Chapter 16

16

“ I found where Azim hangs out,” Sabre informed Mikhail just twenty-four hours later.

They were again in his private quarters because until he revealed himself, he couldn’t move freely around his own palace. Plus, there was the matter of a hellbitch nesting in his living room.

Sabre grinned, rubbing the round tummy of the lovely, dark female hellhound. Styx was currently out hunting for his lady with Brax in the forest. Brax had taken the news of impending hellpups well—after scolding an unrepentant Styx—and was now doing everything he could to ensure the mystery female was happy and healthy. That included informing his brother that Styx and his mate would be staying in the remains of his lounge for the foreseeable future. Mikhail had put up a token protest but allowed it.

The easy compliance worried Sabre a little. The old Mikhail would have told Brax where he could shove a pre-labouring hound—in the nicest way possible. She was concerned that his entire identity had been shattered when he became Hound, and he was now struggling to pick up the pieces. Although, she was pleased to see how he was handling Jinx. The pair were still being stubborn, but she could see the cracks. In Mikhail, at least. His jealous reactions to Eric and Dendey had been inspiring. As far as she was concerned, her plan was working perfectly.

“That was fast,” Mikhail said, looking up from his book.

It was the same book Eric and Jinx had discovered. They’d all read it multiple times now, but Mikhail insisted on reading it again in case he missed something. He hadn’t. They hadn’t, Sabre knew. But she left him to it, for now.

“Yeah. Gage found him. He’s a frequent flyer at The Howling Moon,” she disclosed. “If you promise not to go anywhere without me, I’ll head over there and beat some answers out of him.”

“The Howling Moon is a dive,” Mikhail said, scrunching his nose up. “And I promise to stay here like a good little demon until you return. Brax will be back with some slaughtered animal soon anyway. Hopefully, I can prevent him from tossing it directly onto my priceless rugs this time.”

“Pregnant critters need sustenance,” Sabre pointed out, massaging the hound's pointy ears. “And The Howling Moon is more mid-level dive. Piece of cake.”

Mikhail grunted, setting the heavy tome aside. “Maybe Mercy would like to go?”

“Mercy?” Sabre frowned. “You think I need a torturer to accompany me? I haven’t gone soft just because I’m banging your brother.”

Mikhail winced. “Why do you feel the need to keep reminding me of that every hour? It gives me the icks. I know you are more than capable of torturing information out of someone,” he continued. “But you mentioned Mercy needed a job now that Carlisle’s dead.”

Sabre didn’t understand where the conversation was heading. “And you want him to be my partner or something?”

“I was thinking more like Royal Interrogator,” Mikhail revealed. “You know, since your actual title is Guardian and not Assassin.”

Sabre stood up very slowly. “You don’t want me to be an assassin anymore?”

Mikhail looked at her askance. “You still want to be an assassin?”

Sabre kept her mouth carefully shut, telling herself to think before she reacted. Mikhail wasn’t himself. And though she was more herself than she had ever been, they had yet to discover how to be themselves together . “I am an assassin, Mikhail. That isn’t going to change just because you’re back.”

Mikhail stared at her for a few charged seconds before jumping to his feet. “Damnit, I keep fucking up, don’t I?” He paced away in agitation. “I feel like I can’t get a single thing right since being back.”

Sabre watched him with a mix of concern and exasperation. “Navigating the challenges of re-entering society after faking your own death is a lot,” she told him calmly. “You just need to get your groove back, that's all.”

“What if I can't?” Mikhail’s voice cracked with frustration and self-doubt.

“Since when do you use words like can't ?” Sabre countered, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Since I faked my own death and was unable to solve the mystery of who was killing my family,” Mikhail retorted, his frustration boiling over. “Since I failed.”

“Wait, is this an ego thing? You’ve never cared about who has the biggest dick before, Mikhail.”

“I’ve never had anything to prove before, have I?” Mikhail retorted angrily. “I was handed everything on a silver platter.”

Sabre took a deep breath, knowing that she needed to help him see past his pride and return to being the brilliant king she knew he was. “Okay. I’ll give you a minute. One minute to have a panic attack. You’ve earned it. Then I’m going to crack you like a glowstick. You weren’t born first just so you could turn into a weak-arse bitch.” She shooed him with her hands. “Go ahead. I’m timing you.”

It probably wasn’t the sensitive guidance Draven would have bestowed upon his charge, but it was the best she could do. Mikhail stared at her for a moment, his green eyes flashing with fire. His hands opened and closed in tight fists, and his lower fangs poked his upper lip. That’s my boy, Sabre thought. Get mad.

“What? No panic attack?” she goaded. “Want to go straight for the cracking?”

For a tense minute, she thought he was going to take her up on it, but in the end, he shook his head, flashing her a toothy grin. “I’m not that stupid. I have no desire for a broken back today. But thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Seriously, Mikhail, you weren’t handed anything. You worked your butt off to become the best king you possibly can be. You and I were handed a raw deal—destined for something bigger and more important than just ourselves. I’ll be fucked if I know why, but I do know one thing; you can do this. You will triumph. And I’ll be here to witness it.”

Mikhail strode over and pulled her into his arms. “Thank the Heavens for you, Sabre.” He squeezed her extra hard, talking into her hair. “I just feel like everything is falling apart.”

“It’s not falling apart, Mikhail,” she told him, hugging him back. “It’s falling into place.”

Mikhail squeezed her one last time before setting her loose. “Into place, huh?”

“You bet,” Sabre confirmed confidently. “Just like one of those things with all the pieces that you have to fit together in a particular order to see the bigger picture.”

Mikhail laughed. “Do you mean a jigsaw puzzle?”

“Whatever.” Sabre shrugged, happy to see him laughing, even at her expense. “Now, I’m off to gather intel about this supposed uprising. Play with the hounds.”