no one knew that. You told me you never found him. When I was on the case, helping Cassius since I was the only naga who would work with the Tribunal and knew about the murders, you told me you had never seen Nakul and believed he was dead. You remember that?”
“I do,” Adhar said, the words sharp and angry.
“Yeah, well, Cassius thought Mahavir would have seen his brother, but I decided to shield the nagas because you told me the nagas weren’t involved. You told me that, Adhar! I stonewalled him on your word!” I was screaming at the end as the implications settled in. Adhar had known Nakul was being looked into as a serial killer, had withheld information from the governing body of the supernaturals, and I had inadvertently helped him.
If the Tribunal found out and wanted to prosecute to the full extent of the Law, we were doomed. Me, Adhar, and Mahavir would be investigated and found guilty. The sentence would be execution by a Tribunal Executioner, which would hopefully be quick. Three nagas, four including Nakul, because he would be executed without me helping him. It would cut our species in half.
“Now, Kaliya, let’s talk about this rationally—”
“I am being rational!” I roared, slamming my hands on the table and getting to my feet. “I’m apparently the only fucking person who understands how bad this is!”
“What does this have to do with the prison outbreak?” Adhar asked softly, his own rage clear.
“Nakul’s memory was tampered with,” I explained, hitting a hand on the table again. “I just got off the phone with Mahavir. I had a suspicion he would be compromised. Finding out you were compromised because you not only lied to me, but also let Nakul stay in your home while he was running from us…” I hissed in anger, unable to form the threat I needed. “Pack up and move, Adhar. Your location is no longer secure.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
There was silence for a minute until I decided to try to deescalate the situation. Adhar and I needed to be on the same side.
“You were worried about me?” I asked.
“Of course, I was. I don’t think our differences in opinion should be something for which we wish each other ill.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you going to visit us next summer? I would very much like it if you did.”
I needed a vacation. Maybe it was time to revisit India. It had been more than a hundred years, and now I had Raphael to worry about. I’ll need the support of the other nagas one day.
“What’s going on this summer?”
“Mahavir’s son, Devesh, turns sixteen and gains his majority. At his majority, he is owed a visit from every eligible female naga—”
“No,” I whispered, my stomach flipped. Nausea rose up, and I resisted the urge to lose the burger I just ate.
“You would deny him the right to find out if—”
“He’ll be a sixteen-year-old boy.”
“You know—”
“I will not find out if a sixteen-year-old boy is my mate,” I snapped. “Don’t ask again. In most countries, that’s fucking illegal. I’m not a goddamn predator. Don’t ask me to be one while you continue to live in the past.”
“This is the way things are done, Kaliya. You went through the same—”
“Yeah, I remember. I remember the disappointment on the faces of the other male nagas, Mahavir being one, when they realized I wouldn’t be their ticket to getting laid for the rest of their lives. I remember spending two years in your house and seeing the resentment in your eyes because you knew I wasn’t your mate.” That last thought made my stomach twist. It hadn’t been sexual. No one would have tried to have sex with me at fourteen, but the sexual pressure of the situation would always leave a bitter and scared taste in my mouth. “Now, being that young might have been acceptable centuries ago, but it’s the new millennium, and we’re going to do things my way. Is that clear? He’s a boy. When he’s a man, I’ll meet him. I like my bedroom partners to be adults with a little experience.”
“Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll help Mahavir find a new place to settle his family, then let him know his son will be denied a privilege every naga has been awarded since the first child. I’m positive the young man was excited to finally meet you, and now I must crush those hopes.”
“I’m not going to speak about this any longer. Be safe.” I