patch up.
Over the patter of rain against the canopy, my sharp shifter ears catch the tinykrich!of a snapped twig.
