Page 36 of The Never List
“And yet you found this task unattainable?”
Acid sizzles in my blood.
“I—”
“I chose for myself,” I cut in over Mirren. “She is not responsible for what I wear or say. Ever.” I speak with as much power as I can. I don’t want my actions to reflect badly on her now or in the future. And knowing me? I’ll definitely get her in trouble if I don’t establish my independence now.
Baydel looks me up and down again, shaking his head with an air of disgust. “You won’t last a week,” he says. “Shame. But there are always more girlsdyingto take your place.”
“Thanks for the reminder, your majesty,” I say, bowing without taking my eyes off of him.
Unfiltered rage churns in his eyes as I step into the elevator, not waiting for a dismissal. It’s a bold move, one that will most certainly come back to haunt me later, but I don’t care. Baydel is on my shit list, and if I survive thisandhave the support of four powerful mates, too? He’ll be the first one to discover what it feels like to be humiliated.
Mirren hurries in behind me, and I let her push the button, not breaking Baydel’s gaze until the doors slide closed.
“Do you like dancing on the edge of death?” Mirrensnaps at me in a low tone, a hand over her chest.
For some reason, the minute she asks the question, an image of Jax and me on the dance floor pops into my head. A slow smile spreads over my lips at the memory, at the way I’d felt in his arms. Jax was the personification of danger, and I did indeed like dancing on the edge with him.
But all his flirty interest vanished the second after he’d called my number. The second he’d sensed my secrets.
The doors slide open on the ground level of the palace, and Mirren leads me through an ornate entryway with golden marble floors and white pillars stretching high to an intricately painted ceiling. She shows me to the doors, stopping at the top of a long set of stairs descending to the palace grounds.
“Goddesses save us,” Mirren says after I’ve ignored her question.
I can see Kal at the bottom, waiting for us. I turn to look at Mirren.
“The goddesses haven’t saved anyone in a very long time,” I say before taking the first step.
the ruby aire
12
Rylee
Kal laughs under his breath as I reach the bottom step, shaking his head. He leans against one of those two-wheeled contraptions made of iron and leather and metal, powered by intense Occuli magic only the wealthy can afford: a velomage. I’ve only ever seen one once, outside a nightclub in the Obsidian City when sneaking out with Layce and Ivy. The rest of us must walk or, for those more fortunate, use carriages pulled by horses. This looks like a cross between a carriage and a horse, only in the sense that you must mount it to ride.
Kal folds his muscular arms, his tight ruby shirt showing off the definition of his broad chest. His brown hair is styled to fall effortlessly over his forehead, and the dark, rugged pants he wears hug his massive thighs.
Goddess, he is delectable. His blue eyes trail the length of my body, each slow pass like a caress as I stop before him, looking up at him with a smile.
“Interesting color choice,” he says, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Do you like it?” I ask, doing a little spin to give him the full view, trying to imitate the same spin I’ve seen Erin do a thousand times when working a target. The memoryof her threatens to catch up with me by the time I face Kal, and I do my best to shove it down so he can’t see the grief in my eyes.
“It suits you,” he says, nothing but warmth in his tone.
I didn’t have a clue how he’d react—from the stories, I half expected this Legend to scold me about tact—but his casual confidence leaves no room for things as petty as telling a woman what she can and can’t wear. At least that’s how it looks from where I’m standing, but only time will tell.
“Thank you,” I say, giving a little dip before eyeing the velomage behind him. “Are you going to use that?”
His grin stretches wider. “Have you ever seen one before?”
“From afar,” I say, grateful these things aren’t common enough in Cedar and Silk that it would be suspicious that I haven’t seen one up close before.
Kal lifts one leg over it, like he would mount a horse, and settles in the seat. He grips a set of metal bars with one hand and holds the other out to me. “I’m honored to be your first ride,” he says, his voice going low and seductive in a way that’s too smooth to not be rehearsed.
I bite my lower lip, my heart thundering in my chest. “Is it safe?” I eye the magical contraption suspiciously.
