Page 39 of Cursed Heirs

For once, I could barely process what was happening.

I wasn’t used to someone defending me in such an outright way, to this extent, to being willing to actually fight for me in a literal sense especially. Because of how I was, I was usually defending myself and my harsh decisions, having to justify things to people, because most couldn’t handle how ruthlessly I operated.

Cornwell shoved his hands into his pants pockets and regarded her in disbelief. “Over?” He scoffed. “I think not.”

“Right, Talon told me all about the sordid crap going on here. You think you have something to hold over Orpheus’ head. The wholeObsidianthing.” Her eyes narrowed. “But youdon’t.”

He laughed. “Of course I do.”

She cocked her hip and slapped her free hand to it, over the top of her sexy denim shorts. Combined with her black embroidered leather bralette and the tan kimono with the multicolored sleeves hanging off her shoulders, and not tomention the thigh-high boots, it was all a sexy-as-fuck display that was working me up like nothing else in spite of the current circumstances.

“Go on. Try to tell me about it.”

“Excuse me?”

“What isObsidian,Professor?” she demanded impatiently.

“Obsidianis a—it’s—the thing is, it’s—” His eyes went wide. “What did you do?”

“I was multitasking when I hit you with my magic. Getting you offmylove and also spelling you at the same time. When I was a kid, I used to hide around my house and it often led to me overhearing things that I shouldn’t. Confidential things my mother couldn’t risk me, as a clueless child, imparting to anyone else. So she used this spell on me. It prevents you from discussing anything to do with the subject matter in question. In any way, either through speaking or writing, nothing at all.”

Magnificent.

“You little—”

“Get out,” she seethed at him. “This is done.”

“The hell it is. I’ll find a way. I’m not walking away from the Dark Prince.”

In a flash, she was lunging at him and slamming him against my dresser, the thing rocking violently at the impact.

She had a golden noose around his throat in the very next second, and she tugged roughly, jerking him to her as she growled, “You come near him again in this manner and you won’t like the consequences. This is your first and only warning.”

“What do you think you’re—”

“I. Will. Melt. You.”

His eyes went wide, real fear there as he saw the darkness in hers coming through loud and clear and without reservation. “Orpheus Hart ismine.”

She released him roughly. “Now get the hell out.”

He stared at her incredulous, looked at me regrettably, then scrambled out of the room, avoiding Talon who was grinning.

The door slammed shut and Alena spun and locked it with her magic.

Then she turned back to me, a smirk spreading over her face. “Hey, honey. I’m home.”

9

~Talon~

I’d known Orpheus had been bullshitting me earlier.

Normally, he would have been able to fool me, but his mind was elsewhere on a dozen different things, so he hadn’t been as on the ball as much as he usually was.

After I’d left his chambers and made my way back to mine, I’d caught sight of Professor Callum Cornwell making his way up toward Orpheus’ wing from the back corridor, trying to be stealthy about it. He probably would’ve succeeded if I hadn’t already been in a suspicious state of mind that had put me in a highly alert state.

As soon as I’d seen him nearing Ore’s territory, I’d put the pieces together all too easily. And then I’d called Alena.