Page 38 of Shadows and Flames
Elián nodded firmly. “Yes. It appears that he was working with your brother out of his own greed. The hate he felt for the Vyrkos.” I waited for him to continue, and once our drinks were left on the wooden table, he did. “We have our own council of senior members that keeps us in line. However, the punishment they gave Jones was too lax, and I gave him what he truly deserved.Iwas then punished for circumventing the proper protocol in settling Shadow conflict.”
“I—I never would have wanted you to do that for me, El.”
He gave me a long look, wordlessly calling me out for the liar that I was. “I did it for myself as well. He deserved a far more painful death.”
Now was probably a bad time for the surge of lust, making me cross my legs. “Okay. Thank you.”
He grunted and took a sip of his coffee. I drank some of my tea and quickly added more honey to it. “My punishment was more frustrating than anything. Six months with no contracts, extra training shifts for the acolytes. It left me a lot of time to think. To grieve us and see the error of my ways.”
I started to rebut until he raised a hand, silencing my words. “I began working again after that, taking contracts anywhere I could, hoping to find you in the process.”
My face heated, and I rested my hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, El. You have to know that I wasn’t running from you.Please.”
That piece of truth left his shoulders sagging, like he’d still been unsure. “At the time, I was prepared to find you and leave it all. My Shadow life.” I almost snatched my hand away, convinced I hadn’t heard him correctly.
And then I realized that he’d used the word ‘was.’ I chewed my lip. “And now?”
He shifted, shoulders tightening right back up and bracing. “Now, I truly cannot leave.” Elián exhaled slowly. “I am sorry.”
“I don’t know how we’ll balance it all, but I am prepared to do so. To try.” What did I have to lose? If there truly were members of The Shadows that wanted to kill me, they could stand in line with the rest of the enemies I’d made in my two and a half centuries. But, “What changed? Are they—” rage flared in my chest “—are theythreateningyou? Because ofme?”
He was already shaking his head, giving soothing passes of his palm. “No. They are not threatening me. At the Master rank, I am mostly free to come and go as I please. Called to return for official ceremonies, meetings, my mandatory training shifts.”
I relaxed. “Oh—okay.” That wasn’t so bad, right? We were busy people anyway. I could manage being apart from him forthose sorts of things. And then, the rest? We could go anywhere together.
“You…are alright with this?”
“I mean, I’m willing to compromise. But,” I remembered, “you didn’t answer my question. What changed? If you were able to leave before—which I’m not demanding of you now—what is making you stay?”
Those papaya-colored eyes weren’t looking at me now. Cast on the table between us. For a beat, I almost demanded the truth he held back. What he was hesitating to tell me. But what right did I have?
“It’s okay, El. If you don’t want to tell me.”
Now he was looking at me, but it was with a glare and a petulant growl. “Don’t. I am just wary of your reaction.” I counted the breaths, reaching five before he grumbled again and admitted, “I have sponsored a new acolyte. The time needed to become fully trained varies, but for the next ten years, at least, I am required to be more involved.”
“Oh.Oh.” I shrugged. “That’s okay. I mean, Tana and I are still working toward this contract, finding Francie. Not that I’m anticipating it taking years, hopefully. But that’s fine, El.”
He was wincing, though. Shaking his head again, coffee long forgotten.
“What is it?”
Elián ground his jaw and then spoke the name of this new acolyte. The one he’d brought into The Shadows.
Chapter Fifteen
ELIÁN
“You didwhat?”
I winced again as my queen’s voice rose several octaves, sending a group of seagulls jumping back and taking to air. She snatched her hands away, and like last night, I saw it in her posture. Her instincts pointing towardsrun.
Well, perhaps after stabbing me with the blades she could now conjure out of nothing.
“Meline,” I barked and pulled her arm back to me. She could rage and curse me all she wanted. Cut me with her power. But she would not leave. We would deal with this.
Her breaths were blustering, dark and glittering eyes wild as her mind undoubtedly ran through hundreds of scenarios.
“Marco found Tomás and me on the streets of Nethras. Asked us?—”
