Page 9 of Gemini Kings
Maybe it’s not totally a bad thing that I’m the last purebred Gemini (that we know of). Not to mention the last purebred female in all four arcane races, period.
Yeah, that’s right. We’re all slowly going extinct.
Darwinism.
It sucks.
Anyway, I’m the next queen in the witching world conga line (what little remains of it) and, like it or not, it’s my job to do something to stop that whole extinction event. I mean, it’s my job whenever the current Aquarius queen (who’s now childless) kicks the bucket.
But Dad? Despite all that fancy Gemini DNA, he’s a weak witch. A sperm donor. In our world, he’s pretty much nothing.
Dad compensates for all that inadequacy by being filthy rich. You know, like casino king rich.
And, uh, he’s not subtle.
Too bad the effort’s totally wasted on Xiao.
My ex is a gamer and a grifter and a goddamn genius with tech, but he’s never admired a painting or cracked a book (that I know of). Now he’s prowling the open space between my dad’s supersized desk and the private elevator with his mobile pressed to his ear. In fact, he’s pacing like a caged tiger.
Good.
“Come on, Gemini,” he mutters under the alarm’s muffled whoop and wail. “Pick the fuck up.”
Yeah, no. My dad won’t be answering, butthead. Because by now, I guarantee you, Vasili’s got his complete fucking focus.
I’ve been wondering how I’ll feel seeing Xiao again. You know, after he betrayed me? Since I sussed the truth out of Lucius, I’ve been pretty much livid.
Well, I guess this is how.
Xiao’s still slim and sleek with his inky hair and his chiseled looks. And he used to be able to flip my switch with one look from those hungry eyes.
But I’m pretty well fucked these days (in all the best ways) and I’m relieved to realize Xiao just doesn’t light my fire.
Like,at all.
I’m over him.
What does light me up is that Spanish doubloon he’s wearing on a heavy gold chain around his neck. He always wears it, picked it up illegally diving a wreck in South America before we ever met, said once he felt drawn to it for more reasons than what it’s obviously worth. He’s, like, obsessively attached to it. Never takes it off, not even to swim or shower, even though I never much liked the thing hitting me in the face when we fucked (which gave me a great excuse to straddle him, something he never seemed to mind).
But I digress.
The point is, he’s still got it. He’s still obsessed with it. It’s still his most treasured possession. Well,mymost treasured possession is my fucking freedom, you asshole. Which you were apparently one hundred percent okay with that kill squad taking from me.
Permanently.
So guess what I’m gonna take fromyou?
Suddenly I’m all done with caution. Even though the smoke’s getting thick enough to sting my eyes and I still can’t feel my warlocks in the link.
While Xiao paces and mutters into his mobile, I slither around in the chute till I’m situated feet first, wedge myself with my arms to get leverage, coil up tight, then shoot my platform boots at the grate with the full force of my black belt body behind the blow.
The impact slams through me. The grate flies free with a clang like it’s got wings. I swing out of the chute right after and land on my feet.
Right in front of my shitty ex.
“Ciao, bello,”I croon with a vicious grin. Cleo was Italian, and vocal when she got sexed up, so that’s what our wholeménagealways spoke when we fucked. “Did you miss me, baby?”
“Zara?”Xiao freezes in his tracks like a cornered rat. Dismay flickers in his bad boy face, for literally like an eyeblink. Then that confident grin spreads over his handsome puss. “Fuck,bambina. For a sec, you scared the piss out of me.”
