Chapter 12

TWELVE

COLLINS

I dragged Bash into that damned alley we used to find her back door, when he made us follow the blue flames —or whatever he said he saw. My anger with him was not dissipating, it was festering and growing like a wildfire.

Focus, Collins.

Yeah, like Bash was focusing on those blue flames in MoVaun’s. What the hell even was that?

DAMMIT, COLLINS. FOCUS.

“ You do not need to drag me like a dog on a leash , ” he snapped.

“You want off the leash? You have to prove you can obey commands.” I dropped his hand, then spun to face him. “Just don’t move for one minute, okay? Can you handle that?”

He snarled.

I pressed my palm to his chest, right over the moonstone, and closed my eyes so I didn’t see his stupid pretty face glaring down at me. This trick required concentration. It took me a minute to calm my pulse enough to focus my magic on his. When I did, the moonstone greeted me with happy energy, like a puppy welcoming me home at the front door.

Hello, my friend, I said to it with a smile and a happy voice. I am so sorry to bother you again, but can you zap him for me?

“So happy I can be your little prop, my love.” Bash put his hands on his hips. “Seems to be the only way to get a smile out of you?—”

“Well, at least you’ve learned your place?—”

“I sure hope you’re not speaking to me like that.”

I gasped and jumped at the sound of Prince Riven’s voice. “Prince Riven? You can hear me?”

I focused myself on the moonstone and then I saw Riven’s face in the stone. My eyes widened. He’d clearly lifted the ring up in front of his face. My pulse skipped beats under his intense glare.

“I did not name you the little whisperer for no reason,” Riven snarled, his voice deep and low. “I’m a Vampire Prince. I can hear your whispers through the stone.”

My jaw dropped. “I didn’t know that?—”

“And I wish I didn’t know whatever teenage petulance you’re enduring.” His face was suddenly closer, like he’d moved his hand near his face. I could now see every eyelash, every varying speckle of blue color in his eyes, and every rumble of the growl he let out. “I do know if you continue to summon me like this, I will retaliate in ways you will not enjoy.”

I swallowed the ball of nerves in my throat. “We found Isolda Ward.”

Riven sighed and rolled his eyes. “I do not want a play-by-play?—”

“Good, I’m not giving you one,” I snapped back. My anger at Bash was really coming in clutch for dealing with self-righteous ancient vampires lately.

“Oh, are you going to threaten me again, petite chuchoteuse?”

“Seems to be the only way to get through to you, so yeah, listen up, old fanger—” I paused when Bash sighed with frustration and shook his head. I glared at him, then turned back to the stone, letting myself see through it to Riven’s face, which was equally as pissed off as my soulmate’s. “We just left MoVaun’s. Either you tell us what we need, or we’ll pay MoVaun’s price and she’ll tell us. You decide.”

“I gave you my answer.”

His other hand reached up to the stone and then the image was moving, going in and out of darkness. When the image cleared again, I watched Riven sit the moonstone ring down on a white marble table, then spin away and storm out of a room, slamming the door behind him.

I flinched and then cursed. Thank you, my friend. I won’t bother you with him anymore. Apologize to his stone for me. The stone gave me one final look at the room Riven stormed out of, then I saw myself. I smiled and nodded, then pulled my hand off Bash’s chest. I sighed and turned away from Bash, trying to prepare myself mentally for what his refusal meant for us.

After a few seconds of silence, I turned to face my soulmate again and crossed my arms over my chest. “What? No snide remark for my failure?”

His pale brow furrowed low over his moonstone eyes. That muscle in his jaw flexed. “Did he threaten you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Would it even matter? The only person not afraid of Riven is Zuriel?—”

“ Did he threaten you? ”

I frowned. “Not specifically, just warned me not to summon him like that again.”

He nodded and pursed his lips, his hands still on his hips. There were words in his eyes that he wasn’t saying, and it reminded me of when he was incapable of speaking. I hated that curse of silence with all of my heart. It had hurt to see him like that. The idea I’d silenced him in any way made my stomach turn.

“What? Just say whatever you’re thinking.”

He licked his lips. “I may be genuinely terrified of Riven, with no shame in admitting that, but that fear would not stop me from defending or protecting you.”

Butterflies danced in my stomach. “Bash?—”

"Anyone touches you or threatens you, I will rip their heads off with my bare hands.”

My eyes widened. “ Bash ?—”

He gripped my forearms that were still crossed over my chest, then dragged me flush against his body. “I love you even when I hate you a little.”

A hot lump of emotion formed in my throat. My eyes burned with tears I did not want to cry. “ Bash, ” I whispered, and my voice cracked.

“I have no idea why we keep attacking each other like this. I have no idea why one second I just want to hold you and the next I want to smother you. It makes no sense.” He leaned down so his face hovered just above mine, then he spoke in a soft voice. “But even when I’m angry with you, it’s because I love you so damn much it’s killing me. It’s because the idea of losing you to another guy or to death paralyzes me in a way I’ve never experienced, and it makes me furious. Trauma does a weird thing to the mind and heart but do not misunderstand where my heart lies.”

I closed my eyes and collapsed into him. His arms wrapped around me instantly. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I groaned. “I’m sorry. I’ve said horrible things to you?—”

“And I to you,” he whispered.

I craned my neck back to look into his eyes. “I do not want Daniel in any romantic or physical way. I had forgotten he existed the moment I saw your shiny silver shoes and those moonstone eyes. I have been yours from the start. The only way you could lose me is in death, and even that is only temporary.”

He sighed so hard his shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry I made you think I didn’t know that. I don’t know . . . I just . . . We have to figure out why we keep turning on each other.”

“It’s stress. It’s the only logical explanation. The sooner we kill your mother, the sooner we get our happily ever after.” Then I remembered Riven’s response and what that meant. “I’m sorry I failed with Riven.”

He pressed his lips to mine for far too short of a moment. When he pulled back, his eyes were soft and his smile was warm. “Riven knew we were going to ask MoVaun. He sent us to Isolda so that we’d end up right here. We don’t know why he’s sent us on this wild goose chase, but there has to be a reason. Riven is too old to play games like this. And Zuriel approved of it. So, you did not fail, my love. We just have to move to the next step.”

My stomach turned. I grimaced. “To Crystal Henge.”

“You’re not going without me.”

I gave him a sideways playful grin. “I better not be, Bastien. ”

He groaned. “Stop calling me that. She calls me that.”

“Some people would turn that into a kink?—”

“ COLLINS. ” His eyes flared and his cheeks flushed.

“Fine, fine. I won’t. To Third Realm we go.” I closed my eyes and shuddered. “Let’s get back to Megelle Island and tell the others the bad news.”