Page 79 of Court of Evil

I shrug. “You’re loyal to him.”

“I am, but I’m also loyal to you,” he says. “You’ve earned it. I spent years watching you, Tate, and reporting to him. You may not like it, but we know you. We trust you. I’m loyal to Shamus, yes, but to you as well. You are the only two people in his world I care about. I’m with you.”

“Until he orders you not to be,” I snap as I walk past him, and something about Ronan leaving causes me to feel a sense of unease. I didn’t know he was there before, but knowing I wasn’t alone, even in my darkest times, it’s . . . comforting. There is no embarrassment between us, but maybe there should be. He’s seen me at my worst, my most vulnerable, but there’s just this bond I can’t explain.

He stops before me, suddenly turning solid, and grips my arm to stop me. “Not even then. I’m loyal to him, yes, but he cannot order me away from you. Nobody can, not even you. I will not go.”

“Not even if I order you to?” I challenge.

“Not even then. You’re stuck with me, Tate.” He grins. “I’ve seen everything about your life. There are no secrets between us, and there never will be. The others will be jealous of our connection.”

I snort at that before something clicks.

“Wait.” My eyes narrow. “Did you watch me shower?”

His eyes widen, and he suddenly goes back to being incorporeal.

“Ronan!” I roar as he ducks and floats away. “You fucking pervy ghost! Get back here now!”

I chase him down the corridor, but he’s gone, the floating invisible fuck. When I get my hands on him, I’m going to make him wish he were never brought back.

I’m all packed for the hunt. Shamus provided us with transport, so we’ll drive the truck through the portal. We are all ready. The others didn’t need much prep, and they all know what we are doing now.

They are joining me on my journey for revenge.

As I stare at myself in the mirror of the safe room, wearing my hunter leathers, I realise I look wrong. Something is missing, and I know what it is. The wire is before me, the one I usually keep in my hair. It’s silly, but I feel naked without it.

I stare at my hair in annoyance. I can’t plait it back into my usual hunting braid, and I finger the short strands in a bit of irritation and shame. It’s just hair, but they did this to me, and I don’t feel like I can hunt them like this, as if they have a hold over me. I need to make this weakness a strength.

“I could grow it for you,” the fae offers, reading my expression.

“No.” Even if it wouldn’t cost me, I wouldn’t do it. “I refuse to show weakness. It’s just hair, but I do need to change it from what they did to something of my choosing.”

I pluck a small dagger from my waist and carefully grab a chunk of my hair on the left, putting the sharp edge under and slicing through. The red strands fall to the floor, leaving short, rough ends behind, and I frown, wishing I had a razor. One appears before me, and I glance back to see the warlock nodding at me.

“Whatever happened, your body should always be your own.”

“Thank you,” I say as I pick up the portable razor and buzz the left side of my hair above my ear and push the other side over so it falls jaggedly. It looks better. The fae appears, and without a word, he clicks his fingers and a small braid appears at the top of the left side, flopping over to the right, and he weaves the wire through it before stepping back.

“That one was for free.” He winks.

I turn and face them. Fang is sitting on the bonnet of the truck, waiting, and she gives me two thumbs up when I catch her eyes. “It looks hot.”

I wink and carry on looking them over. “If anyone wants to back out, now is the time. This is my revenge, not yours.”

“We’re a team,” Tem says. “Aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are all going with you,” Addeus confirms.

Jarek simply grins as Ronan smiles from a safe distance.

“Okay then.” Taking a deep breath, I grab my bag, throw it in the back of the truck, and toss the keys to Fang. “You drive, hot stuff.”

She blinks but grins as she slips down from the bonnet, and as I pass her to head to the passenger side, she smacks my ass and kisses my cheek. “Let’s kick some ass. By the way, speaking of ass, yours looks great in those pants.”

I gawk as she whistles and heads to the driver’s seat.

Ronan nods. “She’s right.”

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