Page 148 of Commanding Flame and Shield
“Fine. I like you, Alvara. Your spunk, and your flames. And I need your mate to stand a fool’s chance at this world existing shortly.”
“He would never build the world you envision. Will fight against it to his last breath.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Let it go. Let us go.”
“Now. I’m afraid, I just can’t do that.”
I pulled all my elements back within my body. “Then you will lose…everything you’ve ever wanted.” It was a promise, and Adrastos reduced his flames to dark shadow embers. He took a long breath.
“Perhaps...we will agree to disagree,Princess, until you come to see reason. Until...we can properly motivate you to see reason.”
I strode for the end of the alley, but his enormous hand came down on my shoulder, yanking me back to face him. “Take your hands off me before I burn them away.”
“This is not how tonight was supposed to go. Not how you and I were supposed to go.” A muscle in his jaw feathered as he ground out the words.
“And how did it play out in that delusional head of yours?”
“You actually heard me out. Listened to all we could accomplish—for our kindandtheirs—and then you went home, and deliberated with that mate of yours, swayed your Commander to see sense. And together, we stop the horsemen from destroying this place. This is my home, Alvara. I’ll not lose it to an ancient prophecy.”
“Then take it up with your beloved uncle.”
“Lucifer has done all he can to keep them sealed away. His tricks are spent.”
“Then there is nothing more for us to say. August and I will sooner burn with the mortals than serve you. Remove your hand, or I’ll do it for you.” I raised a brow over a saccharine smile, that I knew dripped in a death promise. He took his hand from my shoulder and stuffed it into his pocket, but something like pain flashed in his eyes. He meant it. Every word of what he said. The reality he’d spun for himself. I almost pitied him. Almost.
“I’ll give you another chance. I’ll give you one more chance to make sense of this mess for yourself. You’ll see—you’ll both see—that I am your way out of this. Go home to your mate, Alvara. Talk it over. Cast your visions of the future, feel out what’s coming. And call me when you’re ready to serve the alliance.”
“Go to hell.”
He shrugged, “The offer stands. For now. I’ll have to get…more creative, if, like a petulant child, you can’t be reasoned with.”
I backed a few paces away, refusing to drop that dark gaze, and jumped home to Grayshell.
FIFTY-NINE
MELTING
ALVARA
When I arrived, August was lying on the grand table, one hand lazily supporting the back of his head, the other extended in front of him, wiggling almost as though he played invisible keys. He wore a long sleeve white shirt and grey sweatpants. His chiseled abdomen peeked between the two, and I bit my lip, admiring how sexy he was when he was relaxed. Watery dawn light trickled down from the towering windows behind him.
Above his outstretched hand glittered a spiraling tower of sparkling snowflakes. I couldn’t sense his energy, sense his thoughts through the shield he’d built around himself, but he turned his gaze to me. The flakes melted together to create a horse made of water, and with a flick of his wrist, the great stallion galloped away, making a loop around the room before misting away into a flurry of snow against the stone wall.
“Beautiful, this magic…this place.” His words were quiet, but not weak. He sat up a bit, propping himself on his elbows. A muscle feathered in his jaw, and then he took a prolonged, breath, blowing it out through his nose. “Did you get anywhere? With Adrastos?”
I let out a long breath of my own. “How did you know?”
A wry smile, and he tapped his chest with a wide palm, right over his heart. “It was like…a tug, in my core. Like…you needed me, somehow. I used to get milder tugs like that—but I just figured it was a sire-offspring thing. Didn’t realize it was some supernal, soulmate bond. But it was there again, pulling me towards you. Only, I didn’t know where you’d gone. I assumed as much, but hoped I was wrong. Of course, I wasn’t. You’re…well…you.” He sighed deeply. “I’m glad you’re home safe.”
“I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“You can wake me up, you know? If you need to run off to challenge our enemies, I’d like to be there.”
“I’m afraid…to hand you to him on a platter, when you’re all he wants.”
August’s expression softened. “You know, you can’t run off into danger, and expect me to sit on my hands, right?”
