Page 17 of Wicked Heirs

Tal jerked his arm from him, then folded them across his chest and cursed under his breath. “Fine. Shit-tastic bullshit right here.”

Alena looked to Isabella to make sure she was okay.

She smiled and told her encouragingly, “Go ahead.”

Alena then turned her full attention to me.

“Xavier, I just came by to properly introduce myself. We know each other through our parents and I’ve heard a lot of stories about you, and vice-versa, but we’ve never actually come face-to-face. I just thought, maybe, given that connection, wecould get to know each other while I’m here, maybe become friends—or try to.”

I started.

That was incredibly bold of her.

She was being admirably vulnerable and putting herself out there.

“That’s a really nice offer.”

I was very aware of Orpheus’ rapt attention on our interaction.

I had to be careful.

I couldn’t show how endearing I found her approach, how impressed I was with the way she’d handled Tal—very few people could manage to stare him down and even bite back as good as he delivered, and I certainly couldn’t indicate in any way that I was turned on by her, that she intrigued me in a way that she shouldn’t.

There was a big difference between me undermining Orpheus and Talon’s efforts to corrupt and destroy her and me actually taking a liking to her.

Reining them in was one thing, the rest was a whole other and would be considered a betrayal and I wouldn’t risk that with the two people closest to me in the world. The two people who—outside of my dad—had been there for me more than anyone else during this awful transition from sorcerer to vampire-sorcerer hybrid. Not an easy transition to make, given that the two didn’t exactly go hand-in-hand, and it was something I still hadn’t fully come to terms with.

And all of that was why, as she waited for more from me, clearly expecting me to take her offer of friendship, I had to decline.

To protect us all.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, though.” I gestured at Talon.

I winced as she looked absolutely crestfallen.

And then that morphed to something else.

Indignation, which she directed right at Tal.

“What’s your problem with me? Some hangup about Nephilim, is that it?”

“Something like that,” he hissed through his teeth, his hands fisting on the tabletop.

“What is it exactly?”

“Yeah, what’s your problem?” Isabella demanded. “I’m trying to help her get settled in and you’re really not making that easy with this unfounded animosity. I’m her Guide and I won’t fail at it, so how about you lock it up, phoenix boy?”

“Unfounded?” Tal seethed.

Oh no.

He swung his head toward Orpheus, silently asking for permission for something.

What was going on?

No sooner had Orpheus given a chin lift, than I found out.

He shot to his feet, called his phoenix claws forth in a blink, then sliced them across Alena’s left forearm.

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