Page 68 of Gift from the Nexus

Eleven

Willow

“Sooner rather than later can mean many things, little wanderer. Like next week instead of a month. Or on his deathbed, rather than when he gets to the beyond.” Draken, once again, tries to talk me out of my decision.

They knew without me even saying anything that my choice was made.

Might as well face him now and get it over with. Once I convinced myself there’s nothing he can do to me here butpossibly tell me something that hurts my feelings, that made my mind up for me.

“We can’t put the forest off longer than we have to. I have a feeling the longer we take to get there, the harder it’s going to become. You all heard what Trex said. Franklin’s the Summum-Master’s right-hand, not just some lackey. He knows he’s been captured. There’s no way he doesn’t. If it were me in that position, I’d make sure everyone close to me was secure and safe. That’s what we all would do. I’m trying to think strategically here, not emotionally,” I say, hoping to relate enough to Corentin’s and Tillman’s leadership side that they agree with me.

By the contemplative look on Corentin’s face and the smirk on Tillman’s, they know that’s exactly what I’m doing, but they aren’t immediately disagreeing with me, so I’ll call it a win for now.

“Fine, Will, but he’s being brought in here, and we aren’t leaving the room this time. Not even to hide in the shadows,” Tillman declares, and I smile in victory.

He asks Ry, Nikoli, and San to go gather Franklin and with a quick kiss to my cheek from Oakly, she and Jamie decide to head back to the castle’s kitchen and sit this interrogation out, which calms some of my nerves. I don’t want Franklin to know who Oakly is. I don’t even want him to lay his eyes on her. The farther from her he stays, the better.

The moment her guys enter this hallway with him, I feel it.

His disgusting, hate-filled magic is branded on me. Everything within me recognizes everything about him now. Him, Donald, Gish, I’m pretty sure every man higher up in the Mastery is bathed in evil essence and I’ll never be able to wash their signatures away.

“Willow, I must say, the company you’ve decided to keep in this realm is profoundly disappointing.” Franklin sighs as Ry shoves him into his seat forcefully.

The darkened side of my soul where I allow my most deranged, most angry thoughts and wants to live, is “profoundly disappointed” he looks as put together as he does. Admittedly, I was hoping he looked as fucked up as I did when I was rescued. I mean, a dragon did drop him from the sky, so he should at least have a broken nose.

“There’s only one person in this room that’s disappointing, Franklin, and I can assure you, it’s none of us,” I say coldly, holding his blank, lifeless eyes.

“Do not refer to me—”

“Do not speak to me with that tone. Not now, not ever again.” I raise my voice to match his, cutting him off before he has the chance to even finish that command. He’s not in control here.

The guys flood my chest with pride, and I let it bolster my confidence, my ego. I let it build up until I know I can sit upon their feelings like a throne rather than crumble under Franklin’s brutal stare.

“Well, then tell me what it is you’ve dragged me out of my cage for. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re a smart girl. I know you don’t honestly believe you’ll get much out of me on my society. So what else is it you want to know?” he says matter-of-factly.

“My mother.”

“Ah, yes. I figured you’d want to know more about her. The two of you have more in common than I ever thought possible.” His eyes glide across my men and his disgusted glare lands on Draken with a sneer.

“Don’t.” I growl, my dragon surfacing in clear threat.

“So not a mutt you let mark you but a mythical overgrown lizard.” He scoffs.

“You’re one more wrong word away from meeting your demise, Franklin. I’ve asked them not to kill you, but you insult one of my men again, and all bets are off,” I swear. Both Draken’s and Caspian’s giddiness at the prospect of killing him bleeds into me and I smirk.

Those two are just waiting for my signal to off someone.

“Your men? My, you really are—”

“Just like her. I fucking get it. You’ve said it countless times now, so how about you just explain it to me a little more than that. I never would’ve pegged you for a repetitive man. One with so little importance to contribute to a conversation,” I goad, hoping by insulting him he’ll feed into my bait and actually give me some answers.

His eyes narrow on me in recognizable hatred and part of me wants to flinch away from his glare. It’s a look I’m all too familiar with and if we’d been back in the nonmagical realm, or if I were strapped to a table in this moment, then I would’ve given in to my body’s natural reflex, but I don’t. I refuse to.

He can’t hurt me here.

Nor will he ever hurt me again.

“Fine, I see no harm in you knowing the truth now. It’ll only cause you pain, not me,” he says with a disgusted, self-satisfied smirk, and I clench Draken’s thigh tightly to keep him in his seat so Franklin will continue.

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