Page 141 of Gemini Queen
And I don’t even think.
A low hum fills my throat, I sweep my hands forward, and an electric jolt rolls out of me. That blinding crackle of purple light arcs across the space between us and knocks Zerxes sprawling on his ass. The chemical reek of ozone floods the air.
Well…dayum.
That wasn’t the lightning (thank God) but it was definitely the lightning’s little brother. Somehow, even acting on sheer impulse, I retained enough control—this time—not to fry the guy to a crisp.
My ponytail floats in a staticky rush of jubilation. I feel like screaming with sheer effing triumph.
Get it together, showgirl. This is definitely not the moment to pop the champagne and rent a limo to celebrate your newfound control over the lightning.
Zerxes is sprawled on the flagstones with wrath filling his face and, shit, his hands are starting to glow. He’s revving up to let loose. And I don’t have the first clue what to do about a pissed-off warlock wielding psi fire.
“Oh, darling,really.” Vasili prowls between us in his heeled boots and sparkly coat. “You simply don’t know when to stay down, do you?”
He sighs and gestures with a negligent hand. Zerxes jerks into instant rigidity. He’s immobilized, flat as a pinned frog in a high school biology lab, glowing hands stapled to the flagstones, face turning purple with wrath. I think it’s weird that he doesn’t say anything, until I realize hecan’tsay anything.
Because Vasili’s not letting him breathe.
My Goblin King is a vicious snake. But he’s my snake.
I straighten my dress and tighten my ponytail, breathing heavily and appreciating the fuck out of my ability to do so.
That’s the sitch when Ronin and Neo burst through the fog and find us.
“Whoa, babe, there you are! God, are you okay?” Neo beelines straight for me, but I give him a warning head shake and he gives me my space, because I can’t drop my psychic wall just yet, and I don’t want to look weak in front of Zerxes.
Neo’s anxious eyes inventory every single inch of me, confirming for himself that I’m okay, before his gaze swings to Zerxes, whose face is now as purple as Neo’s hair.
“Um, Vasili?” Neo knows better than to touch the Goblin King when he’s wielding his lethal witchcraft, but my fated mate waves a hand for Vasili’s attention. “You are gonna let the guy breathe again, right?”
“Oh, why, do I have to?” Vasili pouts maliciously. Of course, my pit viper’s having the time of his life.
Ronin inventories the scene with a swift sharp look and barks a short laugh. He doesn’t know exactly what just went down either, since I walled him out too, but he knows it wasn’t good. His tiger eyes are dangerous and his laughter holds a vicious edge.
And, yeah, I love that these guys’ll take someone out for me. That they’ll do literal violence to defend me. I freaking love it.
After all, I haven’t had that very often in my life. Instead, I’ve had a psycho mom and a casino czar dad and friends like Xiao and Cleo.
That’s why I’ve always had to fight my own battles.
But I don’t need to fight alone anymore.
And because these warlocks have my back, no one’s exactly springing to poor Ceph’s defense. Which leaves it up to me to say begrudgingly, “The guy’s a creep, but that isn’t a capital offense. Let him breathe, Goblin King.”
“Give us just a moment more, darlings… and…there.” Vasili sighs with satisfaction, and I see that Zerxes’ eyes are closed. Another careless flourish of Vasili’s glittering hand, and Zerxes’ chest rises in a sudden full breath.
“You choked him unconscious?” I divide my appalled attention between the warlock on the floor to confirm he’s actually breathing (he is) and the warlock standing over him negligently checking his makeup. “I just keep learning new reasons not to piss you off.”
“Hmmm.” His shiny compact’s already open so he can primp properly, but Vasili’s eyes are narrowed on me over the raised lid. “You can rest assured I would’ve discerned that piddling common magic fog spell of hismuchsooner if these two wicked mates of yours weren’t such a terrible distraction.”
I suck in a breath big enough to make my head spin and step right off the cliff. “They’re your mates too, Vasili. Aren’t they?”
His startled gaze jolts to Ronin, who winds one arm around Neo’s waist and one around mine and nuzzles my cheek. Ronin’s warm to the touch and his heat’s building, which I realize the instant I lower my barrier and let them back in. But we’re all fixated right now on the Goblin King.
Next, Vasili’s pensive eyes shift to Neo, who (of course) blushes.
That blush of his makes me mighty eager to learn what all went down while I was peeling Bucephalus Zerxes’ predatory hands off my petunia.
