Page 35 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“Fine then,” she snapped, her hands going to her hips. “What do you so desperately need to talk to me about?”

All the mirth faded, and her stomach did a weird tumbling sensation as unease crept in. She tried to shove it aside. She shouldn’t care about anything he had to say. This was her purpose. This was her destiny. She had to correct the balance. She had to?—

“Axel has been missing for weeks,” Luka said. “And only you can help us find him.”

She said nothing, only staring back at him.

“You have nothing to say to that?” Luka said in disbelief, but it quickly morphed into a calm rage. “Or have you known this entire time?”

“Don’t be daft. Of course I didn’t know,” she retorted.

“No? Because the last one to see him was Valter, andyouhave Valter, do you not?”

Her fingers flexed where they still rested on her hips as she tried so fucking hard not to care. Shecouldn’tcare. Axel was still part of the Arius line. Her destiny still beckoned, and hissacrifice would be demanded just as much as the rest of the Arius descendants.

After several moments of tense silence, she said, “So you, what? Want me to go ask Valter where he is?”

“Yes,” Luka said immediately.

“And then report back to you?”

“Yes.”

“So you can report back to Theon,” she stated.

Luka started to answer, but then pressed his lips together. He finally broke their stare, shifting on his feet as he clearly tried to think of how to respond.

He didn’t need to bother.

“You have nothing to say to that?” she mocked, liking this feeling of having the upper hand once more. “Ileftthe Arius Kingdom, Luka. I do not have to bow to his demands or answer his summons. I owe him nothing.”

“He sent me to you,” Luka said, meeting her gaze once more.

“Obviously,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Hesentme to you. Told me not to tell him anything that was spoken between us.”

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. “You’re his Guardian.”

“I made the same argument. He sent me to you anyway.”

“It’s a ruse. It’s always a game with him, but this ismygame now,” she sneered.

“And Axel is what? Collateral damage?” Luka countered.

“I can’t trust you, Luka. Surely you understand that.”

“And I can’t trust you. Not after what you did.”

Her hands dropped to her sides as she siphoned off some of her growing frustration with this entire conversation. Tiny bolts of lightning skipped across the floor.

“Then what is the point of this?” she finally asked.

“I just need you to find out where Axel is,” Luka said. “He is not part of this thing between you, me, and Theon.”

“No. He just held me down for a fucking Tracking Mark. He just sat and watched while Theon shoved me under a table. He just?—”

“Gave you music,” Luka interrupted, prowling towards her. “Brought you doughnuts. Gave you distractions and little things when you had control over nothing. He made you laugh, and he argued with Theon on your behalf far more times than you know.”

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