Page 60 of Gift from the Nexus

The only issue we were running into was, we’re ready to interrogate fucking Franklin and the Primary thief, but we figured letting them stew a couple days, worry about when they’re going to die, may work in our favor getting answers from them.

“Princess, maybe you should—”

“I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t want any more time. There’s so much we need to do and sitting around here isn’t going to get it done. The academy still needs to be repaired. We have to figure out how the wards were brought down. Was it Jarod’s Emittium gem that led them to us, not to mention, we have to get into the Forsaken Forest sooner rather than later. Plus, our prisoners.”

Ah fuck, we didn’t tell her about Gima.

“What about her?” Willow’s head whips to me with narrowed eyes and a growl rumbles in her chest.

Fuck me, that’s so hot.

I don’t attempt to hide the pleasure on my face from her possessive little outburst. I swear it pleases me and my dragon to no end hearing that angry little thunder tumble out of her over us.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you with anything, so we haven’t told you everything yet, but don’t worry about the academy. Gaster’s already taken care of the training fields and the gym reconstruction is already underway. Plus, classes for the week are canceled,” Corentin says cautiously, treading carefully with how close to the surface her dragon is.

This is the first hint of her I’ve seen all day and fuck do I wish all of her would come out.

“That doesn’t tell me what that bitch has to do with anything.” She growls.

With a reluctant sigh, Tillman wraps his hand around the back of Willow’s neck, and they both go statue still, staring into one another’s eyes. The rest of us wait, knowing she’s about to be pissed all the way off.

Only a few seconds pass when her emotions start a slow crawl across my chest, then suddenly, they ignite into an inferno of pure, unfiltered rage. She’s quick to pull it back in, but her eyes have completely shifted, and my dragon pushes fast and hard to the surface, seeking hers out.

“I’m going to rip her to fucking shreds when I get my hands on her. There’s not going to be a single fingernail left to find when I’m done.”

The deep timbre that takes over her musical voice causes a purr to fall from my chest and a smile to take over my whole face. My little wanderer is so sexy when she’s pissed, and this little crazy side of hers calls to my beast. He’s incredibly pleased with his mate’s declaration. Caspian agrees based on the delighted smirk on his face, but Tillman and Corentin look a little uneasy, like they’re waiting for her to shift right here in our bed and go fly off looking for Gima right now.

“I’ll serve her up for you on a silver platter if that’s what you want, Primary.” Caspian hums, wrapping his hand aroundWillow’s throat, tilting her head back far enough so he can plaster his mouth to hers.

It takes me by surprise for a split second because it’s so fucking weird seeing him show affection so passionately like that, but damn, by the desire pulsing through her and those sweet little muffled noises he’s causing her to make, I hope he starts doing this shit more times a day.

“That’s exactly what I want.” She pants out when he finally breaks away from her.

“My dad has relayed the message to my mom that the Everglow family is one of the two betraying us, and for now, until they figure out who’s family number two, the plan is to pretend we have no clue so we can prepare to take both families down at the same time. My office received a message from Gima’s father this morning, informing us that they feel with this attack it’s best she doesn’t return to the academy until we can ensure we have better security in place to protect her and the other highly important students,” Corentin spits out bitterly, breaking up the yummy sexual tension in the air.

Willow turns her attention to him, and the purple slowly fades from her eyes while her chest falls in a more controlled rhythm. Her anger’s still pumping through my chest, but it’s not near as blazing as it was seconds ago.

“So what are we to do?” she finally asks.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take the week off?” Corentin follows up.

“I’m sure. One hundred percent.”

“Then we’ll start at Rebel Castle. Aria was able to place a rune around both of the prisoners, but she said their marks are different than any she’s seen so far. They’re still tied to the Summum-Master, but it’s not like the others. She said it’ll keep the Summum-Master from killing them, but she’s not sure what will happen if we pry into their minds,” Tillman informs us.

“We can start with Trex. Franklin probably possesses more useful information, but he’s not going to be cooperative in the slightest and as much as I want him dead, we have to get information from him first,” Willow says, eyeing Caspian, who looks ready with an argument on his tongue.

“You think just because he didn’t physically participate in what happened, he’s going to just willingly speak to us, give us whatever information we want?” he asks coldly.

“No, but I think there’s something in it for him. He’s selfish, was selfish with everything he said and did, but I don’t think this is the life he chose for himself.”

I’m not so sure about that. I rarely, if ever, would doubt anything she said or believed in, but this is a grown-ass man we’re talking about. He’s old enough, been old enough, to make decisions on his own. This isn’t like Layton, who’s just a kid.

“Is his comment about his brothers the reason you think that?” I ask. That could be the only thing that would convince me he’s not doing this by his own free will. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for my brothers.

“Mostly yes. It was obvious that he didn’t care for the other three. There was no true brotherhood between the four of them. He has motives for something, and I don’t think they aligned with the Mastery’s, but the Mastery was his way of getting what he wants.”

“The mind reader first and then we’ll go from there,” Tillman states sternly, leaving no room for argument from any of us.

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