Page 94 of Lies That Bleed
“How can you take over for me if you aredead?” He matched my tone and I pursed my lips. “This is to keep you safe, Aisling. My decision is final,” he said, then spun to walk away.
“Where did you post Kohen Badshah?” I called after him. I had to know.
His whole body stiffened and he turned back around to face me with one of his scary looks. The expression that saidBe careful you don’t take this too far. “Sky Reach,” he said. “Because I don’t care if he lives or dies.”
With that, he stepped back into his office with Zuri, and I saw the glow of fire as he likely made a portal and went to some warfront.
Sky Reach. He was sending Kohen to the most formidable base in operation. A base that saw more casualties per week than there were hours in a day. I shouldn’t care. My father did as I asked; he put us at separate postings. But the news tore a hole in my heart until it began to physically ache.
Sky Reach for a rookie? It was suicide. Sure Kohen had Onyx and was super powerful, but bombs went off at Sky Reach daily. The Luskins called it Easy Reach, because they could just throw firebombs over the border wall and hit it. It was one step down from sending him to stand atop The Wall and become a living bullseye.
Tetra knocked on the door casing behind me and I fixed my face from one of horror to excitement.
“Ready?” She smiled.
“Ready,” I confirmed, ignoring my wounded heart.
Tetra was going to be safe, and I was going to focus on that and not on these new feelings that had bloomed in my stomach every time I thought of Kohen Badshah.
Because that scared me more than anything else.
The ball was elegant,with a chocolate fountain, live band, and fancy linen tablecloths, but it was also really loud. Tetra went in search of a quieter room a half hour ago, but I was locked into a conversation about poisons with Meera against the far wall. She told me in detail about how she was able to make tasteless, odorless poisons that would kill a man in seconds. I still had yet to see any of the guys, including Kohen, and I wondered if they were hiding from me after I said all that stuff when I was on pain pills.
I was only slightly mortified. Jace deserved it.
“You should tell my father that. He could use that on the war front,” I told her.
She nodded. “I mentioned it to my instructor at the training center but they didn’t seem interested.”
“Well, tell your squad leader once you get posted to a base. That might come in handy.” Like in assassinating foreign leaders. I hated to think like that, but the Luskins started this war anyway, and if we took out Prime Leader Vlek it could all be over. He was the driving force behind the desire to expand his borders and steal our ember. It wasn’t our fault our lands were rich with the stuff and they had little to none. They should buy it from us like everyone else, not attempt to steal it.
“I’m going to grab a drink,” Meera told me and I nodded.
“I’m gonna go find Tetra!” I screamed back over the rock band blaring out of the speakers.
I went in search of my bestie, leaving the main ballroom and swerving down the hallway. This event center held weddings, birthdays, funerals, meetings, and much more. They had a main ballroom for bigger events and then tons of smaller rooms. I passed two closed doors before stopping near an opening to the game room, where there was a pool table, because I’d heard my name.
“Aisling is the hottest chick in our class,” someonesaid—it sounded like Alek but I couldn’t be sure. I smiled at the nice compliment.
“Careful, Kohen’s already pissed on her and marked his territory,” Jace said. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
“Screw you,” Kohen shot back. “You’re just mad that you had your chance with her and ruined it.”
“Whatever, I’m just saying it’s obvious you want Aisling,” Jace said. “But you’ll never have her. For one, her reputation would never allow her to be with a Badshah. And secondly, even if you got her, she wouldn’t put out. So it’s not worth the struggle in my opinion.”
A bunch of male voices laughed in response and fury washed over me. Wouldn’t put out? That’s what he thought of me?
“Don’t talk about her like she’s some trophy to acquire!” Kohen’s voice could cut glass. “If Aisling was ever my girlfriend, the last thing I would be thinking about was her ‘putting out.’ You’re a piece of shit, Jace.”
That was it, the final proof I needed to know that Kohen Badshah was good. He always had my back and stuck up for me. I’d read him wrong this entire time, and right then I wanted to prove Jace wrong. I didn’t care about my reputation and I couldn’t fight my feelings anymore. I was exhausted.
I strode into the room just as Jace opened his mouth to respond and everyone turned in my direction.Jace’s gaze flicked to mine and I could see the panic there. He was with Tucker and his other cronies. Kohen looked like he’d been attempting to play darts with Nikhil before Jace had confronted him.
Kohen’s gaze locked on mine. I walked straight towards him with purpose, never taking my eyes off of him.
“Hey, Aisling,” Jace laughed nervously from my left. “We were just going to play a round of?—”
I pushed Kohen hard until his back hit the wall, and then my lips crashed into his in a passionate kiss I wasn’t prepared for. Pressing my body flat against him, my heart beat frantically between us as he smiled against my mouth. My fingers wrapped around the back of his neck and I hungrily opened my lips to deepen the kiss as desire bloomed inside of me. His fingertips trailed at my lower back and heat flushed along my body.
