Court of Sunder (Age of Angels #2) - Milana Jacks Page 0,28
already plowing through her ranks.”
“Are you going to let him take half the Court?”
“Of course not. I promised him sanctuary, and I will give him whatever I deem enough, not what he deems enough.”
“He will want Sunder City.”
“Certainly. He loves surrounding himself with splendor.”
Cayen paced again, a bit faster now, his heart rate accelerating. “What of the commander?”
I drummed my claws on the table. “He too will come, or his armies will starve, the Veil will fold, and I will give up my land to Lucifer.”
“You’re forcing his hand.”
“Yes.”
Cayen’s jaw worked as he ground his teeth. “You tried to kill his mate.”
“That’s the thing, Cayen. I didn’t throw the spear that pierced her chest. He blames me for the same thing he would have done. If he were in my place, make no mistake, he would have tried to eliminate the girl too.” His pacing was making my head spin, though I knew he thought best on his feet and telling him to sit would be a disservice.
“What about the mortal from his Court?”
“What about her?” I levitated above the hedge so I could see the City. Quiet. Sad. Hopeless. It pained me to see my people scared and uncertain of their future.
“He’ll want her back,” Cayen said, stopping below me, looking up. “Her mother is one of his favorite mortals. Maybe we could use her.”
“Use her how?” I landed before him.
Cayen stood his ground, cold, cleaver-gray eyes trying to see inside my head, soul, heart. “We return her as a sign of good will and solicit help from the Command Fleet when Lucifer comes.”
“Dismissed.”
He pinched his lips, body jerking to leave, but then he pulled back his shoulders. “You’ve given me no orders.”
“Your orders are to stay away from her.” I pierced him with a glare. “Should any harm come to her by anyone, I will unleash a force the likes of which even Lucifer fears. The structures Michael can collapse can be rebuilt. But the lives I take can never be recovered. Do I make myself clear enough?”
Cayen glared back.
I took his youthful face between my palms. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Lord of the Court of Sunder.”
He and Nevaeh had quite a bit in common. I smirked. “Since you lost your fleet…” I paused for that to sink in, “You will command the undead army.”
He sighed. “I am sorry to have failed you.”
“We all failed. But we shall rise stronger than before.”
“I’m to be the undead’s mommy?”
I released him. “The undead feed from the blood of the living.”
Cayen paled, and his heartbeat accelerated. I felt his body’s response. A thousand years old, he was a young male still learning what my brothers and I had learned from an early age. I kissed his forehead, then whispered, “The mortal realm is a House with four pillars. One pillar refuses to carry his weight. That leaves three, and if any one of the three breaks, the House falls. When the mortal realm falls, we become ether. We cannot ascend, and we have no House.
“So, Cayen, we must do whatever it takes to hold up the House, and sometimes that means making hard choices nobody else wants to make. Trust me. I will play this power game and come away the victor. The Court of Sunder will stand.” There shall be light and peace and prosperity for my Court, or nothing at all for anyone.
Chapter 11
My bladder told me it was time to empty it. Trouble was, I couldn’t find the bathroom, and I’d searched the entire chamber multiple times. I hopped on one leg, bent over, huffing and puffing, looking for a small door that would indicate a bathroom. I found Raphael’s closet filled with robes, belts, leather pants, and a pair of thigh-high leather boots. Oh my. Instantly, the image of the boots on his long strong legs assaulted me.
I forced myself to stop thinking of his body and how it made me feel when he kissed my nape, or touched me, or came near me in general, and how it would feel when he tired of me either in a month or a year from now when he found his soul’s mate.
Where was the bathroom?
Where was Raphael?
My internal clock told me night was approaching, but with no windows or a clock, I couldn’t tell the time.
I rushed toward the waterfall, then stopped when it didn’t part. Not only did it not part, steam rose from it, and I backed away when the water turned red. It reminded me of