Chapter 13 #2
The Lord’s nostrils flared. A flash of gold streaked through his eyes. “Miss Quinn,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’d appreciate it if you elaborated on your statement.”
“Which one?” I asked sweetly.
Rowan choked and tried to cover it up with a cough.
Ethan rose, his face flame red with rage. I kept my seat, readying my magic for a strike if he came toward me. “I could kill you right now and no one would be the wiser.”
We stared at each other, gold flaring in his slightly crazed eyes. “You could try. But I promise you won’t find it as easy as you assume it might be.” Vines crawled from my skin and slid across the floor, a new aspect of my power I’d been messing around with when I had time.
These vines were not normal. Poison dripped and hissed when it hit the ground, destroying the carpet as they slid ever closer to the Lords.
Rowan was the only one who wasn’t watching the vines.
A curious expression had taken over his face, and I knew the man well enough to know he was wondering if he could do the same thing.
The soft shhhh of the vines was the only sound in the room. I stopped them an inch from his foot. “I am not yours to command, Lord. Treat me like an equal or I will walk out of here.”
“We are in command of all the paranormals in this country!” Ethan shouted. “You have been nothing but a—” Thorvin reached over and put his hand on Ethan’s arm, silencing him.
I stood. “A pain in the ass? A menace?” I shrugged.
“Had you ever heard of me before this year? Had I ever done anything to stand out or gain power? I’d been in Caelan’s territory for seven years before you started poking your nose into my business.
This is your final warning. Leave me be or you will have me as an enemy. ”
Ethan’s eyes flicked to the dripping vines. When he lifted his gaze, a chill walked down my spine. I’d always thought his eyes looked lifeless, but right now they held the chill of the grave. “You wish to make an enemy out of all of us?”
“You’re the only one who’s threatened my life.”
Ben sighed loudly. “Evie, please withdraw your…”
“Super awesome vines?” Rowan supplied when Ben floundered.
“Poisonous weapons,” Ben said.
“When Lord Ethan stops being a dick, I’ll put my plants away.”
I could almost hear Ben’s teeth grinding.
“You are not helping,” Ben whispered to Rowan.
“She’s right.” Rowan didn’t bother to whisper back. “We’ve antagonized her for months now when we usually stay out of another Lord’s business.”
“She’s here to answer questions about Donovan,” Ben snapped.
“Then let’s all shut the fuck up and let her do that,” Rowan said, his eyes rolling with gold. I’d never seen Rowan truly pissed off before. His jaw turned to granite and claws had slid from his fingertips.
Thorvin rose and leaned over to murmur something low in Ethan’s ear. The other Lord froze before nodding once. He retook his seat, but I remained standing.
“Miss Quinn,” Thorvin said in a placating tone. “We apologize this meeting has turned so…acrimonious. If you’d please take your seat, we can resume.”
“No. I don’t think I will. You have two minutes to ask your questions. After that, you should think twice about summoning me like I’m a common peasant forced to live under your rule.”
Thorvin’s brow rose a hitch, and I waited for someone to leap over the table and go for my throat. Tension strummed tight like a drum before the Lord nodded once.
“Very well. Let’s revisit your comments about Donovan being a traitor.”
“He’d been working with Chimeras for months now.”
Ethan reared back like I slapped him. “Lies,” he hissed.
Thorvin, however, seemed more intrigued than shocked. “You’ve seen this?”
“He showed up to Caelan’s Keep with the one who usurped and killed your other Lord and another Chimera named Rhona.”
The Lords turned to confer quietly amongst themselves.
Rowan was the first to withdraw. “Did you have anything to do with his death?”
“Sadly, no.”
Rowan let out a bark of laughter. “You disliked the Lord, then?”
“So far I dislike everyone here but you, Lord Rowan.”
He grinned. “I’m apt to agree with you. Our behavior toward you today is appalling. Please accept my deepest apologies.”
I inclined my head. “You can make it up to me by bringing me some more of those wonderful apples from your territory.”
Rowan winked. “I’d be happy to as long as you give me one of those flytraps.”
“Only for you, Lord Rowan.”
“You are sleeping with two Lords?” Ethan snapped. “Typical.”
A red haze obscured my vision. The floor rumbled under my feet.
Regular, thick vines, green with new growth, snapped from the ground underneath Ethan, tossing him off his feet with a startled yelp.
It took every ounce of willpower I had not to pop him with those poisonous vines.
With a wiggle of my finger, they wrapped around his knees and ankles before he could react, and lifted him into the sky, dumping him upside down.
He hung from his ankles, swearing up a blue streak. The other Lords had dived from the table. Everyone except for Rowan who let out a heavy sigh.
