Page 140 of Infernal Bonds

“Yes?” She leaned forward and angled her head to look at me.

“Like, she really believes that?”

“Oh. Yeah. It’s really weird.” She sat back. “Roandra is so selfish. She’s still convinced Young Master Brakeal wants her.” Her eyes rounded, and she whirled to face me. “Not that he wants her. He doesn’t. Don’t think that. He always rejects her.”

I laughed. “I believe you. It’s okay.”

I hadn’t figured out how Cyn got my necklace back from Roandra, but his lack of attraction to her was plain to see. Though I appreciated Rinlora’s reassurance.

The rest of our time at the lake passed without us slipping into heavier subjects. It felt good to get away from the politics, threats of kidnapping, and expectations of being forever tied to the four heirs of this new world I now called home.

It felt good to know I could spend time with someone I now saw as a friend. I missed Maya, and I’d worried the Shyrlivi on the infernal plane would treat me like an outcast since I was different and hadn’t grown up here. Instead, I’d met Kavina and Rinlora, who both seemed to like me.

Other than curious looks—and a few jealous ones from Cyn’s admirers—everyone treated me normally. Though I wondered how much my connection to the guys influenced that.

Regardless, my time with Rinlora offered a glimmer of hope for a normal life, with normal friends—even while tangled in Elyrdin’s messy political web.

37

SMILE AGAIN

RAE

Irolled over onto my stomach, snuggling into the plush cushions of the sofa. I’d been stuck in the house all day and was going stir-crazy.

With Ezra, Ash, and Zeke on patrol, I’d taken up residence in the living room, flipping through channels to see what kinds of shows Elyrdin offered.

A variety of Earth-based movies, shows, and documentaries, spanning different languages and regions, made up half the channels. The other half were unique to Elyrdin. I discovered a handful of game shows that held my attention, but their appeal quickly faded. I wasn’t big on television in the first place, and I had no idea what else to do.

I hadn’t brought a bathing suit, and I wasn’t sure how safe it would be to swim by myself, even if it was only a few feet outside the back door. Besides, I couldn’t do much more than wade in the shallow end.

Running was out of the question, which sucked. I missed the satisfying burn in my legs after a long workout. I thought about asking Ash if he’d be up for a run sometime this week when he wasn’t on patrol, but I couldn’t risk someone nabbing me on the driveway again if I went alone.

I buried my face in a throw pillow and groaned. Maybe I’d take a nap. Again.

“What are you doing?”

I popped my head up, locking eyes with Cyn.

He stood behind the sofa on the elevated flooring, arms crossed, watching me do my best imitation of a boneless blob.

“I’m staying safe.”

He rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to stay holed up in the living room to be safe.”

“But that’s what I’m gonna do.” I put my head back down and reached for the remote, resuming my channel surfing.

He stomped down into the conversational pit, taking the remote from my hand.

“Hey!”

“Get up.”

“What?” I rolled over onto my back. “Why?”

His lips thinned as he stared down at me. “Because I said so. Come on. I got something to show you.”

“Show me here.” I rolled onto my side.