Page 66 of The Aether

“I’m secure enough,”he replied with a smirky half smile.

“Ah, true mates,” Draven said, nodding his dark-blond head.

“How can you tell?” she asked.

“The conversation you’re holdin’ in your mind with the Aether.”

“You can hear that?”

“No, but I can feel the buzz of the energy transferrin’ back and forth.” With a shrug, Draven downed his drink and set the glass to the side. “I doubt anyone else can.”

“Interesting,” she murmured. There was much she didn’t know about the people who were labeled Sentinels. “This telepathy thing is new to me.”

His sharp look caused her nerve endings to tingle.

“What?”

“No one can block the Aether from their thoughts if he wants in,cher,” Draven said simply. “How you’ve been able to do it is a complete mystery, no?”

“I suppose it is,” she agreed with a curious glance at her husband.

Had he been giving her privacy all this time to only now start spying on her thoughts, when he was worried someone was working against him?

Disappointment flashed on Damian’s face as he watched her from afar.

No. Their connection was new to him, too. Despite whatever was at play here, they’d developed a new tool that could be useful moving forward, and Vivian didn’t intend to look a gift horse in the mouth. They needed any advantage when it came to fighting their enemies.

Damian nodded and turned to answer a question being posed to him.

CHAPTER23

Vivian cornered him after their visitors dispersed. “Damian, how is any of this going to help?”

“We have a team in place now, Viv. One with members who have been through wars and fought with honor. They’ve been overlooked or discounted by the Authority because of their rebellious natures, but each and every one is the best at what they do.”

“But how does it defeat Morcant? How does it stop our daughter from falling into his clutches and that fucker from hurting our family?”

“I’m not sure that it does. However, the more firepower we have, the better. They are wise and battle-scarred. They won’t give in to despair or fear easily, and Morcant won’t be able to use negative emotions against them to gain the advantage.”

With his arm around his wife’s waist, Damian led Vivian over to the sofa where Sabrina slept.

“She’s going to do something to cause all of it, isn’t she?” Vivian asked fatalistically.

“I believe so,” he replied in a low, solemn tone. “Only she can see the outcome, and if it means putting herself in danger, she’ll do it to protect those she loves. It’s her greatest strength and our greatest weakness.”

“She’s worried Morcant will kill me, Damian.” Turning to him, she cradled his face between her palms. “Promise me, when it comes down to her or me, you’ll do what is necessary and let me go. Promise you won’t let her mourn or blame herself for the final outcome, and you won’t do it either.”

“Viv—”

She kissed him and stole his wits. Drawing back, she locked gazes with him, and in her eyes, he could see acceptance of what was to come. “Promise.”

“For her, yes. For me, no.” Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her in tight against him. “I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to either of you, and if you go, I’ll mourn you forever, my love.”

Her heavy sigh spoke to the heart of him. They both had strong thoughts about what was to come.

“Who do you suppose the Authority member is? The one working against you? I can’t imagine it’s the Fates, unless they’ve decided to create a new line of Aethers.”

Her question was thought-provoking. Was it possible the higher-ups wanted him gone because he wasn’t as easy to control as they wished?

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