Page 46 of Fallen Heirs

“Not just my dad either, Abigail too. I mean, I thought it was suspicious with the timing of her offering you a seat at the table, but other things got in the way of exploring that. Normally you would have been all over it, your paranoia and control issues leading the way. But you weren’t. Because what’s transpired lately has shaken you. You’ve spent so much time trying to hold things together with the four of us that you haven’t taken a breath. But, yeah, you’re shaken. Alena being taken, your father too and him almost dying, your mother being Constantine’sright-hand, then that shit that happened concerning Cornwell with him turning on you, and also you having to talk me off the edge. There was so much out of your control. So you jumped at the chance to become a part of an organization that’s all about that control—over the whole supernatural world. That power, resources, and the fuckingEye of Intuitumthat sees everything, almost fast enough to stop a threat before it hits.Almost, Orpheus. It can’t really do that entirely, but I’m sure my dad made you feel like it could. But there are those out there like Constantine who don’t move and act in predictable patterns.” I stepped closer to him. “Those whoyou’reusually so incredibly good at dealing with because you’re not a follower, but a maverick in all things.”

“You’re suggesting thatExemplaris trying to tame me?”

“What I’m saying is that Abigail saw your potential and also the danger associated with that. You revealed your true power during the war, your gift for subterfuge that led to an entire army being created behind the backs of her and the Academy, of everyone.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “She saw me as a threat.”

“Not just her. Everyone. IncludingExemplar.And now my dad is worried and he’s trying to assimilate you into the organization as much as he can, working with your reasonable side, what they know the difference to be between you and your father.”

He eyed me suspiciously. “Why are you going against Elliot here?”

“Because this won’t be good for either of you. And I don’t think he’s doing it maliciously. That’s not who he is. He’s just desperately trying to hold everything together with Abigail gone. He does want a balance between her way of doing things and your more out-of-the-box way, but he still needs to be careful and make sure things follow protocol, that they’re controlled.”

“That I’m controlled,” he ground out.

“While I’d normally be all for peace and things being done properly, we aren’t living in that kind of world anymore. Not with Constantine still out there and not with the damage he’s inflicted upon the supernatural world.Exemplaris great at management and ensuring things run smoothly between factions, different supernatural beings, all of that. But what this threat has proven is that they’re not good at dealing with off-the-wall threats like Constantine. It’s because bureaucracy, laws, and procedure get it the way time and time again.Youstood beyond all of that. You see a threat and do whatever it takes to defeat it, bend whatever rules you need to, draw on whatever resources possible. Yet you’re not doing that anymore. For fuck’s sakes, you turned down helping Alena with her special ability, somethingthatpowerful and you just sidelined it, sidelined her.”

“It’s not that simple, none of this is.”

“It used to be. Until all of this shook you.”

“Fuck, X, in the case of Alena, if her ability was outed, she’d be hunted.”

“A threat we’d quash like all others. She’s supremely powerful. Hell, with Abigail gone, she’s arguably the most powerful being across the supernatural world.Witha little more guidance, Orpheus. Some more exploration. More support. Fromyou.”

“The last time Alena was secure in her power and thought she could save the world, save the four of us, she was taken by that demon, Xavier!” he hissed back at me.

“You approached her initially to use her power for this exact purpose.”

“Things are different now.”

“Because you love her.”

“Of course.”

“You insult her with this. She’s better than being a love of ours who’s relegated to damsel-in-distress status. Shedeservesbetter from us.”

“So you’re fine if she runs off into danger? Or if she reveals her special ability and has danger running toward her?”

“You haven’t seen her in her element as she’s been hunting with me, kicking ass and taking names.” I couldn’t help the smile that took me over as I told him, “She’s looked alive for the first time in so long. Since you first started challenging her back when we all first met, actually.”

He stepped back from me and scrubbed his hand over his face. “What you’re asking of me… I’d be waging war against Constantine andExemplar.”

“I know it’s a lot.”

“You don’t!” he yelled, throwing up his hands. “You don’t because it’s always me who has to shoulder it! And not just shoulder that, which is heavy enough, but take your complaints and questioning my every fucking move—all of you!”

“Then it’s about time we all got on the same page, don’t you think?” I laid my hand on his shoulder. “Take some time. Deal with what’s holding you back.”

“I can’t just—”

“My dad will have to deal with it. And believe me, he will. You’re a highly valuable asset and, like I said, a loose cannon he needs to reel in. As for me, Alena, and Tal, we’re headed back to Electi Academy tomorrow anyway. We’ll have that to keep us occupied. We’ll be fine without you for a few days.” As he moved to speak, I cut in, knowing what he was going to say, “I’ll keep special watch on Tal.”

He took a moment, then gave a nod. “All right.”

Thank hell.Things were fast reaching a dangerous point for our foursome at the moment and if he’d continued in the same vein, it could have very well shattered us.

It wasn’t his fault, because he was right, he did take on a lot. He pulled us through the worst of times and most often it was a thankless job.

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