Page 78 of Guarded
Fury rolled through me. A leader was meant to protect their unit, not throw them under a fucking bus. “What thefuck?”
“Lyle persuaded them it was our insubordination and not his fault. He was given a pat on the back for his efforts and an order to get his unit in line.”
My hands shook as I pushed myself up off the ground. I had to move. I couldn’t stay still. My power was rising and attempting to crest. I needed to calm down. Unlike Lyle, I knew exactly where my limits were, and what to do to ensure they weren’t breached. “Were you punished?”
Atlas’s silence told me everything I needed to know.
“Excuse me,” I said, my voice as brittle as my temper. I strode towards the edge of the compound—another place I used to haunt. My ghost was all over this place.
The cliff edge was comforting as it appeared. It welcomed me back with open arms as I walked right up to the very edge.
Waves smashed themselves against the rocks hundreds of feet below. I tried to focus on the sound. Tried to let it wash away my fury as it had done many times before.
But it was too late. The rage had sunk its claws in too deep.
There was only one thing for it—the other reason why I’d come here in particular.
I stopped fighting the rage. I let it build. Let it riseand crest.
And, with a roar to the heavens, I set it free.
My power ripped from me, cascading over the cliff edge. For a second, the sky was bright as day as my light rolled through it.
When the last of the rage left me, my power returned. It sank quietly to the depths to return to its slumber.
My shoulders sagged as I stumbled back a few steps.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
I spun around to face Atlas. “I didn’t expect you to follow me.”
“I always do,” he said simply. “You know I don’t like it when you come here.”
I snorted, brushing past him to head back to the church. “It’s not like I’m going to jump. Wouldn’t make much difference considering I’m immortal.”
“That’s not what I don’t like,” he said, falling into step beside me. “I don’t like seeing you angry. I hate that you only unleash your powers when you’re upset. It’s not healthy.”
“If I unleashed the full extent of them any other time, a lot of people would die. Permanently.” My power was both a blessing and a curse. “And other supes would either want to execute me for bragging rights or push me into some leadership position I don’t want. You know that.”
“I do. Which is why I said you shouldn’t have done that. There are several delegations of archs inside the compound right now. Anyone could’ve come outside and seen, Noah.”
I froze. “Shit. I didn’t think of that.”
“You’re safe.” He patted my shoulder. “I followed to make sure no one else did. No one saw or heard, Noah.”
“Thank you.” Atlas, once again, had my back. Now it was time for me to have his. “Okay, explain to me why you need me to help Lyle instead of tearing him limb from limb.If it’s not a good enough reason, I’m going in there and giving the cunt exactly what’s coming to him.”
Executing Lyle would have me up in front of the council, but I no longer gave a shit. Thanks to Micah, I knewpreciselywhat kind of punishments went on upstairs. That he’d subjected my two friends to it for doing the right thing, for protectingme…
Lyle deserved to die. Permanently.
“Because Lyle has safeguards in place,” Atlas said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. “If anything happens to him, he’s made it clear that we will bear the blame. That whatever happens to him will result in the execution of several of the unit.”
“He’ll argue that you’ve done something to alter his state.” I shook my head in disgust. “That you’ve had him cursed or bewitched into behaving this way. I can see him doing it, but I’m not sure I buy the council believing it.”
“You have met Gloria, right?”
I groaned internally. “Fuck. You’re right. She’d not only buy it but use it as an excuse to weaken Juniper by removing the strongest players.”
