Page 30 of Rising

“Lied to about what,” he challenged.

A command, not a question. I didn’t appreciate the alpha sense of authority he felt that he posed. I wouldn’t back down, and I damn sure wouldn’t submit.

I was ready to tell him that he would no longer be treated as an impending resident, and that he was now officially a prisoner when Seth rounded the corner.

“What’s going on here?” he said as I looked towards him, eyes already storming, waiting and ready for a fight.

“Nothing,” Alexiares replied with familiarity, as if he had already spoken with Seth before. His eyes were still trained on mine.

Seth removed the usual cowboy hat he sported when he was out in the Stables with the livestock and his horses. Given the time, that was probably where he was headed now that I took in his jeans and riding boots.

“I was just about to tell thisprisoner, it was time to go back to his cell until he can get escorted out,” I said, turning to face Seth completely, thinking he would support my decision.

Seth took in my features, recognizing my current state, and extended a hand to pull me aside for more privacy.

“I’m sorry,” he said, catching me off guard, “I didn’t mean to put you in this situation. I meant to tell you last night, but there was a lot to discuss and Tomoe was doing bad. I just—” His voice cracked as his thin lips pulled into a sad, exhausted smile.

I saved him the awkwardness of having to bare his emotions to me. We were family, but that boundary of emotional intimacy had never been breached in this relationship. “I understand that, and appreciate the apology. But he lied to me. I think. There’re just things that aren’t adding up around here and I feel like he has something to do with it.”

Something changed in his freckled face. He was calculating. “Then let him stick around,” he decided. “Keep him close and see what comes of it. Have Riley put a detail on him and wait it out. Keep your enemies close and all that. Do you have anything concrete?”

I glimpsed over my shoulder to find Alexiares watching us intently, studying my lips, reading our conversation. Taking a step closer to Seth, I lowered my voice, not knowing the full extent of Alexiares’ powers.

There’d been so much time between now and the last time I’d seen my friend that’d I’d forgotten the extent of his stature. I assumed he’d been reasonably tall and athletic in The Before, but hisSupragene had only accentuated those details. At nearly seven feet tall, each graceful step he took was powered by pure functional strength and muscle.

If an outsider were to observe the two of us speaking, they’d likely wrongly assume who was in charge here. Not knowing that the ones who were the biggest threat often lay in plain sight. Overlooked.

“Just a few hunches,” I replied after some thought. Opting to keep some things to myself until we were able to meet in private later on.

“Then continue on with the assessment,” he said simply, “the rest we’ll deal with as we’re presented with information. I’m not sure throwing out someone who could be our enemy is the best course of action. And unless you have a plan to convince Prescott of execution without a fair trial …”

I rolled my eyes.Fair points.I started to turn away before he grabbed my hand, wheeling me back. “Welcome back.” Grinning, he pulled me into a hug and turned away himself.

Restraining the desire to send shards of gravel through his skull, I brushed past Alexiares and his smirking face. It was my turn to smile.

“Let’s go,” I ordered. “The first part of your assessment starts now.”

“And the lie I supposedly told?” He clearly wasn’t ready to drop the subject.

I could see the defiance in his eyes. The way my call out personally affected his ego made my stomach churn.

“We’ll get to that. After the assessment,” I leveled, not wanting to speak any more than I had to.

His dark eyes scanned the area, waiting for someone else to show up. “Against who?”

“Usually recruits, but I could go for a punch or two at the moment, so … me.”

He blinked at me, clearly thinking I was joking. “No offense, but you don’t exactly appear to be in the position to throw or takeanytype ofslap at the moment, let alone a punch from a grown ass man.” Gesturing towards my body, not focusing on one weakness, but rather referring to the entirety of me as being one. I sent a jab to his ribs to prove a point, and he bent over, gasping for air.

My lips turned down as my nose crinkled, face mocking him and his current state. “Nah, I feel just fine, actually. And just because you say ‘no offense’ doesn’t mean someone won’t take offense. Now”—I nodded a few feet away where The Ring was as I removed my weapons strapped intermittently on my body—”go on in. First, we’ll assess hand-to-hand, then we’ll move into weaponry. Everyone is assessed by the standard three; bow & arrow, guns, and metal. Though if you have a weapon of preference outside of those, I’d be happy to add in anextraportion of the assessment.”

“You don’t find it a bit silly to focus on weaponry when you have magic literally in your hands. Ain’t that a bit of a risk? Hell, why waste time training and making materials—”

Before he could finish asking yet another stupid question, I decided to save him the breath, ready to get this over with and move on with my day. “Magic fails. Magic has different levels of power. People lose control in tough situations and in the face of danger. When one thing is no longer an option, it’s always good to have a few things in your back pocket. Besides,” I added, “some of our magicisthe gift of weaponry.”

His eyes sparked with realization as he glanced over me, finally seeing the danger that lay within me. I smirked at him, happy that for the first time in a long time, someone looked at me for the dangerous person I once was.Stillwas. Not some fragile damsel mourning the loss of her prince. It felt good to feel a bit like myself, and I knew only one thing would make me feel even better at this moment.

I grabbed onto his arm while throwing a strategically placed kick on his shin, and pulled, tossing him onto the ground as if he were nothing but a rag doll.

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