CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
One of the males stepped forward. Aurora could only see a grin under his hood, the shadow cast from the strange lighting above them hiding everything else, “Look who finally decided to come home. It’s good to see you again, brother.”
“When I abandoned the Guild, I thought I was sure to lose that title.” Eli didn’t move. His tone was unreadable.
The male removed his hood, revealing a pale complexion. His burgundy hair fell in silken sheets to his shoulders, a dead giveaway he was from the Autumn Quartaine. His eyes, however, shined with gold at the irises, a contrast to his hair. Colors Aurora had never seen together. She had never actually seen anyone with gold eyes.
Aurora knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help it. She thought back to the male named Asher and how breathtakingly beautiful he was. Now this male before her. Her mind fritzed as she found herself wondering if it was a prerequisite in the Guild that all members had to be good looking.
He stepped closer to Eli, but in response, Eli stepped back, forcing Aurora to do the same. He continued to shield her from them.
“Nothing will change that bond. I hope you will always think of me the same way.” His golden eyes moved past Eli to settle on Aurora. She couldn’t resist peeking around Eli’s shoulder. “Who is this beauty?”
“Khyro, meet Aurora. Aurora, this is Khyro. We grew up here together.” Eli introduced them, his tone of voice now casual.
Khyro dipped his chin, “Khyro Hak at your service,” he said, winking. Aurora had to fight to keep her face neutral. She could already tell it would be easy to let her walls fall and smile around him.
His eyes danced with curiosity, “So strange...you know, if you told me she was your daughter, I would believe you.”
“But you know that is not true?” Eli asked.
Sympathy and grief passed over Khyro’s handsome face, “I think we both know the answer to that, not after–” he stopped abruptly, he shook his head with a slight grimace, and just as Eli had on No Man’s Land, he appeared to put walls up. “Anyway, I am glad you’re back. We can catch up later, yes? For now, the inner circle is ready for you, and you know it is best not to keep them waiting.”
Eli tensed, “You”re a member of the inner circle. Can’t you convince the rest to let Aurora and I get settled at least? We did come a long way after all,” he said, his voice gravelly. He gestured to his clothes. They were filthy and caked with blood.
“At any other time, the answer would be yes, but hiding from the Guild for almost fifteen years thinned what little patience they already possessed,” Khyro responded.
“Enough talk; we’re going.” The second male stepped forward and removed his hood. His warm skin glowed from the soft overhead lighting.
She tried not to react openly to the deep scar that ran through one of his brows. Long ebony hair hung to the middle of his back, and thin braids decorated some of the strands. A custom many in Summer practiced.
His narrowed gaze made her hackles rise.
Everything about the male screamed, stay away. If the dark energy surrounding him didn’t warn a person that this male was trouble, then the large blade that hung at his hip would. Held in a sheath, the hilt was decorated with dark leather. Nothing glitzy or telling about it other than it was there for function rather than decoration. Somehow it made the weapon more intimidating.
Khyro chuckled quietly, “Gods, Silas, always so blunt and serious. You need to get laid, man. Loosen up a little.”
Silas didn’t react, nor did he say anything, as he glanced between the two males, an unspoken demand loud and clear.
Eli sighed and murmured, “It’s better to get this over with. I’ve been running long enough.” Turning to Aurora, he lightly draped his arm over her shoulders. “Stay close to me,” he said, only for her to hear as he guided her forward.
Eli didn’t need Khyro or Silas to show them where to go. Instead, he led the way through hallways and down staircases. Lower and lower, they traveled into the belly of the Guild.
By the time they reached a large wooden door at the end of a hallway, Aurora had lost track of how far down they had traveled. It had been silent in the hallways as they made their way to meet with the inner circle, whoever they were. Passed a few times by others, though, for the most part, ignored.
It didn’t take long for something to dawn on Aurora as she walked at Eli’s side. After the encounter with Asher, then the limited interaction she’d had with others since arriving, she realized she had only seen a handful of females. The fae she had passed in the training facility were mostly males. Male trainers and male Guild members.
She would only need the digits of her two hands to count the number of females she had seen since arriving. Strange.
