Page 337 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“Your guess is as good as mine.” I squeezed Cyrus’ hand as we drew nearer to their side of the river, my eyes scanning the treeline, the water, the shadows—searching for any hint of an ambush, of another Nix crouched in the brush.

“It’s not like any of us gave Moros a second thought,” Calypso said, her temper tucked neatly behind her calm façade. “He’s an entitled prick without the power to back it up.”

“Or he was,” Cyrus corrected softly.

“Right. That.”

“I’m heading back to smooth things out with Reyna,” I said. “Ally chalked her temper up to grief, but I’d rather ensure our ducks are in a row.”

“Line them out quickly, Maleficent,” Carr said, his stance mirroring my own edginess. He scanned the sky before settling on my face. “The Queen pulled us into her office today.”

“What the fuck for?” Cyrus growled.

“She’s decided we’re allying with Adrastos.”

“Fucking bitch,” I groaned, jamming my eyes shut before grimacing. “No offense. Mixed company. That was my bad.”

Calypso smirked. “None taken. Sometimes I wish being the Heiress gave me an ounce of authority, but I barely have legs to stand on when she’s in the room.”

“We can push for a vote,” Cyrus countered, his thumb brushing over the signet ring on his hand. “This isn’t over.”

“The Guard will always side with her,” Cali said, shaking her head. “We have a few wildcards to play, but not enough to overpower her.”

“Portia? Maybe Orion?”

“Maybe,” she allowed.

I narrowed my eyes, curiosity getting the better of me. “How many Guards still stand?”

“Six. Not including Dad.”

I exhaled sharply. That was going to complicate things. “Twelve hours,” I said, glancing up at Cyrus. His hands had moved to his collar, my gaze tracing the edge of his wings where they ghosted beneath his jacket. There was no way Poe had marked him by coincidence. No way we were bound like this by accident.

“Twelve hours,” he echoed, resigned. We’d tried to coordinate a full day together, but Reyna’s open hostility made that damn near impossible. She’d have an aneurysm if she found out Blaz was aiding him. Until I could thaw that frost, he’d stay behind.

Nodding once, I met Cali’s gaze, then Carr’s, praying we were right—that we’d find something, anything, to give us an edge.

I turned to leave—but Cyrus’ hand clamped around my hip, then into my hair so fast I gasped. He chuckled low, fisting the strands to draw my head back against his shoulder.

“Rude,” he whispered against my ear before spinning me to face him.

Heart thundering, I shook my head. “You did not just do that.”

“You did not just walk away without saying goodbye.”

“Possessive?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” He bent down and kissed me like I was air and he’d gone breathless. My hands curled into the leather at his waist, pulling him closer, until stars sparked in the corners of my vision.

“You’ve got a succubus on your face,” Carr called dryly. Cyrus and I raised matching middle fingers, his hand softening on my cheek as he swiped his tongue over my lips.

“Damn, they really did find each other,” Calypso murmured.

When he finally released me, we were both flushed and breathless. I smiled, catching sight of my escorts now politely engrossed in their own conversation.

Steeling myself for another parting, I whispered, “Twelve hours?”

“See you then.”