Page 56 of Venomous Heart
As a last resort, she shifted her weight, planting herself squarely in front of him. The momentum almost had them toppling each other, but Arlen regained his balance at the last instant.
“I know where the Exo-Heart is. I’m not going back without it.” Ava forced him to look at her. “And you can’t make me.”
His furious gaze descended on her and her body answered in a flurry of instinctive responses. Her heartbeat jumped through the roof and her mouth was instantly dry, but she pushed the fear down. She was no prey, no matter how much of a predator he was.
“I’m taking you back to the mansion, where I fully intend to lock you up then throw away the key.” His frown deepened and his already hard features took a cruel turn. “Do you even realize what could have happened to you?” He glared at her. There was no trace of mercy anywhere on his despicably handsome, stony features, only that icy authority and control.
“You only care because of that stupid bloodmating! You only care what happens to me because of what it will do to you. You don’t care about Uril, you don’t care about me!” she shouted, throwing caution to the wind. “One hybrid more or less, it changes nothing for you. All you care about is your stupid duty, your stupid authority. Well, all I care about in this world is currently lying in a bed, dying!”
Her raised voice seemed to shake Arlen’s expressionless façade some. His eyes flashed and he pulled her closer, his mouth suddenly twisting with rage.
“Do you even know how much I risked for you? What kind of diplomatic incident you could have triggered if I’d found out you disappeared and accused Prime Councilor Aav of being behind it?”
“Read my lips: I don’t care!” Ava was still shouting, her rage blinding her to what Arlen was saying. “All I care about is retrieving that heart. Because if Uril dies, then I truly have no one left…” At that, her voice did break. Because this was the first time she had told anyone—even admitted to herself—what would happen to her if he died. She’d always put Uril first, never stopping to wonder what would become of her if he died.
“It’s been just him and me for so long that if Uril dies then I am truly alone. He’s the only one who cares about me.”
At those words, Arlen stared at Ava. There was no trace of anger on his face now, just acute intelligence and maybe, just maybe, pain. Guilt bit her at the way she’d spoken to him. He wasn’t responsible for Uril’s sickness, wasn’t responsible for the way Knut had hidden the Exo-Heart away in his secret Vault.
All Arlen had ever done was help.
“I’m sorry.” Ava’s voice broke and tears filled her eyes. Arlen’s stance was still hard, but his eyes weren’t. “I tried waiting for you. I asked everyone I could to contact you. I told them Uril needed you, but they refused.”
She was crying now, tears flowing freely, the tension and fear unleashed like a dam breaking.
“He needs the Exo-Heart now. The excitement of the last few days was too much. He doesn’t have long.”
Now that Arlen was listening, Ava decided to tell him everything. She had nothing to lose anyway. The Exo-Heart was the only thing that would keep Uril alive, and she couldn’t get it by herself. She needed Arlen to save Uril.
So, she kept talking.
“I was with Uril when we decided to burn the painting. It was the last thing of Knut we had, and we both wanted it gone. Then, when it was burning, I found this.” She retrieved the piece of paper from her pocket. It was unreadable now, the ink washed away and the soggy paper falling apart. “The last piece of the puzzle, the geographic coordinates of the Vault. I should have thought of it sooner. Of course it was in the painting. It was the one thing I hated the most. His way of showing me just how much I belonged to him.” She chuckled without humor. It was all so devious. It was just like Knut to do this.
“You know the location of the Vault?” Arlen stared at her with a laser-sharp focus. “How do you know the Exo-Heart is still working? It’s been a long time.”
“Knut always had a backup plan. That Exo-Heart was worth more than just the price tag paid by Uril’s buyer.” She spoke fast, her words almost tumbling over each other. “His entire reputation hinged on that Exo-Heart. Who would ever buy from him if he couldn’t deliver a healthy hybrid? No. The Exo-Heart is in the Vault, and it’s been preserved without sparing any expense, you can be sure of it.”
“Okay.” Arlen lifted his chin. “I believe you when you say that the Exo-Heart is still there and functioning. I will send a team to retrieve it.”
“No, you can’t send your Eoks for that. I need to go myself.”
“Absolutely not.” Arlen stared at her like she was a crazy person. “I am bringing you back to the mansion.”
“I knew Knut,” Ava insisted, not giving an inch, knowing she had only one chance to convince Arlen to take her to the Vault. “I’m probably the person who knew him best in his entire life. Knut had many things he didn’t want the world to know he possessed. Jewels and precious stones from before the Ring’s birth. Weapons, too. Things that would make you shudder. Things he wouldn’t leave behind without a fight.” Her voice died down to a whisper. “You can’t just storm the Vault.”
Now she had his full attention. Arlen listened, his face serious. “You will tell me where this Vault is.” It was an order, given by one accustomed to authority. “This is bigger than you think. Trust me.”
Ava stared at him, her heart beating hard, her mind full of fear. Because this was the biggest gamble of all. She couldn’t let Arlen go back to the mansion and plan some sort of attack on the Vault. If she knew one thing about Knut, it was that he was always a step ahead. A frontal assault would be just the thing he had planned for, and she couldn’t risk destroying the Exo-Heart if he had booby-trapped the Vault.
“Give me the coordinates, Ava.” Arlen’s eyes were cold and sharp; the Commander to very tips of his fangs. “You’re the only one left who knows them.”
There it was. Her last bargaining chip. After that, she would have no leverage over the Eoks, or over anyone else.
“No. I’m nottellingyou anything. I’ll show you where we need to go.” She lifted her chin as Arlen scowled, transforming his smooth authority into a terrifying mask of domination.
“You’re taking me with you.”
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