Any fae who passed by were quiet, not bothering to acknowledge her. They did, however, glance at Eli, a mix of surprise and awe on their faces. Aurora smiled a little with pride as their steps faulted, their shoulders tensing when they recognized him. She couldn’t see their faces other than the young fae they had first met. All the others they met or passed either wore a hood that hid their faces in shadow or a cloth mask that covered their faces from just below their eyes. Some even used both, completely hiding their identities.
Aurora noted that after each male got past their surprise when passing Eli, they nodded to both Khyro and Silas out of respect, then quickly continued down the hall. Their dark clothing helped them to blend into the shadows as they slipped away in the opposite direction. They were all armed to the teeth with weapons, and she had no doubt many more were hidden from view too. They were obviously heading out on an assignment of some kind.
Eli stopped in front of the dark oak door. He slammed his fist against the solid wood three times. After a moment, the door slowly opened to reveal a tall figure cloaked in shadow. The male had an aura of silence to him that made Aurora feel uneasy. When he stepped back, letting them walk into the room, she stepped closer to Eli.
Khyro and Silas stepped up behind them, giving them no room to back away.
Warm light filled the open space from the various lanterns that hung on the walls or sat on various surfaces. Intricate wood pillars bent gracefully into arches on the sides of the room. The most beautifully decorated table, surely meant for meetings, took up space in the center. A large rug, warm shades of reds and oranges, lay on the floor beneath it.
In front of it, an assortment of couches and armchairs arranged in the center of the room. On the wall just beside the door hung a tapestry with a symbol.
Two daggers crossed each other vertically, a rope wrapped around the hilt of the daggers. A tight knot held them together, not letting them stray.
The Guild”s symbol, Aurora realized.
The decor of the room was welcoming, if a little extravagant for an underground hideout, but it was cozy nonetheless.
The tall male, who had let them into the room, crossed the rug and stopped by a hooded figure who sat at the other end of the large table with their feet up and arms crossed lazily across their chest. He leaned over, whispering something into their ear.
Khyro closed the door; the soft snick of the lock sliding into place was the only sound that filled the room. Like pieces on a chess board, each person within the room took up a space. He was no exception. The male moved to the far side of the room to lean against the wall, his face a mask of neutrality. The humor that had danced behind those golden eyes moments before had now vanished. Aurora watched his movements, studying how the male held his body.
Silas led both Aurora and Eli forward. They drew closer to the unknown figure at the table, pulling her gaze from the redheaded male. Her curiosity was triggered, and as she glanced at all in the room, she came to a conclusion that seeing as the person before her was the only one seated, they must be the leader of the group gathered. Their body language dripped with dominance over all the males gathered.
Silas’ deep voice sounded from behind them as they reached the table, “Sit across from each other.” His words were no suggestion, a demand. Then he too took a place as he rested against a wooden pillar, his arms crossed over his chest, and his dark gaze watched them where they stood.
Eli guided Aurora to a chair and then moved to sit across from her as instructed. He set their packs on the table, the action creating a muffled, dull thud. He didn’t look at the two new figures in the room. He refused to shift his eyes to them.
He simply stared forward, eyes on Aurora.
The hooded male, the one who had opened the door to them, hadn’t moved. He stood at the side of the seated figure. Aurora couldn’t put a finger on it, but there was something about them. Something almost feminine. Her breathing hitched slightly at the realization.
Once satisfied Aurora and Eli were seated where they wanted them, and didn’t look like they would be moving, the male squeezed the hooded figure’s shoulder before taking position behind them. He leaned back against the wall, the shadows partially hiding him as he removed his hood still his face was hidden.
Aurora’s eyes widened at a realization.
It was Atlas, the male who had come to her and Eli’s home with Mikhai. She could tell by the way he held his body when he was relaxed. The twin blades on his hips were also a major tell of who stood in the shadows.
Aurora pushed down her fear and anxiety. She refused to let them see her how she felt, Aurora made eye contact with those she could. She looked around the room sizing each of them up, as she studied the people and the room they were in, she tucked everything she saw into memory.
