Changed by Fire (Phoenix Rising #6) - Harper Wylde Page 0,129
all.” Gaspard smiled, ignoring my eye roll. “Finish your breakfast and meet the others in the training yard.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” I retorted, smiling as his laughter rolled back at me before he strode from the room. I scooped up another bite of potatoes, knowing I’d need the energy as I reviewed what we’d been working on the past few days. I hoped Gaspard had plans for target practice today—that was always a relief in comparison to some of the other training he insisted on putting me through. Not that I could truly say anything negative, I could already tell I was improving under his unrelenting tutelage. It was easy to see he’d helped make my men what they were.
“So, are you fucking him too?” The harsh voice had my head whipping to the side. My eyes narrowed as I took in Rio and Risa, the representative and bodyguard for Faction Opal. “I’m sure you’re fucking him, I mean, why else would he be talking about your future here? Unless, like we all know he is, he’s using that horrible power of his to set you and your so-called mates up as the next Council after we spill our blood to help you take down the current one.” Risa’s words were loud, echoing across the mess hall. Conversations stuttered to a hush as the multitude of shifters in attendance turned to look.
A quick glance around showed the divide—some were angry, directing glares at Risa, while others glared at me as if believing the tripe she spewed. Still, more looked worried or shocked, their glances ping-ponging as they tried to assess any threat to themselves. “Go away, Risa, and stop spreading drivel.” I kept my words firm and clear, turning back to my plate despite my now nonexistent appetite.
Risa scoffed, “Drivel. Right.” Her words were still pitched to carry, and I debated reaching out to Damien and the others with our mental link. Right now, though, it was just louder versions of the whispers that had been spreading since our arrival at the first encampment, so it was nothing that needed to tear them away from whatever they were doing. “I guess that’s why you’re always with your group, slowly sliding Council rejects into the rebellion. You think that we would have allowed a Basilisk in here? A dream eater? Two gargoyles as powerful and corrupt as those LaCroixs?” she spat, and I clutched my fork so hard I was surprised it didn’t bend.
I stuffed another forkful of potatoes in my mouth, following it with a bite of sausage and a swig of orange juice as though she didn’t even exist. I kept a stranglehold on my Phoenix who wanted to burn this other female to a crisp, to teach her a lesson for talking about our family that way.
“They’ve got all of their little minions ‘searching’ people,” Rio spoke up, his smug voice making me want to snarl. “Of course they’ll say that the ones she’s screwing are safe.”
I set my fork back on my tray, knowing I wasn’t going to manage to eat any more without choking on it. For once I was grateful I was heading to training. I needed to beat the crap out of something, and since it would be wrong to beat up another member of the rebellion, no matter how badly they deserved it, a training battle would have to do.
“I’ve heard that they share each other as well as her,” Rio called in a stage whisper, as I deposited my tray on a nearby table. “The Kitsune and the Ceraptor.” He shuddered, ignoring the glare I leveled at him.
“Oh, I’ve heard,” Risa responded with a smirk on her lips, her eyes alight at the anger she could see on my face. “Why do you think Megan has issued the edict that no members of Faction Opal are to take their children to the infirmary if the Ceraptor is working? I’m sure he’s taking every chance he can to take out his perversion on those disgusting, hybrid—” She didn’t get another word out before my fist landed in her face, knocking the woman back several steps as blood gushed from her mouth.
“How dare you talk about my mates like that?” I seethed, my shoulders heaving as I dragged in one hard breath after another. “How dare you infer that they would hurt a child?” The room was so silent that each ragged breath I drew in echoed in a rasp across the dining hall.