Lei laced her arm through mine. “He’s simply gorgeous, and kind, and is like a rock star around the Mystik world.”
Afton joined Lei and me as we walked into the room. “Hot warrior boys are here,” she purred. “And. They. Are. French.”
In the other room, two girls and three guys dressed in Sentinel garb stood behind a gorgeous guy of about eighteen or nineteen. His blue eyes sparked under the lights. A sloped nose ran in a straight line down his face, ending at a confident smile on his beautiful lips. Sweeping dark strands of hair framed his face. He wore black pants and a tight gray T-shirt, which hugged each chest and arm muscle perfectly. I got the whole rock star status Lei mentioned. The guy was so hot, it felt like the room temperature rose with him in it.
Arik walked up to Bastien. “Why are you here?” he asked stonily. “You’re not a Sentinel.”
“My father thought it best for me to assist you,” answered Bastien. “These are dangerous times, wouldn’t you say? A wizard can come in handy.”
“I see you’re missing a Sentinel.” Arik’s jaw tightened. “Do you miss your sweetheart, you Judas?”
“What are you talking about?”
Arik snatched the collar of Bastien’s shirt. “Veronique. She told me she was dating you. She attacked our haven. You had to have known what she was up to.”
The five Sentinels behind Bastien moved toward Arik. Jaran, Kale, and Demos cut them off.
“Tell them to back off,” Arik ordered through locked teeth.
“Do as he says,” Bastien choked out as Arik tightened his hold. “Listen Arik, I’m not with Veronique.”
“She said she was dating a Renard.”
“It wasn’t me.” Bastien clutched Arik’s hands and tried to tear them away. “It was probably my brother, Odil.”
“Arik, let him go.” Kale grabbed his shoulder. “This won’t solve anything.”
Arik released his grasp on Bastien’s shirt. “Odil? I forgot about him. Has he been acting strangely?”
“He always acts strange.”
“All right, then,” Arik said. “You need to prove it. Will you let one of mine perform a truth globe on you and your Sentinels?”
I warmed with pride when Arik called me one of his.
Bastien seemed puzzled. “No one has been able to perform a truth globe in over three hundred years. I didn’t know your haven possessed one.” His gaze touched each Asile Sentinel. “Are they twins?” His eyes drifted from Deidre to me, and I drew in a shaky breath. “Hold on, now, is one a changeling?”
“Yes.” Arik gestured to me. “This is our missing Sentinel, Gianna”—his hand shifted toward Deidre—“and her changeling, Deidre.”
Bastien’s smile faded, and he stepped over to me. “It can’t be. They told me you died at birth.”
“Well, I didn’t.” I placed a shaky hand on the hilt of my sword. His silvery blue eyes were unsettling. “Wait. Why would they tell you?”
He took a step forward. “Because you’re my betrothed.”
I took two steps back. “I’m your what?”
Chapter Twenty-One
I had to get some space, so I marched over to a vacant corner of the room. Lei and Afton came after me.
“He can’t be my betrothed. He’s a wizard.”
Lei adjusted her belt. “Sentinels are betrothed only to wizards. Your bloodline determines what wizard level your husband is chosen from.”
Afton laced her arm through mine. “This is so antiquated. But, hey, the boy is smoldering. I say go for it.”
Bastien stopped in front of us. “You don’t have to fear me, Gianna.”
“It’s Gia,” I snapped. “And I don’t. Fear you, I mean.” I spotted Arik heading toward us. He looked as stunned as I felt.
“You better back down, Renard,” Arik said.
“Don’t push me, Sentinel. I wouldn’t harm my betrothed.”
“She’s just a girl,” Pop said, coming up to us. “She’s no one’s betrothed.”
“Who are you?” Bastien asked.
“I’m her father.”
“Well, she was promised to me,” Bastien said and squared his shoulders. The angles of his chiseled face made every tilt of his head amazing. “It was a promise made between the High Wizards of Asile and Couve.”
The way he scrutinized me made me a little dizzy but I ignored it. This was beyond crazy. No way was I going to feel anything toward some guy they’d force me to marry. “I’m sorry,” I said. “But I don’t care about a promise between people I don’t even know.”
“Come with me.” Arik took my hand, and, still flustered, I let him lead me to the nearest room. “Listen, Gia, we haven’t time for this. We’ll deal with this later.”
I nodded.
“Bastien, bring your Sentinels,” Arik called over his shoulder. “We’ll do