Page 13 of Gemini Kings
And he’s lucky as fuck I wasn’t still twisting his balls when my lightning went off, or Xiao would’ve been singing soprano for the rest of his natural life.
A rough hand grips my shoulder from behind. In reflex, my leg snaps back in a donkey kick that connects with someone’s kneecap.
You know, the hard way.
Bone crunches, the guy howls, and that invasive hand on my shoulder falls away.
I vault over the desk and Xiao’s stirring form, barely evade some other guy’s fist that’s grabbing for my hair and still manages to rip out a few strands—ouch, dammit, that stings like a bitch!—and land behind the desk in a crouch.
The door’s out of reach right now, and the ventilation chute’s a rat trap I don’t wanna get caught in. But the elevator’s right in front of me. I punch the button and loop Xiao’s medallion around my neck.
At last something goes my way (finally!) because the elevator’s down here waiting and not idling at the helipad up top. The doors shoot right open—
Just as someone’s arm locks around my neck from behind.
“He doesn’t wanna hurt you,” the guy rasps in my ear. Probably the same asshole who just ripped out a chunk of my damn hair. “He only wants to talk.”
“Sweet Jesus,” I mutter. “When are you guys gonna get the message? I’m. Not. Interested.”
I punctuate that newsflash with an instep stomp that loosens that arm around my neck PDQ. Then I jab a reinforced elbow into the guy’s torso. Mr. Handsy gives a goodoof!and I duck free, my foot shooting back to hammer him right in the nuts.
He wheezes and doubles over in extreme pain.
As he fuckingshould.
I don’t get to use my combat skills much while I’m queening it these days—which is one more reason I don’t like the gig. I’m not cut out to be some shrinking violet. But I work pretty hard not to get rusty, I train with Ronin so I won’t, and it feels straight up exhilarating to let loose.
When I dart inside the elevator and punch the button, I might actually be grinning.
There aren’t many options to choose from, because my dad’s express elevator only exists to cart his self-important ass between his helipad and his private office.
You know, because he’s too important to take the regular lift with the average joes?
I catch one last glimpse in the horror-show half-light of Xiao struggling to sit and gaping at my amped-up lightning witch persona, with my hair floating and my eyes glowing. Yeah, that’ll be a problem if we ever hook back up, but right now I’m not fucking planning on it. Behind and around him, faceless dudes in carnival masks are swarming over those guys I took out and bolting toward me.
The last thing I hear before the doors slam shut is some guy barking into his phone, “Tell the Russian she’s headed for the roof.”
Then I’m shooting up at warp speed (because my dad doesn’t like to wait) as the elevator powers for the roof.
Who in the freaking hell’sthe Russian?
My unholy exuberance eases off and a little trepidation creeps in. But I’m still high on adrenaline and pheromones, which makes it really hard to think. The only Russian I know, um, intimately is Vasili. And it’s not like the Goblin King isn’t eminently capable of betrayal.
But that scenario literally makes zero sense.
If Vasili wanted to take me out, the way he used to—because he and I met cute, back in the day—he could’ve made his move a million times at the Academy. And he would have left Ronin (who he’s, like, obsessively in love with, and totally protective over) clear of this mess.
Nope. Vasili’s on my side. That Russian on the roof is someone else.
Which reminds me…
Hey, Goblin King,I send to Vasili through our bond.Uh, any chance you can get my ass down from the roof?
Which isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds, because he’s not only the new professor of Mogadon Magics at the Academy. He’s also pretty much the biggest badass in the whole Mogadon race. Most Mogadon have one gift tops. Vasili’s got, like, multiples. And with his particular skill set and the tools in his arcane toolbox?
Let’s just say altitude isn’t gonna be an issue.
Unfortunately, what is an issue is that I’m still getting nothing through our bond.
