Page 17 of Gua rdian of Blood and Shadow

Micah wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a sturdy hug. I collapsed against him, sobs racking my whole body. I should have been the one comforting him in what had to be a completely insane situation to him, but here I was, falling to pieces, leaving him to be the grown-up in the room.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, squeezing me tight. “I didn’t mean to push. I just… I hate feeling helpless.”

Something between a laugh and a sob burst out of me. “Me too.”

Micah started shaking, and for a moment, I thought he was breaking down right along with me. But then I caught a choked giggle, and I froze.

“Are youlaughing?” I asked, incredulous. I pulled back enough to see his face, his features contorted as he attempted to contain his hysterics.

“I’m sorry!” he gasped, hunching his shoulders and curling into himself like that might hold in the inappropriate laughter. “It’s just so insane. It’s allsoinsane.”

The corners of my mouth tensed, teasing a smile, and I wiped the tears from my cheeks. The absurdity of Micah’s hysterics was like a bucket of cold water, snapping me out of my own emotional tailspin. I stepped back, amusement curving my lips as I waited for his laugh attack to expend itself.

“I’m so sorry!” He drew in a deep breath, only a few rogue laughter convulsions shaking his shoulders. Straightening, he wiped under his eyes. “I’m sorry, Soph,” he repeated, meeting my eyes.

“You okay?” I asked. “That looked intense.”

He squeezed his sides with his hands and blew out a breath. “My abs hurt. And my face.” A laughter aftershock shook him. “Have you tried hysterical laughter? Because I feel ten times better.”

I snorted and shook my head. “Maybe I’ll give it a try later.”

Micah squinted at me. “So, what’s this about the apocalypse?”

I winced, closing my eyes. “I shouldn’t have dumped that on you,” I said, shaking my head. “We don’t even really know what’s going on. It was just one vision.” I shuddered. One truly awful vision.

Micah stepped forward and gripped my arms. “I believe in you, Soph,” he said quietly. “I know you’ll figure this out. All of it. And you’re not alone. You have Bas and, like, an entire army of vampires.” He gave me a gentle shake. “You got this!”

I laughed weakly. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

He shook his head, smiling softly, and pulled me in for another hug. “I just wish—”

At a muffled commotion out in the hallway, we both looked toward the door. Now that I wasn’t in the middle of a breakdown, I could sense my consorts out there. I could feel their agitation.

Bastian’s voice rose above the others, tense and clipped. “We can’t just barge in there!”

“She’s upset,” Javier argued. “We need—”

“She needs some gods-damned space!” Bastian snapped.

I pulled away from Micah, irritation spiking as the argument continued. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but I need to deal with…” I waved a hand toward the door, beyond which the argument was escalating. “That.”

Micah’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Go on,” he nodded toward the door.

I squeezed his hand, then turned and stalked toward the door, anger burning away the last of my tears.

It was time to knock some sense into my overprotective consorts.

11

Iopenedthedoortofind Bastian’s back to me while he faced off with Javier. Thane and Ash hung back, flanking the other vampire. They reminded me of cats locked in a standoff. The tension was thick enough to choke on.

All three sets of vampire eyes snapped to me, but Bastian didn’t turn. Probably because he had three deadly predators standing in front of him, ready to strike.

“My room,” I said frostily, glancing down the hallway toward the door to the High Queen’s chambers. “Now.”

Ash and Thane backed off immediately, turning and heading that way.

I locked stares with Javier and raised my eyebrows. His eyes narrowed, and he drew in a breath like he might say something, but instead, he turned and stalked after my other consorts.

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