Page 97 of The Aether

“Why are you still lingering about?” he asked the newcomers, meeting the solemn gaze of the woman standing in front of the others.

“We have orders to bring in Sabrina Dethridge, sir.”

With a small quirk of his lips, he lifted a brow. “Do you honestly believe I’d let you leave here with my daughter in tow?”

She audibly swallowed. Apparently, as the Aether, he was scarier than the Arcane Devourer.

With a side-glance toward Draven, she blushed.

Interesting.

“It’s required, sir,” she said, gamely continuing her mission.

Damian stroked the smooth skin of his wife’s face, debating his next move. He could simply kill them all and be done with it, but the Authority would send more. Perhaps the gods and goddesses would lend their firepower to bring him down. It would be a recreation of his mother’s defeat. Entombing him was the only way to stop him from returning to rain hell down upon their heads.

This wasn’t the way he wanted it, but neither would he let his daughter be harmed. Sighing heavily, he eased Vivian’s head from his lap and climbed to his feet. Damian stepped in front of the Authority’s agent and clasped his hands behind his back.

She was clever enough to back a foot away, not taken in by his deceptively casual stance. “Please, sir. Our team doesn’t want any trouble.”

Draven approached, wedging himself between Damian and the woman.

“Your team will all be dead in less than ten seconds if you don’t leave now,cher.” His lazy gaze traveled her striking visage, then continued down her body at an unhurried pace. When he met her eyes, he grinned. “But I’m happy to go withyou. I may even let you cuff me.”

“Damnit! He stole my line,” Castor complained good-naturedly.

“Your flirting is not necessary, Mr. Masters,” the Red Guard’s captain replied crisply. Her chin shot up, and her expression cooled, but she couldn’t hide the heightened color of her skin.

“Leave off, Masters.” Damian touched his shoulder.“You’re like a cat with a mouse,”he added telepathically.

Chuckling, Draven inched back, but he never removed his hawklike attention from the Authority’s team leader.

Also interesting.

“Ms. Ellis.” Damian smiled at her surprise. “Yes, I’m aware of who you are. Ms. Ellis, you may tell the Authority I will join them tomorrow morning at precisely nine a.m.”

“But, sir—”

“I will have my daughter with me, as long as I receive assurances of her safety,” he added coolly.

Her dark brows met over midnight-blue eyes, and she shot a frustrated look toward Draven before nodding. “All right, Mr. Dethridge. I accept your terms. Tomorrow, in Council Hall B, at nine a.m.”

“Excellent. In the meantime, I suggest you take your crew and wipe the minds of anyone who may have witnessed the mass arrival of the building’s occupants in the park. I assume you have that ability, yes?”

With a sharp nod, she gestured the others to precede her out of the tunnel. When they were outside of hearing range, she said, “You didn’t hear this from me, sir, but you may want to bring any deities who are willing to go to bat for you and your daughter.” She cast Sabrina a sorrowful look. “Tomorrow you’ll face a tribunal, and your daughter’s life hangs in the balance.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ellis. I’ll come prepared.”

“My condolences on your wife, sir.”

With a respectful nod, she exited.

“It was my singing, wasn’t it? It always gets ’em.” Castor walked away, humming.

Unexpectedly, Draven Masters burst out laughing. “I look forward to workin’ with him in the future.”

“Thank you for your service today, Guardian. It was more than I could’ve asked for.”

“What do you intend to do about tomorrow, friend?”

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