Binding Ties The Sentinel Wars - Shannon K. Butcher Page 0,4
his cock under control.
It took him several seconds to word his response carefully. “I can see why there was concern.”
She muttered under her breath. “Fucking pussy adult humans.”
“Excuse me?”
She glared at him and spoke slowly and clearly. “Fucking. Pussy. Humans. If they don’t want their kids to get eaten, they should pull their heads out of their asses long enough to teach them how to fight. The Synestryn demons aren’t going to stand back while a kid runs off to let mommy kiss his boo-boos. They’re going to tear the meat from his bones and use them for toothpicks.”
The truth of her words only made them that much more appalling. “Is that what you told his parents?”
“Would you rather I have lied?”
Now he was stuck between agreeing with and encouraging her or lying himself. Instead he settled for, “That probably didn’t win you any points for Teacher of the Year.”
“Maybe not, but when I think about the work I do with these kids, I sleep fine at night.”
And just like that, he could picture her in her bed, her golden hair spread across her sheets, her long, sleek body stretched out naked and warm beneath the covers. With the coiled rope dangling from her hand, it was all he could do not to add that particular prop to the already potent mix of his inappropriate fantasies.
He had no idea what it was about this woman that made him ache for her, but he did. All the way down to his bones.
Joseph exerted his substantial will and dragged his mind back to where it belonged. “Those children got hurt, Lyka. They were bleeding. You can’t let it happen again.”
“I made sure that there were two Sanguinar waiting in the wings to heal them. I know the kids were in pain, but it will help toughen them up. Besides, they need to know how to fight, and no one else is bothering to teach them.”
“We make sure they get a good education.”
“Sure you do. They’ll all be able to do calculus in their heads while the demons rip their throats out. A lot of good it will do them.”
“You’re scaring the parents.”
“Good. They should be scared. Their kids are demon food. If these humans stopped for even one second and thought about it, they’d realize that what I’m doing is right. I’m trying to keep the kids alive. Give them a fighting chance.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you keep teaching them to fight like this. It’s too dangerous for them and too upsetting for their parents.”
“You said I could teach a class. If I got a sponsor to make sure I wasn’t brainwashing them into siding with we evil Slayers, you said I could do this. Are you going back on your word, Theronai?”
“I never agreed to this,” he said, waving his hand at the bloodstained dirt. “I can’t believe you found anyone who would think this is a good idea.”
Her pupils narrowed, giving her a decidedly feline appearance. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“Put away your claws, kitten. All I mean is that I’m wondering exactly what your syllabus looks like. Does your sponsor know what you teach?”
She took a step toward him before stopping herself. Her hands balled into fists, and her voice went lethally soft. “These kids have had their lives stolen from them. They feel weak and powerless. They’re trapped here, with no hope of ever leaving, and as nice as the accommodations may be at Dabyr, it’s still just a comfy prison. What I’m giving them is hope—hope that they might survive another run-in with the demons. Hope that maybe one day they can walk out of these walls and have some kind of a real life. If that bothers you or anyone else here, then that’s just too fucking bad. These kids need me, and I’m not giving up on them just because a couple of parents are too scared to see reality.”
“I’m not saying you can’t teach them. Just teach them not to break the skin. Stop leaving bruises and breaking bones.”
“That’s the way I was taught. Are you saying that our Slayer ways aren’t good enough for your precious humans?”
“These kids aren’t Slayers. They’re human. They don’t heal as fast as you do. They’re easier to break.”
“That’s why I’ve bargained with Logan to heal them.”
The idea of Lyka giving anything to a man that stunningly beautiful rubbed Joseph the wrong way. “What was the bargain?” he asked, his voice rougher than he’d intended.