Page 148 of Magic of the Damned

“Is there another side of her I have not yet met? Because the one I know doesn’t seem to listen to anyone.”

Ileana’s cool look of displeasure turned from me to Dominic as if she was urging him to intervene.

“Luna is right. Helena is not to be trusted, and I won’t give her another opportunity to betray me again. If you want her life spared, don’t put her in a position to betray me. If it happens again, I won’t show her any mercy.”

“I can assure you that she won’t.”

Where was this confidence coming from? None of my dealings with Helena gave me any confidence that she would uphold her mother’s request. But Ileana’s assertion was made with the reverence of promise. I was curious as to how she’d achieve that oath, but I doubted she’d share. Perhaps she had a mom-request she could use that demanded compliance at all costs. Who knew?

“Will they make it a priority to protect and preserve humans?” Since they had so little respect for humans, I had to continue to be an advocate.

“Humans are not involved in this,” she countered.

“Yes, they are. Hiding the existence of magical beings seems to be top priority, but with everything that’s happened, I’m not sure that can continue. What happens to humans when it fails? Can their safety be guaranteed?”

The factions were split between the Awakeners who wanted to be revealed and place humans in a subservient role, and the Conventicle and New Conventicle and their acolytes, who were separate factions with the same goals. They wanted to continue anonymity for different reasons and approached the goal with extreme tactics.

“Luna’s family must be protected.” Dominic’s response was achingly cool with the need to protect the people dear to me. He may not have shared his mother’s dismal view of humans, but preservation of their lives had never been a priority.

“Not just my family. Humans cannot be casualties of this. It’s not fair,” I entreated, looking to Dominic for understanding.

“I don’t seek to kill off humans,” Ileana provided before he could respond. It was a far cry from what I wanted, which was a commitment to do whatever was necessary to save them. I gathered from her expression that was the best offer she’d give, which she punctuated with a dismissive shrug before leaving the room.

Dominic’s fingers linked mine in a firm hold, deterring me from going after her and demanding more. It had been a fleeting thought, but I had no intention of pursuing it.

CHAPTER 2

After our exchange with Ileana, I managed to force down the meal prepared for me, because I needed to eat despite my anxiety making food the last thing on my mind. Dominic picked at the food in front of him, cementing my hypothesis that they didn’t need to eat but chose to.

Once we—rather, I—had eaten, we retreated to the bedroom where we showered and lay naked side by side, peering up at the ceiling.

“I need this to end. It’s a bother,” he said, exasperated, his forearm draped over his forehead. His comment was expressed with the glibness of someone receiving a burger with mustard when he requested it without—a nuisance but not a life-threatening situation.

“It’s more than a bother. It’s a dreadful situation. One that a lot of people, humans and supes, aren’t likely to survive.” Turning onto my side, I inhaled the hint of eucalyptus from the soap that lingered on his skin and wafted in the air. Small droplets of water glistened in the grooves of his abs and chest. His towel-dried hair was in disarray. The enormous bed looked diminutive with Dominic’s massive muscular frame in the middle of it. He and his body were a sinful distraction I didn’t need. He removed his arm from his forehead and turned to face me, his eyes intense.

“You survived.” His voice was more teasing than I’d expected. A small smile curled at his lips.

“That’s not surprising to you?”

He shook his head. “You’ve proven to be more resilient than you look.” I frowned at his compli-sult. I see what you did, prince.

His rumble of laughter drew my eyes to where they always seemed to drift when he was naked: to the intricate patterns of ink that covered his body. Smiling at the effort it took for me not to trace them with my finger, he pulled me closer. His hardness pressed into me. His voice low and inviting as he growled my name. Entranced by his dark and unyielding amber eyes, I stayed locked with them.

We hadn’t had alone time together since entering his mother’s realm. I felt the absence of him. I shoved down the unease it raised.

“I’m glad you did,” he said. “I must keep it that way.”

“You have a plan to do that?” I had no doubts that he did. He’d said it with the same assurance Ileana had regarding Helena’s loyalty. I had confidence in his plan, and none in Ileana’s because hers hinged on a mercurial Helena.

“I have many, but one involves shared mutual destruction.”

“As in a nuclear option? Never a good idea. How is that any different than any of Ileana’s strategies?”

Shuddering with pleasure at his fingers roving over my body, leaving a trail of warmth with every touch, I was still determined not to let him distract me.

His lips pressed against mine. Soft, a gentle comforting touch that quickly became ravenous and hungry as his tongue explored mine. Seeking more, he pressed harder into me. I pulled away, panting, insistent in my goal to find out the specifics.

He smirked at my not so-hidden withering willpower. Why is he so sexy and distracting?

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