CHAPTER 10 #6
“The resistance needs your support,” Sera said quietly. “The oligarchs are threatening to cut off all medical supplies to our human population.”
“That is for your sector to work out—”
“And by work out, you mean the fae are fine staying neutral when most of the food you grow goes to supply the wolf shifters, and you ration what you give our sector, knowing the oligarchs take most of it for themselves anyway.”
“It was determined that when we provided more food, which we did for a time, it was not making it to the populations that most needed it, but in fact was being taken by the corrupt individuals who control your sector and used to further exploit your workers, widening the gap between your ruling class and those who flee your sectors for our border on a daily basis.”
“You left us to starve. And you don’t seem to care that more people die every day.” Sera glared up at him. “How can you be so cruel?”
“You’re very young, Serafina,” Finneas said quietly.
“We don’t consider it our place to insert ourselves into conflicts that don’t concern us, nor to monitor a society’s internal politics.
The fae are a very old race. We’ve seen many human civilizations rise and fall.
Vampiric society is experiencing similar growing pains at the moment as you seek to define what sort of values you want to uphold.
In this matter, you will have to make your own way. ”
“And what of the innocents who can’t leave the sector? They’re the ones who will pay the price,” she shot back. “Women and children. The elderly and disabled… don’t you even care?”
“Sera,” Alex interjected quietly. “Let’s go. We got what we came for.”
But Finneas stepped forward, into Sera’s space. “I care. But why should I send my people to die in your wars when you and your brother won’t even stand up to your own father?”
“That’s not fair,” she said through gritted teeth. “You think we haven’t tried?”
“Have you?”
“My father can’t be touched. He’s too powerful.”
“Is that so?” Finneas considered her for a moment. “I’ve always been curious. When did you first start wearing those gloves?”
Sera’s eyes widened. She took a halting step back.
“Not when you were a child, I should think. I’ve seen pictures. This is a rather recent development.”
“Please,” she said quietly, and Dani could see tears shimmering in her eyes. “Don’t.”
“Lie to everyone else in your life if you wish, Serafina. But you’re na?ve if you think I don’t know that you’ve been holding back all this time.
” He leaned in, and Sera held up a gloved hand inches from his chest as if to stop him.
They all saw the way her fingers stopped short, then began to shake.
His expression was sad, as if it confirmed something.
“You think I can’t sense how powerful you are, couldn’t feel it from the first time we met? ”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” He lowered his voice, the words laced with warning. “I say this, not to hurt you, but because I believe you’re in danger. I can feel your power radiating from you every time you lose control and lash out at me. And if I’ve figured it out, soon your father will, too.”
“Fuck you, Finneas,” Sera whispered.
He lifted a single finger to trace the line of her jaw.
“I think we established at our engagement dinner that you aren’t interested in using me in that particular manner.
A pity, that. But by all means, if you’ve grown bored of that insipid vampire bodyguard who couldn’t fumble his way under your dress despite you dragging him into every coat closet you passed—”
The sound of the slap seemed to echo forever in the quiet mountain sanctuary. In the silence that followed, Dani could hear the blood roaring in her ears, the faint whisper of water rushing over rocks, and Alex swallowing beside her as he shifted in place, clearly undecided if he should intervene.
For his part, Finneas did not retreat. He and Sera stood very close, both breathing hard, neither moving away. With a pang of regret, Dani noted how much obvious unresolved yearning there was there, under all the anger.
“He died,” Sera whispered. “My father had him killed and it was my fault.”
Something in Finneas’ expression changed. But before he could speak, Sera went on, voice cold.
“And I will fuck every man in ten sectors before I will ever, ever deign to sleep with you.”
She turned to go.
“Sera,” he said. “Wait.”
Eyes narrowed, she slowed.
Finneas lowered his head. “There have been fae disappearing close to our borders.”
Alex exchanged a look with his sister. “We don’t know anything about that.”
“I didn’t expect that you would. My intelligence sources haven’t been able to learn anything either. It’s almost a dozen now who’ve gone missing.”
“It’s probably the werewolves abducting your people just as they take ours,” Alex said.
“Possibly. Except the sirens haven’t gone off at the fence where we’ve marked them taken.”
“I can’t promise anything, but we’ll look into it.”
Finneas nodded, flicking one last look in Sera’s direction, even as she refused to meet his gaze. “Get me an answer on that, and we’ll talk.”