Page 75 of A Fate so Cruel

Rion’s eyes slid to those down the hall, more guards, a few guests, and the governor himself. Half were shaking, too afraid to speak or move. The other half were ready to fight. He growled again. Let them. If a fight was what it took—

“Enough.” Rion blinked. Looked at Selina. Her tone sounded as though she’d ordered him to stop several times already. He surveyed her form. Her swollen lips, the disheveled dress. No blood. He hadn’t hurt her. “Let’s just go.” It was almost a plea and Rion wasn’t sure if it were real or not.

What she’d just done—that had felt real. So real his mind couldn’t think around the taste of her.

A mission. He didn’t want it to be a mission. Not anymore. And that was the whole problem. In a matter of days, she’d broken through the defenses he’d put in place after Caol.It had been so easy for her. He’d let her get close; one more step and she’d be able to put that knife in his back and he’d never see it coming.

It needed to end now. All of it. Her. Him. The mission. Everything. Let them try to find the rebels their way. He’d take on the task himself. Separate. Work in a different city. He’d already memorized the map.

Rion met Selina’s gaze again, then let the male fall to the floor. He scrambled away from Rion’s magic. Judging from the smell, the male had wet himself.

His jaw clenched, then Rion pushed past Selina and stormed down the hall. He didn’t care what she did from here. He just needed to escape.

The guards reached for their weapons.

“Move,” he growled, his own power rising in answer.

They scrambled back, pressing themselves against the wall. Wisely, the governor said nothing as Rion passed and raced down the stairs.

Selina paused behind him. “Thank you for having us,” her voice shook. He still didn’t know if it was fake. “I apologize for the . . . interruption.”

Part of Rion wanted to turn around and show them just how much of an interruption he could be, but he kept walking.

He needed to leave. He’d allowed himself to get too involved. Maybe he’d head straight back to Nàdair and tell Alec to shove working with others up his pompous ass. Let Selina feed him her own story.

Maybe she could use her manipulative skills on the governor after his episode. Play the role of poor abandoned girlfriend. He was beginning to think bedding a male for information wasn’t beyond her. She’d likely done it before.

Rion shoved the thought from his mind. He breathed in the cool night air, letting it quell his all-consuming rage. Hedidn’t expect to hear Selina’s heels clicking behind him seconds later.

He turned slightly, watching her hold up the edge of her dress as she ran for him. The outside lights cast a soft glow on the street, bathing her in an ethereal light. Guilt washed through him. Guilt and shame.

She scowled when she finally caught up to him. “What the hell was that?” she waved her arms behind them. “You just alerted every single one of them about why we’re here.”

Her voice echoed far too loud. Rion looked up and down the empty street. “Congratulations, you’ve just alerted the rest.”

He tried to turn, but she ran to his front, that earlier fear gone. Surely she couldn’t have faked it. “What part of this do you not understand?” she hissed. “We had a perfect opportunity and you go and ruin it by getting all pissy?”

Rion swallowed his anger and the shame that came with it. “They’re involved, what more is there to know?”

Selina placed her hands on her hips. “Information,” she emphasized. “We need information. We need to figure out who’s leading them, and now they’re probably scrambling to burn everything they possess thanks to your stupid questions.”

Rion shrugged. “Take them out. Make it look like an accident. Problem solved.”

“It’s not that simple and you know it. This group has been growing for years. They’re bigger than anything Nàdair has ever faced and they’re attacking Brónach’s citizens. We’re one tiny step short of an entire revolt. Killing them is just going to create martyrs and rally more to their cause.”

Rion crossed his arms. “That’s not my problem.”

“Not your—what do you mean not your problem? I thought you were here to protect the crown. To protect your sister at the very least. What do you think will happen when they overthrow the city? You think they’ll just let her live?”

“If anyone touches Saoirse—”

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved her hand. “You’ll kill them. But even you can’t take on the entire continent.”

“I have so far.”

She rubbed her temples. “You’re being petty.” He shrugged and made to walk away. “Where are you going?”

“Leaving.”

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