First And Last - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,38
it vanished, demons included. “Holy sugar shit.” I stood, breathless.
Everyone in front of me, Talon, Zia, Ryker, even Kyden, returned to their feet. The Underworlds in the bleachers rose from under their seats. Cowards.
Finn jumped to his feet and ran toward Haven. “Haven. Haven.”
Confusion gripped me. I didn’t sense anything wrong with her. What was he going on about?
He scooped her up and hugged her tight. “Are you hurt?”
“Finn, put me down,” she demanded. “Why on earth would I be hurt?”
He placed her on her feet, his gaze more protective than I’d ever seen it, which only confused me. “Are you okay…” I started.
She interrupted me and blushed. “I’m fine. Finn is being stupid.” She waved away the concern with her hand and pushed Finn away.
“It worked,” Misa’s quiet voice said from behind me.
I spun around, witnessed their faces show a thousand emotions all at once. Now, I blushed. I really hated being in the spotlight like this. “I guess it did.”
Kyden stepped forward and pulled me to him. He lowered his head and gave me a kiss that sent butterflies floating about in my stomach. “You’re incredible.”
Arousal stirred and it wasn’t mine. Seeing my strength did one thing and one thing only—got him hard in a second flat! Usually I’d be more inclined to indulge in this line of thinking, but I was too shocked by what just happened to really focus on anything else.
Ryker laughed loudly, and gave me a hard slap on the back. “Now that was just the type of show I was looking for.”
Again, I ignored him and looked back at Azar. “Are we done here then?”
He shook his head, then glanced at the crowd. “You have witnessed our Lady in action. Do any of you doubt what she is capable of?” No one said a word. “Right then, take your leave and remember the rules. Be sure not to forget what happened tonight. It’ll be your fate if you break those laws.”
The crowd quickly left the auditorium, and once the room cleared, Zia quickly stepped forward and took my hand. “Now, tell me what is going on?”
I took a deep breath, then told her all the past events as simply as I could. By the time I finished, she and Talon just stared at me. Haven and the others just kept looking at each other in shock.
Talon finally broke the silence. “Did you just say that Mammon, the Demon Lord, has been released from the Realm of the Dead?”
I nodded. “Quinney recognized him immediately.”
“I have had no dealings with these Demon Lords.” Talon’s brows drew together in unhappiness. “They were before my time.”
Misa laughed. “Before most of our times I’m sure.”
“This is unheard of.” Zia glanced at Azar. “What will you do now?”
Azar shrugged. “As I’ve told Nexi, I have no answers at this time.” He glanced to me with an expectant look came upon his face. “What do you think we should do?”
“I haven’t a clue,” I replied. Like I knew how to fix all this, I was still trying to process it all. Really, I wasn’t the one to look to for answers.
Azar stepped forward, his eyes bore into mine. “Are you so sure of that?”
“What the hell is he talking about?” I snapped to myself…or so I thought.
“Haven’t a clue,” Kyden answered.
“No idea,” Zia added.
“Er…I’m pretty sure of that, yes.”
Azar sighed tiredly, his gaze frustrated. “You’re withholding yourself. Why is that?”
“Withholding myself…from what?”
Zia laughed as did Kyden, but I was at a loss as to what he was trying to tell me.
Azar examined me, cocked his head to the side. “You have such amazing abilities, yet, you don’t seek to discover them. You withhold yourself until you just happen to stumble upon it or need it.”
“Not this again.” Over and over the same shit repeated itself. I continually heard this exact conversation numerous times, while training with Kyden, then alongside Zia. It was always the same. I doubted my ability, didn’t accept it as true, and it took a good hard reminder from each of them to set me straight.
“This is a habit of hers?” Azar asked Zia.
She appeared well amused. “Her human instincts hinder her ability to believe.”
“Ahh,” Azar stated. “I see.”
“You see what?” Okay, this was far past annoying. I felt like the third person here when being talked about. I didn’t like it one bit.
Azar leaned back a bit and crossed his arms as he studied me. “There’s something to you. Something I’ve yet to figure out. I