Page 24 of A War of Ruin and Reckoning

“I’m okay,” she whispered hoarsely.

He eased off. She stroked the horse, then straightened and glanced over her shoulder. His harrowing expression shuttered. He swung his leg behind and dismounted.

He kept doing that—hiding his emotions.

“You saved my life,” she said. “And you help me, even though you don’t know me. I guess you might be my mate or whatever, but I should thank—”

“Don’t,” he snapped, irritated. “You’re in Elphyne. Surely you understand the rules now.”

“I’m so—”

“Let’s get this straight,” he clipped. “You’renotmy mate. As a Guardian, my duty includes bringing old-world humans to the Order. You owe me nothing. After I take you there, we’re done.”

His hand enveloped hers, crushed her fingers into a fist, and forced her to hand-sign her apology against her chest. His gaze dipped to her breasts, to where he touched. Then he flung her hand away as if she’d burned him.

Tears stung her eyes, and she glanced at the river. It wasn’t even the half of it when she’d called him arrogant in the tent. He was also cruel and mean.

He took the reins. “What made you feel sick?”

“It was the blood.”

“Don’t lie to me, human. Not after what I risked.”

She blinked rapidly. Loneliness squeezed her heart. Despair. The inescapable fear that the cycle kept repeating and she was stuck in a whirlpool. She hunched in on herself.

“Nova,” Leaf prompted. “Sit up straight and answer me.”

“You said Nero was from the old world. That he was like me. How long… how long has he been in this time?”

“We’re unsure. We only learned of his existence when Clarke arrived at the Order about two decades ago. Nero has been using stolen mana to keep himself young.”

“What does he look like?” she asked quietly, toying with the horse’s mane.

“Tall, dark hair, Roman nose… similar complexion to yours… maybe a touch colder. Why?”

That sick feeling came back.

Her twin’s harsh face flashed in her mind. Then, his behavior at the end. After their parents died, he returned to Mexico and reconnected with the family they were told never to speak with—the criminals her parents sacrificed everything to escape.

At first, Niles returned to LA and shared their traditional Sunday meals without their parents. But the meals inevitably turned into arguments whenever conversation touched their opposing values about the state of the world. She had hoped humanity could still change enough to save the environment. He said they would inevitably run it into the ground, and everyone would die.

She always put their unrest down to polarizing political views. Every family had opposing opinions. Why would hers be any different?

“Nova?”

She couldn’t answer. Her mind was too far in the past, thinking of the night she told Niles to leave and never return.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore!” She threw a plate at his head.

He ducked as the china smashed on the floral wallpaper.

Scowling, he jabbed his finger at her. “This planet is dying anyway.”

He always knew how to hurt her the most. Her gaze dropped to the cartel tattoo peeking from his expensive suit sleeve. That was why her mother hated Nova’s attempts to reconnect with her culture—she was afraid it would draw attention from people who wanted them dead.

She used to hate how Niles pushed her buttons and backpedaled to make up for it, almost as if he toyed with her emotions to see how far he could take it. At least now he wasn’t confusing her with false kindness. He wasn’t pretending to care about her feelings.

“Not if I can help it.” She lifted her chin. She would never stop fighting for what she believed in. And the world was a worthy cause. Humanity was a worthy cause. “I’m not going to stop trying.”

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