Page 87 of Of Mercury and Mist

Not that I wanted to, but vampire decorum dictated I pour Josiah and Kiam glasses of blood as well. After filling the glasses, I handed them out.

Josiah snatched the glass from me. “Do you even begin to understand what you’ve done. You claimed a thief. This weakens us considerably and we’ve just joined forces with the Canadian clan. No one will stand for this.”

“She’s not a thief,” I countered, sipping the rich, sweet liquid I’d poured for myself. It traveled through my system, the nutrients filling my cells, and I felt more of my interior wound knitting itself back together.

Josiah raked a hand through his long hair, pushing it back from his forehead. “Onychinus. She took my creation. Our creation. There is no coming back from that.”

“That is where we were mistaken. She didn’t; and it never left the room.” I arched a brow. “It was a mistake.”

Grinding his jaw, he set his drink down. “That’s not a ‘mistake’. I don’t care how lovesick you are. If you don’t end her; I’m afraid I will have to.” My ears started ringing.

“I hate to do this to you, or to Della.”

It was all I could do to stop myself from lunging at the man I loved. I was trembling, shaking, every molecule of my body demanding I sever his head from his body while my vision turned red. My canines forced their way through my gums as I clenched my fists, fighting every violent urge as it welled up within me compelling me to strike.

“Actually, Micha’s right,” Kiam stated, nonchalantly strolling up to Josiah’s side as if we were merely enjoying a picnic at the park and not discussing ending Ashley’s life. He held out his cell phone, shoving it out for him to see.

Josiah snatched it from him and glanced down. Security footage flittered across the screen, showing Ashley with a mess of items in her hand. She was always a mess—why couldn’t she carry a purse like a normal person?

Sure enough, a cluster of papers, what looked like a lip balm, and a couple other things were clutched in her dainty hands as she entered the room. The video sped up, showing her busy at work, crouching, stretching, positioning people and props before snapping their photo. Toward the end of the footage, we watched her laughing and smiling, before finally waving goodbye and leaving. Without a single item she’d brought in with her.

Josiah cleared his throat. “Why was none of this examined before reaching a verdict?”

Della had joined us and was now staring at me, her eyes narrowed in accusation. “It was—but not this angle. We didn’t have this view until Kiam updated our system.”

Josiah turned to our new security software professional. “Do we know who left the pills on the counter?”

“We do.”

“And how was that resolved?”

Della spoke up. “Can I watch the footage? You guys tend to be a bit hasty with termination.”

“Little one, there’s a very good reason for that. Don’t tell me you haven’t learned anything after all this time,” he gently chided her.

She huffed. “You can’t just go around killing people. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“Sweetheart, they’re my dinner.”

“Oh my God. I know that, knock it off. I’m just saying...”

Kiam sighed and shook his head. “The issue has already been handled.”

I glanced at him, surprised. “Since when do you have authorization for such actions?” I should’ve been the one to wield the death blow, it was my right seeing as how this affected Ashley.

“He’s been here monitoring. Why do you think I came so fast?” Josiah said.

My temper boiled over and before I knew it, my fist met his jaw, sending him staggering into my coffee table. His hand darted up to clench his jaw, shock coloring his eyes, as he righted himself. The table’s legs screeched across the floor under his weight.

“You douchebag,” Della yelled at me, hurrying to his side, like she could do a thing to help.

“Spies, Josiah? Really?” I spit out, crowding him against the table. “After everything we’ve been through?” He wagged his head, trying to shake off my assault.

“Get out of here,” Della said. She tried to shove me back, but it was Kiam’s confession that allowed him space.

“It's Alastair’s fault. He sent me here since I have some familiarity with the two of you,” Kiam admitted. “It's routine; no offense.”

I didn’t know the man he spoke of, though the name was becoming more familiar than I cared for. I didn’t give a shit who he was. Now I was pissed Josiah hadn’t warned me; it didn’t matter whose idea it was.

---