Page 128 of A Dose of Agony
All is well.
I suck in a breath, but that message is all I get from my mate in the middle of a war. Maybe it’s for the best. Because if Jarron knew what I was doing, he would not be pleased.
I’m done running and hiding.
Now is the time to prove that I am anything but inconsequential.
* * *
The demoness’s eyes flash up to me, darting between my face and my wrist. Her lips curl into a smile. “So, it’s true?” Bea says. “The crown prince has finally won his true chosen.”
I roll my eyes. “Finally?”
She shrugs. “It’s been a very long year.”
I laugh. “Fair enough.”
Bea’s new hideout is markedly different than the last. A New York City penthouse apartment. “Fancy digs,” I comment, looking out over the bright skyline.
“It’s strange, being here, but at least the view is nicer than before.”
“No more nightmare creatures?”
She shakes her head. “Not here. I’ve only been here for a day, though. It was Manuela’s suggestion once we learned you wanted to meet with me again. Jarron would know if you entered Oriziah.”
“Ah. Yeah, I suppose that makes sense.”
“So, you’ve got everything set?” she asks. “The potions are all ready?”
I nod. “The meeting hasn’t changed?”
She shakes her head. “They changed the location last week, but that won’t affect anything. Manuela has had plenty of time to create her portal with my help. Everything will be just fine on my end.”
“Good.”
“And how about Jarron? Manuela said he’s shut down your access to his thoughts and feelings right now.”
I wince. “Yes.”
She nods. “Trevor too. I know they’ve been fighting on and off and having meetings between. I wish I knew more.”
“Does he usually block you?” I hadn’t really considered their link in all of this.
“Mostly, yes. He knows bits and pieces of what’s happening with me, but it’s scattered. He’s been distant with me for months.” Her expression tells me how much that hurts her. How much she wants to fix the rift between them. “There are still rebels rioting in the city, that much is common knowledge in our world, but they are currently being pushed back from accessing the palace. From what little I get from Trevor, I suspect there are still spies being caught regularly inside the walls, and that may be the biggest reason Jarron’s cutting off your access. He doesn’t want you to feel it every time he’s attacked. He doesn’t want you to know the fear he’s feeling or the pain when something does happen.”
I drop onto the metal stool by the kitchen counter, body ready to collapse at any moment. It’s the morning of the meeting. Hours. I have hours to keep this up.
“Two nights ago, that did happen,” I admit. “I woke up in anguish, like I was on fire.”
“He was attacked?”
I nod. “He was injured somehow. He healed quickly, but I still felt the pain. That’s when he closed off our link from his end.”
She nods. “I’m sorry. It’s really hard to lose access to your mate; I know firsthand.”
I swallow. “Well…” I sigh, trying to muster that rage again because it’s the only thing keeping me going right now. “In a few hours…”
She smiles. “If we do this right, we can end it all today.”
