Page 123 of The Art of Exiley

“Is it possible Bram and Leo have been working for her and could be behind some of the information leaks and the thefts?”

“What? No. Leonora would never do anything like that.”

“But you said she’s a traitor?”

“She’s a traitor for choosing to forsake her heritage and live among the philistines. But she’s in constant touch with the Guard and only shares knowledge that they approve for her to share.”

That… is not what I expected. And I find it surprisingly uplifting. “That’s amazing, that there are actually Makers making an effort to help the rest of the world.”

Rafe scoffs. “Her intentions are not so noble, I assure you. She’s driven purely by self-interest and the desire for wealth. Which makes her a perfect fit for the people she’s chosen over her own.”

I stand, ready to stalk away in annoyance. I’ve had quite enough of Rafe’s bigotry.

He reaches up and pulls me back down next to him. “I’m sorry,” he says. It doesn’t sound like something he is used to saying. He lightly tilts my chin so I’m looking at him. “I shouldn’t have said that about the people you grew up with.”

I scoot farther away from him, shaking off his hand. “I don’t need your apologies. We’ve done what we came to do. Now we can move on.” It’s true. I don’t care. I feel so empty inside. An emptiness that began when I found Rafe covered in blood earlier, and it has only grown bigger with everything else I have seen. Kor’s betrayal hurts worse than anything Rafe has done.

“Iwantto apologize,” Rafe insists. His gaze is vulnerable instead of the frozen indifference I’m used to. “I don’t want you to be angry with me.” He swallows. “I don’t know why that matters.” He looks genuinely confused.

I don’t respond.

Rafe clears his throat. “So, you understand now that Hypatia’s different—why I had to prioritize her rescue above all else?”

I nod and look up at him. I wasn’t sure he’d be willing to explain. “What exactly…?” I point to my teeth.

“Her Vanguard genetics are more concentrated. She doesn’t use blood for doping; she needs it to survive. Genesis doesn’t allow blood consumption, but they’ve allowed her to take transfusions. It’s enough for her to function well, but the effects wear off more quickly, leaving her weak.” He looks over at her, watching her sleep with adoration. “Hypatia is an extremely rare case, having strong Vanguard genetics and also being a Sire. When her abilities fully develop, she may be one of the most intrinsically powerful humans in Maker society. But the Inquisitors can’t know that her unique Vanguard genetics have survived. Most Makers don’t even know.”

The Inquisitors can’t know, yet he’s telling me, so he must truly believe I won’t tell them anything.

Idon’t even yet know what I will or won’t tell them.

Hypatia looks so serene sleeping. It’s hard to imagine that she’s as powerful as he says. Rafe gazes at her with such love…. Then he looks up at me with that same gaze, which for the first time seems to be inviting me in instead of shutting me out.

“Ada.” He grasps my hand. Warmth flows into my fingers as his eyes claim mine, so matter-of-factly that I can’t possibly look away. “I can never thank you enough. You’ve saved my cousin….” He pauses, processing his emotion. “I could never have helped her without you.” The gentleness in his voice makes his accent more pronounced. His intensity has my heart beating fast. “I know your reasons for being at Genesis are complex, but if you tell me that you’re not planning to endanger my people, I trust you. And I swear to you, on my mother’s Ha’i, that I won’t tell anyone.”

He’s sitting so close to me, in all his fierce and perfect beauty. But I know better now.

I respond flatly, “You’ll keep quiet so I don’t tell anyone about your family’s big secret?”

“No, that’s not—” He presses his lips together in frustration, then tries again. “I trust you without any threat. And I want you to know you can trust me, too.”

“Rafe, let’s just get Hypatia home, and then we can go our separate ways.” I try to pull my hand away, but he squeezes tighter, the thrum of our unique chemistry pulsing beneath our skin.

“Ada…” His voice is raspy, the heat from his grip on my hand spreading slowly to other parts of my body. “Do our ways have to be so separate?” His question is loaded with something that I’m not ready to think about.

Though my mind is made up, my voice betrays me with the sound of hesitation as I answer, “I think that’s for the best.”

“Ada,” he whispers again. He lifts my hand and gently brushes his lips against my palm. It’s the gentlest of kisses. A gentleness that, once again, is so unfamiliar from him. “I like that you care. Even though I disagree with the lies you’ve been told, I like that you try to begood.”

The electricity that always seems to be buzzing between us comes to life,as if my Ha’i is sparking through my skin, begging to be closer to his. I swallow a gasp.

Rafe says, “This kind of connection between two Sires who have Ha’i that is uniquely compatible… It’s so rare. I’ve only ever heard about it in legends. Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss… whatever this is.”

He trails more kisses down my hand and along my wrist in a way that makes my pulse thrum erratically in my veins. I feel something awakening inside me, something I’m not interested in dealing with right now. Especially when the placement of his kisses reminds me of another wrist at his mouth, a wrist that was not mine, painted ruby red.

Jerking my hand away from him and taking a deep breath to calm my body, I stand up. “I can never forgive you for violating that girl.”

“I didn’tviolateher.”

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