In my haze, getting away from the place I killed Levi and Raphael helped me with those werewolves, I hadn’t considered why I had avoided the mansion for the entire night.
“All the important fae are missing,” I told him, watching how the butler reacted as I spoke. “You’re right. I’m the leader of the nagas, who are being silently exterminated. So, when all the fae I know in power suddenly disappear for whatever fucking reason, then there’s a massive prison breach where the inmates are trying to kill me, some consciously and some under spells, I get a little fucking paranoid. So, I didn’t come here.”
Leith’s eyes went wider and wider.
“You’re an Executioner. Why would they try to kill you? You’re supposed to be killing them. They’re the criminals and despots who escaped their cells when they should be serving time for the crimes they committed against the supernatural world and the Tribunal.”
“Someone wants me dead, and I don’t know who. For all I know, it could be one of the fae who conveniently went back to the fae lands right before it happened. See the problem?” I felt bitter all of a sudden. Everything I had ever done was to protect my people and uphold the Law. I gave both of those tasks everything, and I thought they were fairly honorable goals, even if the work I did for them wasn’t. I made mistakes and got people I cared about killed, but those were on me.
This was a grudge match, and I didn’t know who I was playing against.
“You don’t trust Lord Cassius?”
“I trust that he’s a loyal man who will do as he’s told, and someone could use that against him,” I explained. “But I’m here, so obviously, I didn’t really believe it.”
“It wasn’t Cassius that bothered her,” Raphael added. “It’s Sorcha, though don’t ask me about the politics.”
Leith looked like he had come upon some great discovery.
“Lady Sorcha does have a history of being on the wrong side of fae law,” Leith admitted softly. “Well, trust me when I say this, Lady Kaliya. Lady Sorcha is honorable in her own way, and she has never resorted to third parties to kill her enemies. And she’s never killed anyone else’s enemy for them. She’s an arms dealer, you see. Well, she was an arms dealer. Now, her most prized weapons float around in the world, and she’s working on getting them back. Anything she makes now is art out of silver and steel. Beautiful things. She only killed people who encroached on her business. She wasn’t an assassin like you, and she certainly has no reason to kill you. She only did business with fae.”
“Why only fae? And holy shit, she’s a fucking arms dealer?” Raphael was muttering at the end, obviously shell-shocked.
Yeah, I wasn’t expecting an arms dealer either, dude.
“Because she’s not stupid. Working outside the fae gets the Tribunal involved,” I explained. “And you’re right, Leith. I should have never suspected Cassius and Sorcha, and when Raphael said we should come here when this started, we should have. Happy now?”
“Much happier. Now, here’s something to ease the bruising and ache before you sleep, so you can be well-rested.” He handed me the jar of ointment, the same type I had used at home. I opened it and sniffed, making sure. Yup, still smells fucking awful.
“My room? Do I still have one?”
“You always have a room here, Kaliya. Lord Raphael, you have one as well, the door across the hall.”
“You called me Kaliya,” I smirked.
Leith glared, and I took my chance to get up and leave, knowing my roommate was on my heels. Raphael opened my door, then stepped inside. I turned and frowned at him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to help you with that,” he answered, pointing at the jar.
22
Chapter Twenty-Two
“No.” The last thing I needed in my state was his hands all over me. With his shirt off. On a bed.
My fangs had been down from the moment he took his shirt off. I never got them to lay back down. I was too tired for even that small measure of control.
There’s only so much self-control I can have in one day, and we’re past that point. One bite would be all too easy right now.
“Are you more flexible suddenly and can rub it into your back?” He kicked my door shut with his heels, and I was struck with the feeling of being a naughty teenage girl. That door needed to remain open,