Page 294 of Scarlet Wars
She was spiraling, and this was how she clawed her way back into control.
“I don’t want to hear a single word out of any of you,” she spat, her voice iron-hard, the pitch a fraction too high, panicdressed up as command. “Not until I understand what the hell just happened. What the hell I just saw. Andwhothefuckisresponsible.”
I would’ve raised my hand if I could.
“Can I offer an opinion?” I asked mildly, hoping to try and diffuse the raw panic in my girl.
Her head whipped toward me. “You better not be cracking jokes right now, Caden. I am not above deleting one of your balls.”
I tried to give a shrug, which was hard considering the chains biting in my wrists. “At least I’d still have the other.”
Emma went very still, before hissing in a low tone, “Do I look like I’m fucking kidding right now?”
Despite her lashing out at everyone including me, I had to bite back a smile. “You do not, Nightcrawler. I just have to say—even without permission—you look absolutelystunningwhen you breathe fire.”
Her eyes narrowed to razor–thin slits, scarlet flickering dangerously at the edges. “Keep talking and I’ll test howstunningyou look without a head.”
I grinned at her death-threat.Worth it.
Before I could give another retort and meet my inevitable end as astunningpile of ash, her focus snapped back to Maurice.
“You,” she barked, stabbing a finger in his direction. “Start talking. Who kills my hus?—”
She cut herself off, throat working once. Hard.
“Kills Caden?”
Herfatherlooked almost impressed as he jerked his chin toward Stephen. “Ask the Specialist asshole,” he said coolly, “whether he bothered to check before deciding your choices should be impaled.”
The scarlet haze flared brighter.
Emma crossed the room in three furious strides, seized Stephen by the collar, and hauled him off the wall like he weighed nothing. She got right in his face, power crackling so violently I could feel it in my bones.
“Tell me,” she snarled, each word razor-edged and shaking with barely veiled panic.
Horrible timing but watching her like this—burning the world down for me—I was so fucking turned on I couldn’t see straight.
Stephen’s shoulders sagged. His head dropped, chin nearly to his chest, defeat rolling off him in waves.
“I tried, Emma,” he said hoarsely. “I swear I did. But I can’t move or handle anything when I’m visiting the past or the future, you know that. You’ve experienced it yourself.” He swallowed, words spilling faster now, like confession might save him. “The man or woman under that hood never shows their face. And you annihilate every single one of them before I can get close enough to see anything useful.”
He dragged in a breath. “All I could figure out is that somewhere next year, you and Caden are fighting Collabs. And for some reason, it’s just the two of you against an army of hundreds on that field.”
Silence hit hard.
Then Maurice snarled, venom sharp enough to cut stone, “You are such an idiot.” He jerked against his chains as if he might still reach Stephen. “Why do you think it’s only the two of them?” His gaze burned as he looked at Emma. “Becauseshe’spowerful enough to take them down.”
“But only if Caden dies, right?” James’s asked quietly, too quietly, as his eyes never left Maurice. “That’s why you did all this? To make sure Stephen couldn’t warn Emma off falling in love with him?”
Maurice’s jaw flexed, the muscle jumping once.
“That’s not the only reason.” He inhaled through his nose. “When I found out what Stephen told the High Chief about this, I orchestrated your abduction to New York. I had to counteract their attempt to bond you with my daughter somehow, make sure Emma saw she still had options.”
Stephen barked a harsh, humorless laugh. “Oh, fuck off. Don’t dress that shit up as something noble.” His eyes flashed. “You just want your daughter unleashed on this world.”
“Unleashed?” Emma whispered.
James answered, dry and grim. “Your father seems convinced your love for Caden is the key. The trigger. It unlocks your power and saves our kind from the Collabs.” He paused. “Because when Caden dies…you react.”
