Page 57 of A Sky of Storms
I glared back at her, my lips curving into a thin smile.
“We should stick together,” Noah said, reiterating his words from earlier. He looked to the sky as if searching for the flying creatures.
“You want me to trust the asshole who watched me get beaten up and then threatened me after the fact,” she snapped.
“People make mistakes,” Zane said, slinging an arm over her shoulder. “Ace helped us. He’s part of the dream team, Starfish.”
I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t part of any little team he had created in that warped brain of his. I was here for the ring, nothing more.
She didn’t want to believe that I could have helped anyone, and I didn’t fucking blame her. I didn’t trust her either. Zane and Noah may believe her manipulative bullshit but I wasn’t fucking buying it.
“Fine.” She sighed heavily. “Help me with Kendra.”
Noah picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and Fallon led the way to their shelter. The merman walked beside me, clutching his side and sneaking glances at me the entire time. If it weren’t for my plan to get the ring from the princess, I would have decked him. Zane had gotten it in his head that now that we had killed together, we were friends. I’d killed with a lot of people, but that didn’t mean that we swapped numbers and hung out. I didn’t have time for this fucking shit. I needed to finish this trial and get the House Jupiter ring.
It wasn’t a long walk, thank fuck, and when the building came into view I decided to take the opportunity to ask the princess about the ring. I jogged to her side and she gave me a death stare.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Fuck it.” I stopped, turning on my heel and striding back past Noah and Zane who both frowned at me.
It was a stupid idea to think the princess was going to be the easier target. She hated me as much as I hated her. I would have better luck with the sister.
“Wait!” a voice shouted after me and I slowed, letting the princess catch up. She’d have to work harder than that to get me to change my mind and turn around. She was dreaming if she thought I’d jump to attention like I was one of her servants.
“Can you just stop for a second?” she grumbled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a halt. The others had continued ahead to the hut, leaving us alone.
“Give me your house ring and I’ll stay,” I blurted, pulling out of her grip.
Her eyebrows shot up at my demand and I cursed myself for my idiocy. It was fucking stupid to have come out and said it like that. My plan had all gone to shit but she made me act recklessly.
“Why do you want it?” she asked, her lips tugging up at one side.
Fuck, she had me on the back foot and she knew it. “Forget it.”
She leaned forward, getting in my space. “You hate that you need something, don’t you? Aw, is the big bad gangster feeling vulnerable?”
“Like hell. I just don’t feel like babysitting a bunch of children.” I turned away from her. “I’m leaving.”
“I’ll give it to you when we get back to the House of Ascension,” she said, and I glanced back at her. “But I want something in return.”
“What do you want?” I growled.
“Noah wants us to stick together,” she said, her copper eyes narrowing on me. “And I’m inclined to agree.”
“Why would you care what Noah thinks? Is that really what you want in exchange for your ring?”
“Not entirely.” Fallon folded her arms over her chest. “But it will do for now until I can decide what I want. I’m not going to deny Noah’s solid reasoning. Just because I don’t like you doesn’t mean that he isn’t right.”
“Are you worried about me Princess?” I smirked. “Using this as a way to keep me by your side?”
“In your dreams.” She huffed. “We are safer all together.”
