Page 81 of Lies That Blemish
“I’d rather not. I’m old-fashioned,” I lied.
His gaze narrowed as if he didn’t believe me. “You’ve deprived me of my sister, which means I need an heir as soon as possible. I’ve changed my mind about waiting. I don’t see theharm in trying now.” He again looked at my body in a way that caused me to panic, my mind struggling to find a reason to wait. I needed to keep everything calm so that Whitney could get away with Victory.
“Maxim?” I said his name in a sweet tone.
His gaze snapped up to my face with curiosity.
“I’ve come to terms with my new life here. As your wife. But I’d like to keep some of my culture and way of doing things. It would mean a lot to me if we could wait to share this bed until we were officially married. Please?” I put some extra syrupy-sweet inflection in my tone.
He said nothing. He just stared at me for an agonizingly long moment until, finally, he waved me off. “Fine. Sleep on the couch. I’m tired anyway.” And with that, my legs were unglued, and I hurried to the couch and yanked the blanket off, throwing it over myself and giving him my back.
I’d bought myself one night. Tomorrow, I wouldn’t be so lucky.
Chapter 28
Valor
Kohen shookme awake after only three hours of sleep, and we had a quick breakfast together.
“Any new visions about my plan?” I asked as we prepared to leave the house and go meet Charlene and the others at Emberlane Park.
“No,” he said, sounding slightly terrified.
I nodded. “I think you’ve become too dependent on knowing the outcome. It’s paralyzed you from acting.”
He stilled at the front door and peered down at me. “Hmm, that was a wise observation for a fourteen-year-old.”
I rolled my eyes. “Almostfifteen-year-oldempresssss.” I let the word drag out to emphasize its importance.
Kohen smiled down at me, and I smiled back. I never had a brother, but I felt like if I did, it would be like this. When Kohen opened the door, I was surprised to see Liana standing next to Onyx and Zara. All three seemed to be deep in conversation, facing each other and peering into one another’s eyes.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Zara looked over at me.‘Liana wants to be the one to fly you on the mission. She’s got more training, and if it goes wrong, she’s better suited to get you home safely.’I could feel the hurt in her voice as she said,‘And I agree. I’ll go to Imbria to be with Virtue so that I can protect her if need be.’
Liana dipped her head in respect as if saying she was agreeing with this plan. I liked her, and I wanted to bring my sister home, so I nodded.‘Okay.’
Walking over to Zara, I hugged her neck, stroking the scales there. Being young sucked sometimes. People underestimated you and thought you couldn’t do stuff. But I knew my sister’s creature was a badass, and so I would defer to her lead since I knew Aisling would want me to.
Kohen nodded as if Onyx had told him everything and he was on board. Liana and Onyx had a special bond. I knew they spoke to each other and shared almost everything.
Zara gave me one last goodbye and then flew off into the morning sun as Kohen and I took the short flight to Emberlane Park. Liana was bigger than Zara and a smoother flier, too, so I didn’t have to struggle to hold on. She was fitted with a saddle, which we hadn’t had time to do for Zara yet. Peering at my sister’s well-worn saddle, I found myself missing her badly. Our world had changed so much in such a short time that I had no idea what the future would look like, even after we brought Aisling home. It felt like nothing would ever be the same again, but if I could at least get all of us together, then everything would be alright.
When we landed in Emberlane Park, I noticed Elaine leaning on her cane next to Tetra.
“Elaine!” I slipped off of Liana and ran to her, trying not to crush her when I hugged her. My throat tightened with emotion when she squeezed me back, and the scent of her coconut lavender shampoo washed over me. Elaine would always be likea mother to me and my sisters. Almost losing her nearly broke me.
“How did you get here?” I asked when we finally pulled away, and Tetra gave me a hug as well. It was weird to see Tetra without her cane. I still hadn’t fully processed my gift and its repercussions.
“Liana flew me in,” Elaine said as she stood next to Tetra. “If you are planning an Aisling and Victory rescue, I want to be a part of planning it.”
I nodded. “Then you will be.”
Admiral Caruso walked over with her creature beside her, a clipboard in her hand. There were deep bags under her eyes. She didn’t look like she’d slept at all. “The evacuation is going well. By sundown, everyone who has agreed to leave should be gone.” She looked at Kohen. “The Imbrians have been more than accommodating. Thank you.”
He nodded. “Of course. We don’t have much, but what we do have is yours.”
The admiral’s eyes grew misty. She cleared her throat and nodded. “The payload took all night, but my men are flying it in now.”
