Page 127 of Owned

“Shut up,” Valen snapped. “You don’t understand. Avril—”

I pushed Bastian aside and ignored his outraged grunt. “What about her—”

The last time I’d seen her, Avril had been close to death.

We’d only just managed to pull her back from the brink of whatever ritual she’d been ensnared in. She’d almost bled to death on the bathroom floor, and we never would have known…

Valen glanced at me and then at our captives. His eyes narrowed at what was left of the Sage who hadn’t been quick enough to escape. “There’s no time to explain. We have to leave. Now.”

Bastian’s smile turned bitter. “Not without a very fucking good reason.”

Valen’s expression was hard and tight, and in that moment I glimpsed a new danger, one that curled toward me like a viper.

“Hurry up and spit it out,” Bastian added impatiently.

“Avril… she’s in danger,” Valen said.

“Explain,” I demanded. There was no room for hesitation. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

“Ah, shit,” Bastian muttered. “Too slow—”

I glanced over Valen’s shoulder and my jaw tightened. One of our father’s advisors hurried across the courtyard toward us.

Lucian knew we were here.

Of course he did.

“It’s going to have to wait,” I said.

Valen’s eyes widened. “Titus—”

“Shut up,” I growled as the advisor reached us.

A little lizard of a man, I’d never bothered to learn his name. Smooth-skinned and skittering, he was always the first to answer every one of Lucian’s demands. He also held no fear of us, which made me hate him even more.

“What doyouwant?” Bastian sneered.

“Master Lucian requests your presence at once,” the man intoned. His black eyes glittered as they skimmed over us.

“Can’t you see we’re on our way?” Bastian retorted.

The man inclined his smooth head. “Of course,” he said. “He merely wishes for me to impress upon you the urgency of his demand.”

“Let’s move.” I snapped and pushed past our father’s advisor.

“Bring them along,” Bastian growled as we passed.

“As you say,” the man replied.

Valen, Bastian, and I strode across the courtyard without looking back.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Bastian said, as he cast a sidelong look at Valen. “Whatever he has to say can wait.”

But could it?

Valen was more emotional than Bastian—certainly more than I was—but he didn’t get worked up over nothing.

I wanted to ask him.

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