Page 97 of Wicked Heirs

“That’s now?”

“Standing appointment, baby bird,” I said, smiling at his muddled mind as his sleepiness took him over so quickly.

“Okay,” he murmured.

I pushed off the couch and tucked a cushion under his head.

Then with one final look back at him curled up and moments away from sleep, I teleported out.

“This is a setback,”Professor Callum Cornwell muttered with a shake of his head, his long, silver hair flying about.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my black and silver blazer, watching him pacing in his navy three-piece designer suit that was fitted to his lean and six-foot-four form. The pacing wasn’t a sign of weakness such as agitation or losing his cool, it was something he did when he was thinking deeply, strategizing.

Unlike what I’d told Talon, this wasn’t merely astanding meetingthat we had with Cornwell. Those consisted of setting upObsidianprojects, takedowns, as well as him using his covert sources to update us on the current happenings in the supernatural world, which impacted the true purpose ofObsidian.Fortunately, Talon had accepted it easily. He’d long given up coming to the meetings because he’d become bored of them. He easily became bored, so I’d predicted as much. While Xavier always attended, he hadn’t been made aware of this one because the subject matter wouldn’t go down well with him.

That subject matter being Alena Rose and the covert strategy that Cornwell and I had been working on together since before she’d come to Electi Academy, unbeknownst to anyone.

“As I’ve said, it’s only temporary,” I told Cornwell. “Besides, thissetbackhas yielded a highly positive result.”

“Yes, I heard you. Sabre’s magic has stabilized and his strength has grown thanks to her closeness to him leading her to advocate for human blood to be consumed rather than useless animal blood.” He grimaced. “Even so, given his hybridcondition, his power could never reach anywhere close to that of his father’s. Butherscan. Just like yours, Orpheus.”

“It’s not just about power when it comes to Xavier. It’s his extensive knowledge base that has been imparted to him by his father for years upon years, since he was a boy. It rivals even mine, but until recently he was resistant to drawing on it in any way, hence him still being in foundational classes.”

“I’m not discounting it as an asset to what’s coming, however, without power from other sources—namely, you and the Nephilim—it cannot be used in all its glory.”

“I’m handling the situation. Regardless, she’s begun practicing again, beyond just the minimal amount required of her classes.”

“Because of you. Because you pushed her and made her feel as though she was under threat, like we orchestrated since we discovered she was enrolling here.” He rolled his eyes. “For once, your Firebird friend actually assisted, believing it to be real and acting as so, rather viciously, I might add. But just as was needed to blow past her resistance with using her abilities.”

“And that will hold now she’s moved past it.”

“That’s wishful thinking.”

“Callum—”

“It could all be compromised with you now estranged from her. She needs somebody to guide her and it can’t be Xavier, the one she’s been spending most of her time with lately. He’s afraid of himself and his own darkness and if he’s her only close point of contact, that will seep into her and all the progress she’s made could be lost. She could very well backtrack.”

“I won’t allow that to happen.”

I didn’t put a mass amount of effort into things, only for the outcome to turn out unfavorably.

“Ensurethat you don’t. You need to give her what she wants.”

“Excuse me?”

“Swallow your pride.”

“It’s not about that.”

He walked to me and folded his arms across his chest as he regarded me astutely, cocking his head to the side. “Ah, well this is a surprise.Youare allowing your fear to rule you. All this work we’re doing to rid her of it and Xavier too, and here you are harboring this.”

“It wasn’t known to me until recently.”

He frowned. “You’re incredibly self-aware. How is that possible?”

Fuck.I scrubbed my hand over my face. “She’s… new. What she brings out in me… I didn’t expect it. It opened me up to a vulnerability I’m not accustomed to.”

“And you believe if you tell her what she’s asked you to, it will only worsen?”

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