Page 70 of Lies That Bleed
I sat there in shock for a full minute, absorbing what she had just said.
‘I would never want to hurt you,’she told me, nuzzling my neck.‘If I could choose, I would have allowed you to live without a fight. But my magic is bigger than that.’
That was heavy. The fire beast that was trying to consume and kill me while I was in stasis was her? The same Liana that protected me now. And yet I understood. She could not allow a weak bonding to be reborn.
“It’s okay. Thank you for telling me.” I stroked the feathers on her neck and she peered up at me.‘Does that mean if I were to die again, I would enter that void again and have to fight before being reborn?’
‘I wish I knew. But if it’s any consolation, each time I die I have to fight the fire beast as well.’
My mouth popped open in surprise at that. She did?
‘Did you notice the other power that manifested beforeyou enthralled the instructor’s creature?’she asked, changing the subject, which I was grateful for.
I frowned.‘No.’
‘The smoke that was coming off of your body. Not only are you impervious to harm from fire, but you can produce and direct fire at will. Like me.’
My eyebrows rose at that.‘That’s something I can share with the Imperial Fleet, right?’That would be an amazing power to have in battle.
I could almost see a smile in her eyes.‘It is. Along with your ability to rapidly heal. But the rest… let’s keep to ourselves.’
Like the fact that I could possibly come back from the dead again, and the very secret fact that I could control minds.Yes, let’s never tell a soul about those.
“Aisling,” my father snapped, and I jerked my head to the door. He must have already called my name once and he didn’t like to repeat himself.
“Yes, Father?” I sat up straighter.
He stepped inside the room, Zuri trailing behind him; both their gazes went to Liana. There was a flash of trepidation there which I wasn’t sure was a good thing.
“I have dealt with this matter, but if anything else happens I want you to send for me right away,” he said. A spinning wheel of fire began to open at his back. I’d seen him create portals a hundred times and it never ceased to amaze me when I saw another placecome into view behind him—his office at our home, the place where he spent most of his time.
What I wasn’t prepared to see, however, was Kohen closing my father’s desk and peering at me before running out.
I gasped and my father frowned.
“What is it?” He stepped closer, concern etched onto his features.
I grabbed my side, pretending I had a pain there. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
My father nodded and then turned around, following Zuri back into his office, and the portal snapped shut. Was that why Kohen made such a big deal about calling my father to the school? So that he could sneak into his office while he was away? I knew it. I knew he was just using me!
That bastard.
I peered at Liana in anger.‘Did you know he was going to break into my father’s office?’
She looked surprised and hurt by that. ‘Of course not.’
I yanked the IV out of my arm and stepped out of bed, struggling to get my clothes on and not flash all of the admirals who were still talking outside in front of my window.
My father had insisted on a full checkup and I was checked up. Time to get the hell out of here and find Kohen. Why had I stayed silent and protectedhim?
Because if my father had seen him, he’d have killed him on the spot without question.
I was going to handle this my way.
After getting dressed, I tossed the medical gown on the bed and flung the door wide. I threw it so hard that it hit the back wall. Every single admiral turned and faced me, all wearing stony expressions.
I saluted them and then passed them down the hallway as Liana struggled to make it through the doorframe. She stopped to glare at the admirals and they all took a few steps back to give her a wide berth. Outside, I hopped on her back. “Take me to Kohen. I know you can find Onyx.”