She wanted to appear confident, self-assured rather than the gut filled anxiety she was currently fighting.
Her gaze slipped over each person, then settled on the figure at the head of the table. Aurora watched them, as they seemed to assess both her and Eli from underneath the cover of their hood.
A few moments of silence passed before they finally moved to peel their hood back to reveal their face.
A female.
One of the few females she had seen since their arrival.
Air caught in Aurora’s throat as she watched her. The female was breathtakingly beautiful. Her gray almost blue eyes sparkled as they swept lazily from Aurora to Eli. Her face, so perfect, it was as if it had been personally sculpted by the gods. Unblemished pale, ivory skin, a slim perfect nose, plump full lips, and feline looking almond-shaped eyes with flawlessly arched brows. She wasn’t fae, not completely. She had the arched ears that all fae had and yet there was something else about the female. She was different.
Soft waves of chocolate brown hair flowed just above her ribcage. The look of someone who must have come from the Winter Quartaine.
Aurora suddenly wondered what her story was, was she like the rest? Initiated at a very young age, probably because she was an orphan? How hard did she have to fight when climbing up the ranks? How did she eventually become the Guild’s leader?
She looked no older than being in her mid two hundred’s. Young in fae terms.
The way she looked, it would be hardly surprising if the female used her beauty to her benefit.
“We’ve missed you, Eli.” Her voice was smooth and sultry, it reminded Aurora of honey, slightly sweet and sticky. All the female’s attention was focused on Eli.
“I can’t say the same, Violet,” Eli responded, finally shifting his gaze to her. His soft, sage green eyes filled with more violence than Aurora had ever seen in them.
“That hurts my feelings. I thought we were closer than that. I thought we were family.”
Eli let out a humorless laugh. “You missed your assassin, and that’s it.”
Violet moved slowly, the epitome of feline grace as her feet slipped off of the table. She leaned forward, resting her elbows against the wood, clasping her hands together in front of her. Her assessing gaze shifted to Aurora again, trailing from her brown hair, to her green eyes, then to her filthy clothes.
“This child is the reason you abandoned us and risked everything? You know, I had a bad feeling when you didn’t return home. But Atlas told me not to worry,” she said, indicating to the male behind her. “He trusted you too much, they all did. But I knew you weren’t coming back.”
Eli’s face was expressionless as he listened to her speak.
Violet sighed over dramatically, she looked at Aurora again, assessing her this time like she was cattle, “You did well at raising her, she looks strong and healthy. Beautiful too.” She tilted her head, her nose flaring slightly, “I can smell the Kolec blood on her, so a good fighter... Excellent.”
Aurora tensed, she was getting sick of them all talking about her as if she was a child. But as she was about to speak up she caught the look in Eli’s eyes, a silent plea for her to remain quiet.
“Do you have its head?” She asked Eli without removing her assessing gaze from Aurora.
Eli nodded, in a blur of movement he stood and gripped his bag from the table. He rifled through the contents before pulling a blood-soaked ball of cloth out. He tossed the bag back upon the table before peeling the material away and with a thud, the head of the Kolec rolled across the table before coming to a stop before Violet.
The female’s gaze dropped to the Kolec’s head, her perfectly painted lips pulled into a feline sneer, “Nasty creatures. Impressive kill, girl.”
Aurora looked to Eli for permission to speak, she wasn’t going to risk acting on her own. She was smarter than that. Eli simply nodded.
“Thank you.” Her voice was quiet but not weak.
Violet looked between Aurora and Eli again, “She’s so obedient.” A feline smirk to match her eyes grew on her lips.
“Just wait until she gets comfortable,” Eli said, a small smile began pulling on his corner of his mouth.
Aurora”s stomach twisted. What did he mean? She didn’t want to get comfortable. She wanted to bargain for Eli’s release, offer to pay whatever they had to so they could return home.
“So she’s a feisty one?” Violet asked as she stood.
