Page 61 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“Yeah, whatever.” My throat felt tight. I hadn’t meant to care. Not like this. But it wasn’t Reyna I was worried about—it was Darius. It was G.

It was realizing I’d started to give a shit about these silver-draped robots. And that was a problem.

This wasn’t what I was here for.

But I’d seen what Aren was willing to risk for a few mortals. I’d seen the blood he spilled to protect them. To protect me.

And that same weight was building in my chest now.

Goddammit. Grayshellians were already enough to worry about. Toss in the Westerlund shifters, and I was about to drown in people I cared for. I had a mission. I had my own retribution to see through. And yet⁠—

I followed the Bellaton brigade to the porch just in time to watch them vanish.

Leaving me useless. Again.

“If I didn’t know any better,” Alastair drawled, all accent and a smug smile, “I’d say you care.”

“Good thing you do know better.”

“Attachment isn’t weakness, Porter.”

“I’m not—” I realized my voice had risen, low and sharp. I inhaled. Tried again. “I’m not attached. I’m irritated.”

“That you can’t go with them?” Blaz asked.

“No,” I snapped—then winced. “I mean…yes. Maybe. It’s going to be hard to win Reyna’s favor if I can’t even prove I’m useful.”

“Surely the infamous Wraith isn’t short on creativity,” Alastair said, mockingly scandalized.

Creativity. If Aren was famous for anything, it was his terrifying creativity in jumpstarting latent powers.

Maybe I’d been going about this all wrong.

“You’re a genius!” I spun and nearly smacked a kiss to his cheek before remembering Alastair towered over me like a redwood. Opting for an affectionate shove instead, I grinned. “And you’re going to help me.”

He didn’t so much as rock on his heels, just smirked lazily. “I am?”

“Yes. You are.”

Blaz groaned beside him. “Why do I have a feeling I’m not gonna like this?”

“Because she’s her,” Alastair replied, shaking his head. “What undoubtedly manic idea has rooted itself in your skull now?”

“Help trigger ascension,” I said plainly, pulling my hair back and snapping a tie around it. I remembered Aren practically beating me senseless in one incarnation to force my power to surface. He’d always been much more amenable when I came in a male vessel, damn him.

Alastair’s smile vanished. “Freya…”

“If you don’t do it, I’ll find someone who will.”

“Aren and August⁠—”

“—have enough on their plates right now and couldn’t give a flying fuck in a squirrel suit. I can take it.”

“That’s what she said,” Blaz muttered, taking an instinctive step back like one of us might spontaneously combust. Which, honestly, was fair.

“Blaz Gwyne!” I gasped, shocked into laughter. So far, he’d been the picture of calm diplomacy and good manners. I was starting to question whether he was even human.

The impish smirk and the blush on his cheeks sent me grinning. “You are a real boy, after all.”