“I’ll give it to you, Evie. You do have style.” He rubbed a hand over his face and let out a short laugh.
“Release me,” Ethan snarled, struggling against the green vines. For every one he slashed with a wicked sharp claw, two more took its place.
“Sluts don’t take instruction well,” I said, my eyes wide with innocence. “We’re too driven by the pulse of our overactive loins.”
Soren, who’d been suspiciously quiet, strode over to me. I watched him warily. He wasn’t an enemy, though I was worried about his fascination with Moira and how it might upset her life.
He held his hands up. “I just want to talk.”
“We can talk without you getting any closer.”
“Privately.”
“If you try anything funny, I won’t promise I won’t poison you.”
“Consider me duly warned.”
Soren kept walking until he was less than a foot away. Like all the Lords, Soren was tall and built for violence. His eyes, a startling blue, held mine. “Ethan is not a good man to make an enemy of,” he said in a voice meant for my ears only.
“And you think I am?”
“Caelan’s fascination with you is well warranted,” he said with an incline of his head. “He’s never gone for weak women.”
The words felt like a punch to my gut. Everyone had a past, but I likened myself to an ostrich. If I buried my head in the sand far enough, maybe I wouldn’t have to hear about it. “What will it take for you fuckers to leave me alone?”
Soren snorted. “You need to ally yourself with one of the Lords.”
“I already am.” Ethan was still trying to escape, so I commanded the vines to shake him a few times, not enough to hurt him, just to rattle his skull a bit.
The Lord’s snarling dialogue was a lullaby to my soul.
“No,” Soren said softly. “It’s not enough to sleep with him or occasionally allow Caelan to come into your life when you see fit.”
I stared at him. “You think I should marry him.” What was up with these misogynistic pricks trying to marry me off? “It’s not the 1800s.”
“Caelan has already told you why it’s in your best interest to tie yourself to him. He’s not a stupid man.”
“And what about me?” I asked. “Where’s my choice?”
“You are a threat.”
Could I punch some sense into Soren or was I bound to repeat the same thing for eternity? “And I wouldn’t be if you left me alone.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that.”
“Well it should,” I snapped. “I’m no one’s plaything.”
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, raising my voice to carry over Ethan’s commotion.
“Donovan died because he fucked around and found out. I had nothing to do with his death, but the Lord was justified in his use of force. It was either him or Donovan, and the world is a better place without that piece of shit in it. Do not summon me again.”
I turned to walk out.
“Um. Evie?” Rowan called.
I stopped and turned.
“Do you mind?” He pointed at Ethan still struggling. “I think he’s close to passing out.”
My eyes narrowed. “I’ll cut him down in a few minutes.”
Soren snorted.
The doors slammed open, revealing Caelan. His golden gaze swept over the room, landed on me for a brief second before moving onto the Lords. When he spotted Ethan, his lips twitched. “I see you have things well under control.”
I shrugged. “This is the last warning they’ll receive from me.”
One of Caelan’s eyebrows tipped up. “Good to know.”
I passed by. Caelan snagged me around the waist, his hand curving over my hip. “You look so fucking sexy when you’re being violent.”
Before I could respond, he pressed a hard, possessive kiss to my lips.
I blinked and brought his face down for one more, with the Lord happy to oblige.
“I’ve pissed them off,” I whispered. “Ethan is a dickhead.” I dragged my fingers through his dark hair, cherishing the feel of his silky tresses against my skin.
“What did he do?” His words were a rumble of fury.
Telling him might mean Ethan wouldn’t walk out of here alive. “Don’t worry about it. I took care of him.”
The side of his lips tipped up. “I can see that. Anything else I need to know?”
“I told them Donovan deserved it.”
Caelan’s laugh made me smile.
“Rowan is supposed to bring me some apples.”
“I’ll ensure he keeps his promise.” One more kiss and he let me go. “Can I come by tonight?”
I nodded. “Good luck.”
Caelan eyed the table one more time. The Lords were reassembling in their seats, pointedly ignoring Ethan’s plight. Not a single one of them tried to cut him down. “Do you think you should free him?”
“In a little while.”
Caelan nodded. “As you wish. Cain is in the front waiting for you.”
“Thanks.”
He winked at me and strode forward. “Gentleman. I hope this won’t take long.”
I walked out, ready to get on with my day. If they came around again, I had no plans to waste my time trying to reason with any of them.
As far as I was concerned, any business I might have with the Council was concluded.
I strode through the hotel lobby, ignoring the people still staring at my flower strewn hair. Cain was already by the passenger door holding it open for me.
I slid in with a murmured thanks.
As we drove away, I cut the magic holding Ethan aloft and smiled.