The male behind her, Atlas, straightened, his posture now formal. His relaxed demeanor, now gone. Violet walked around the table and stopped next to Aurora. She leaned in close, her nose brushing the top of her head as she inhaled deeply. Taking a lock of Aurora’s hair, the female began to play with it, looping it around her index finger and with each twist the tug on her roots became painful.
Aurora resisted the urge to reach for her dagger as her eyes shifted to the female’s strong body. She was armed heavily and compared to Aurora’s single dagger, she knew who would win in the fight and who would be dead.
“I still don’t understand why you kept her to yourself for so long, Eli. I trust that you prepared her well, but I still can’t help but feel hurt that you kept her from me.”
The small smile on Eli’s face had been slowly fading as he watched Violet toy with Aurora. His eyes trained on Violet’s fingers as they moved.
“Tell me, girl. Do you know the real reason Eli raised you?”
Aurora resisted the urge to pull away from the cunning female, her eyes springing to Eli’s, her brows drawing as she silently questioned him.
“You ending up with Eli was no accident, he didn’t find you on the side of the road. There was no young mother that came to him, pleading that she couldn”t take care of her child and resulting in Eli taking you in.” Violet huffed, a shallow laugh as she finally stood upright letting go of Aurora’s hair, she began to stalk around the table. All eyes were on Violet as she spoke, Aurora didn’t need to look at them to know. She could sense it, the tension so thick it was almost choking.
Aurora remained quiet, she had often asked Eli how she had come to live with him. He had always changed the subject saying, “The gods brought you into my life and I didn’t question it.”
Not a real answer. Not really.
Violet continued to walk slowly, she began to explain, “I’m sure you know Eli was one of our best assassins, The Phantom, he was and still is called.
“He was always getting assignments or training the newly recruited. Always a busy male. Then one day he was given a new assignment, he was to eliminate a high-ranking couple in the Winter Quartaine’s court. They worked closely with the High Protector and his wife. Close friends apparently, according to talk at the time. According to the client who hired Eli, The High Protector and his wife were too heavily influenced by this couple. His respect for them carried more weight than any other in his court.” She was working up to something, and glancing at Eli, Aurora could tell that whatever Violet was about to reveal was something he had held back from her.
“High Protectors can’t make decisions based on the heart and that is exactly what was happening. Eli had been hired to take the couple out, to kill them and send proof of the lives he ended.” Violet had stopped walking, and now stood behind Eli, her hands resting on his shoulders.
“I admit, I could have rejected the request,” she continued. “I could have waited to see how things played out and sent Eli later. I didn’t take much time to do my own research on the situation, but the amount of coin simply was too good.”
Violet toyed with the neckline of Eli’s tunic, a smile on her lips.
Aurora felt sick as she watched. The way she talked and the way she held herself fortified Aurora’s guess of who was in charge. Aurora could tell that she had power over everyone. Violet was the head of the snake, the person who made all the decisions in the inner circle.
“So, Eli was sent out to the Winter Quartaine, and he assassinated them.” She continued, her voice soft as her gaze drifted over their heads. Her head tilted a little, her nose scrunched as if lost in thought while searching her mind for something. “What were their names again?”
Eli knew what she was doing, already she was working to create a wedge. He watched Aurora, his heart squeezing in his chest as he waited for the penny to drop. A raw sadness in his eyes.
“Jasper and Nora Starling.” His jaw ticked, as the words fell from his mouth, but eyes remained on his Aurora.
“Yes!” Violet exclaimed, she snapped her fingers together as if she had just remembered it, but Violet forgot nothing. This was one of her games. Always the cat who played with the mouse.
“That’s it, how do you remember their names after all these years?” She purred, her fingers lazily trailing over the skin of his neck.
“I remember all their names.” He answered, his shoulders tight.
Violet sighed, her fingers stroking his cheek briefly before moving once more. She continued to make her way around the table, returning once more to her chair.
“You see, Eli was always exceptional at his job. He took out his targets in record time! He quickly rose through the ranks within the Guild and even managed to be put up for consideration by many here to become a member of the inner circle.”
Aurora’s eyes darted from Eli to Violet. Her mind raced as to what the female was implicating. Was this person about to confess to her where she came from when for so long Eli had dodged that exact question?
