“This meeting is meant to be informative,” she stated flatly. “I will not have bickering.”
“Then what purpose does this meeting truly serve, Elana?” I inquired, over the charade of this bullshit. “None of us like each other. It’s all a power play, and as I sit at the top, I’m a constant opponent.” I moved away, pushing my chair in. “If there’s nothing else of import, I’ll get back to my temporary assignment.”
She sighed. “Cyrus…”
“I understand what you’re trying to accomplish here, Elana, and I admire you deeply for it. But not everyone on this council feels the same.” I glanced pointedly at Mortus and Zephys and finally at Blaize. “You all want to condemn an innocent woman for the atrocities of her mother. Perhaps you should consider investigating the sins of your own parents to de
termine your ability to lead.”
My name trailed behind me as several argued my words, but I didn’t listen.
I’d attended the council as a formality and to remind Mortus of my place.
Task accomplished, I had a new item on my list. Protect Claire.
Because I’d seen the indignation in the Councils’ eyes. One slip and she’d pay the price with her life. I refused to allow that to happen on my watch.
Where are you, Exos? This power game grows tiresome without you. And your little queen is quite the handful.
Just thinking of Claire had my lips curling. Oh, she loathed me, and I, of course, encouraged it. But she needed the tough love to grow.
All this coddling bullshit would destroy the woman. She needed to realize her potential, and the only way to do that was by pushing her to achieve greatness. As no one else seemed keen to do it, I’d taken on the task.
And when we found my brother, he’d take over what I’d started.
Easy. Hopefully. Maybe…
I shook my head. There was no alternative. I needed her to be strong so I could use her to find Exos. Whatever she did with that strength was her choice and didn’t impact me in the slightest. Not even a little bit.
If I told myself that enough, I’d grow to believe it. Because she wasn’t mine, and she never would be. Exos owned her spirit, and I refused to interfere with that. But even I could grudgingly admit as I tilted my head up to observe the stars above that my brother had chosen well. I didn’t get it at first, but two days with her showed me why.
She’s a good mate for you, Exos, I thought to him. I vow to keep her safe. Always. For you.
And maybe a little bit for me.
But Exos didn’t need to know that part.
No one did.
Exos
Claire… I could feel her trying to find me, her essence an intoxicating presence in my soul that I longed to stroke. But I had to push her away. It was the only way to fight the shadow holding me hostage.
A shadow whose thirst for Claire crawled inside me, sinking its inky claws into our bond and inching ever closer to my mate.
No! I shoved it back, but it grew more powerful—hungrier—with every second. It reminded me of a black hole, spinning and sucking, needing to feed off the spirit energy thriving around us.
If that thing hurt Claire, I’d never forgive myself.
And I needed all my strength to battle the presence overtaking my being.
I will not become your puppet, I growled, determined.
We’ll see, the foreign presence taunted, pressing deeper.
Fuck you, I seethed.
Laughter filtered through my conscious, the perpetrator amused.