“Everything went right to plan...Until you.” Her weighted gaze levied at Aurora, her beautiful face in an unrestrained sneer.
Aurora’s eyebrows scrunched together, “Me? What does this have to do with me?” She tried to reign in the turmoil raging inside. The pieces were snapping into place slowly, but they made no sense.
Violet sighed deeply, giving Aurora an irritated glare, as if she was annoyed that Aurora hadn’t put it together yet. “We weren’t aware they had a child. They had somehow hidden her from my assassins. I hated having to punish my spies for missing that important tidbit of information. You see, credit where credit is due, the Starling’s were smart, they kept the birth of their child a secret. Being so close to the High Protector probably helped, smart of them.”
Aurora’s mind raced, “I don’t understand.”
Violet flopped down into her seat once more and leaned forward, her head tilting, eyes narrowing, “Oh, come on now! I know it’s a lot to take in, but surely you have the brains to work it out?” Violet let out an exaggerated sigh. “To make things simple, I will spell it out. You are that child. Eli killed your parents and upon his exit he happened across you. Their sole heir, their little hidden bundle of joy. You sweet girl are a member of the Winter Quartaine.”
Eli couldn’t breathe, the pain of what he had done had weighed heavily on his soul for so long. He had taken something from her that was irreplaceable. But as much as it pained him to watch as the poisonous words fell from Violet’s mouth, his eyes remained on the young female he had raised as his own. At first it was out of guilt, then as time moved on that guilt buried itself deep in him to be plastered over with love.
Aurora didn’t move, and for a brief moment while Violet’s words sank in, she didn’t react. Her eyes cast down, trained on their bags in the middle of the table.
But as Eli watched, his heart breaking, he could see the moment it registered, the moment she realized the heinous act he had carried out that had robbed her of a family.
Pain, grief, and confusion washed over her. No mask in place, too shocked to attempt one. Her eyes snapped up to Violet’s, ready to call her bluff, not ready to believe it. Wanting to deny it, tell her Eli would never do that, not to her. But when her gaze darted to Eli, seeking reassurance that the female was lying, the pain and sorrow she saw stole her breath. Raising a hand to her chest, she rubbed it as pain lashed it. His eyes told her the truth, it was finally out.
She knew the venom falling from her lips was true, every word, it was all true.
It was watching the trust Aurora held in him shatter that struck the final blow shattering his own heart. He knew this was the moment he would lose her. She would never be his Aurora again. Violet was taking that close bond and was shredding it with her claws.
He rested his arms on the table, no point trying to justify the role he had played in making her an orphan. Having finally taken from him the only good thing, other than Asher, the Guild and more specifically Violet, had killed the last good piece of his soul. For the first time since taking a seat at the table his shoulders drooped, his chin met his chest in shame.
He refused to look at Aurora. He couldn’t, because he was afraid to. He wanted to avoid seeing the look of disgust and pain he knew was etched on her beautiful face.
“How did I come to live with Eli then?”
After taking a few steadying breaths Aurora composed herself. This hateful female may have spoken the truth, but she hadn’t done it for any reason other than to hurt Eli, and to cause Aurora pain. She felt that almost unbearable pain, but she would be damned if she would give her the satisfaction of showing it.
“It took us some time to figure it out. You see, the problem with our most valued asset disappearing is he knew how to hide, we had trained him too well. Even poor Asher couldn’t find him.”
Hearing Asher’s name caused Eli to flinch. The action, though small, was enough to draw Aurora’s attention. She didn’t turn to look at him, she couldn’t, but she noted how he appeared less than he had when they had first entered. Smaller, less imposing and had she not witnessed it herself she would have questioned that the male before her was indeed Eli, the male she had loved like a father.
“It wasn’t until a couple years had passed that we learned of the existence of a child belonging to the Starling’s. I was disappointed to discover that Eli didn’t kill you as he should have when he discovered you.”
Violet’s teeth caught the corner of her lip, looking innocent and regretful as she briefly turned her attention from Aurora to him. “Something that will have to be punished by the way Eli, my love.”
Violet sighed as Eli refused to look at her, she continued on. Her eyes still on the male sitting opposite Aurora, “He had left you in the care of another male. Nico Cadman, was it?”
He never spoke, he couldn’t make the words come out so he simply nodded.
“You lived with the male for a time, but for whatever reason, one I still haven’t worked out, Eli took you from him. It was then he slipped away from us. Very sneaky how he did it too. He had taken a job, carried it out in record time, might I add, then sent the proof via a drop location and never returned. Eli took it upon himself to raise you. Hiding you and himself for the past twelve years. Completely abandoning everyone in the Guild, Asher specifically.” She cast a false smile in Eli’s direction, “I hear you ran into him when you arrived. I am sure that went just swingingly, he has been waiting a long time to see you Eli.”
Heat flushed through Aurora’s body as anger boiled.
The male’s name kept being raised, indicating a closeness to Eli; she couldn”t help the jealousy slowly growing in her stomach at the mention of his name. She hadn’t had time to wonder how close the two males had been, but his reaction to Eli’s return now made sense. As much as she wanted to lash out, question the man across from her, she remained silent. As mad as she was she would not act on it, not in front of them. And in truth, she didn’t know what she would say. She desperately wanted her emotions to be known, let go of her hold on them.
Looking at the dejected male, once the epitome of all that was good in her world, she knew if she did he would not defend himself.
Violet watched Aurora, her heavily lined eyes full of mischief. They reminded Aurora of Mikhai.
“Oh! You didn’t know, did you? Oh you poor dear, tsk tsk Eli keeping such things from poor Aurora. Now I feel it’s my duty to explain seeing as you haven’t. Asher was the first child Eli took under his wing. His first stray he brought home for him to play with and teach little tricks to.”
“Violet...” Eli’s voice was gravely, quiet, but Aurora couldn’t look at him as the venomous female continued. It was obvious to Aurora this was part of Eli’s punishment.
“They were very close.” Lifting her hand she turned it to inspect her nails, looking bored as she continued, “One could look at them and see how much Asher looked up to Eli, cute really in a sickening way. He molded himself into a male his mentor would be proud of, like a youngling wanting to please their parent. I guess Eli was a father figure to him or something close to that, as he too had been an orphan, though his circumstances were not because of Eli’s actions, unlike your imposed status.”
Aurora’s stomach rolled as she fought to remain in her seat, struggling to keep up the appearance of cool maturity, even though she was breaking on the inside the more Violet spoke. Dropping her gaze to the grotesque head still oozing blood over the table in front of the venomous female. An urge to lash out arose again, to punch something or someone, crashed over her in a violent rage.
Aurora’s hand moved slowly to her dagger. It was so close, secured at her thigh. She wanted nothing more than to cut the sharp, destructive, nasty tongue out of Violet’s head. She could do it, although she doubted she would survive long enough to enjoy the satisfaction of silencing her. As much as she hated it, Eli’s words kept echoing in her mind, “A cool head will always win, Aurora. If your opponent makes you angry, they make you sloppy. You will make mistakes, and those mistakes will cost you your life. Don’t react. Process. Be logical, then act.”
His lessons floated around in her head more than they ever had before.
“Eli, you brute, you truly kept a lot from her, poor child,” Violet drawled, the lilt of the Winter Quartaine lacing her words, making Aurora’s eyes widen slightly.
“Aurora.” Aurora spat, “My name is Aurora.”
She worked with the pain she felt. Took it and used it to fuel the hostility she felt towards the beautiful female. She slowly lifted her gaze until she was looking her square in the eyes. No longer hiding, her eyes blazed, flames of hate burning in them for all to see.
Violet’s own eyes widened slightly, a brief flash of shock that was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Recovering quickly, her bowed lips pulled into a fake smile, her eyes bright with the knowledge she had hit a nerve, something she knew she could use against Eli’s claimed ward, “There’s that fire.”
Atlas stepped forward into the light, Aurora had completely forgotten that anyone else was in the room. His hair was short, cropped tight to the sides and longer on the top of his head. The top of his chocolate brown hair was long enough to touch his eyes, it was messy as if fingers had run through it many times. His golden skin glowed in the warm light of the room.
His cunning, assessing hazel eyes scanned Aurora. His features, sharp and masculine. Aurora knew immediately that he was originally from Spring, she had seen many people look similar to him as they lived in the Quart.
Looking at his features made Aurora long for their cabin, she missed her home.
Atlas’ jaw supported a slight dusting of stubble. He was extremely handsome. Strong brows and a sharp jaw, his nose has a small scar over the bridge, proof of years fighting for the Guild and finally earning a scar even with the speed fae healed. His lips were set in a hard line, Aurora had never seen him smile.
The male was beautiful, not in the same way as the other males in the room. That male had a light of mischief to him. The other male, Silas, drew a shudder down her spine, a darkness surrounded the male. If she were to choose, Silas would be the last male she wanted to interact with.
Atlas had a deathly quiet about him, he watched others rather than speaking his mind. It made him all the more deadly, he was difficult to read.
“I think that’s enough Vi, she should rest,” Atlas said.
His hazel eyes calculated everything. His presence made Aurora uneasy.
“No one here is any fun, everyone is too serious.” She sighed dramatically.
Atlas gave her a pointed look.
“Fine. Khyro, if you wouldn’t mind escorting Eli and Aurora to their room?” She asked, her hand waving them off. Dismissing them and the meeting.
Khyro peeled his body away from the wall and stepped forward.
“I assumed you would want to be in the same room,” Violet said, her eyes softening slightly. “We can’t have you experiencing a breakdown now, can we? Then you are of no use to anyone. So you’ll be rooming with Eli for the time being.”
Khyro walked to Aurora’s side, not touching and yet using his body, he began to herd her towards the door.
“I have a suggestion,” Eli spoke up suddenly, his gaze snagging on Aurora briefly before resting on Violet. “Why doesn’t she room with Asher? She’s new and it would benefit her to have a mentor that’s grown up in the Guild.”
Aurora’s spine straightened, rooming with Asher? The male that looked at her with so much disgust? She would rather sleep outside.
Her eyes shifted to Eli in desperation, she hated the card fate dealt the both of them. What he was suggesting was too much, even with her anger, Eli would be a safety for her. A comfort.
He wasn”t looking back at her but at Violet. But Aurora knew him, recognized that look and just glared at him, hoping he would feel it and cause him to turn and focus on her. He didn’t, but she watched as a small smirk formed on his lips. In a blink of an eye the cold assassin was back.
Violet mirrored his smile, crossing her arms over her chest. “Taking up your place in the Guild again by giving suggestions are we?”
He simply shrugged, “I have a lot to make up for.”
She turned her head and assessed Aurora, “I do have to admit I would love to see your old toy teaching your new one.”
Toy.
Not a person. Not fae. Aurora and Asher were simply toys to the Guild. She wondered if the male was aware of that fact.
Eli didn’t bother to correct her, and Aurora felt resentment build in her chest even as her stomach clenched with fear. Eli’s personality shifts were giving her whiplash. One moment he looked like his old self, then just like now, he was cold and unrecognizable.
Violet clapped her hands together causing Aurora to flinch. “It is decided then. You will be mentored by none other than Asher Rivenshaw.” A light giggle left her lips, “I have nothing but high hopes for you, young Aurora.”
Violet shifted her blue eyes to Khyro; with a barely noticeable nod of her head he took hold of Aurora’s elbow in a soft grasp guiding her towards the door.
Still she glanced around looking for the reassuring presence of Eli. He wasn’t at her side, or behind her. She fought hard as her stomach clenched and bile rose in her throat.
Her eyes rested on the male once she found him again.
He wasn’t following, and he wasn’t watching Aurora as she was being led away. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his back to her as he quietly spoke to Violet. His ward of fifteen years seemingly now forgotten.
A self-satisfied smile tugged on the female”s face, and as Eli turned his attention briefly to Atlas, it only took that brief moment for Violet to glance towards Aurora. Then with a playful wink she engaged once more with the two males.
She had gotten her best assassin back.