Page 58 of Dance of the Phoenix
His words made me grow still, fighting to catch my breath, as I was suddenly aware Logan and I were surrounded by the other participants, along with the two Lieutenants.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Let me go,” I said breathlessly.
Oberon released me, and I glared at Logan, who was glaring at me back with enough hatred to fill a continent.
A clap of hands drew everyone’s attention to Magnus, whose face was grim. “Let’s take ten, everyone,” he said, glancing briefly at me before he said, “And while I know tensions are high with the upcoming Hecatomb just a couple of days ahead, please do try to restrain yourself and work together with your partners rather than against them.”
I looked away, furious with Logan, Magnus, Oberon, and everyone, really—but mostly with myself.
I’d let Logan goad me. And I had no one to blame but myself.
As everyone left the gym, I reached the table and grabbed a blood bottle, drinking its contents almost in one sip. My heart was beating hard in my chest, and I was still feeling the adrenaline from before,along with the need for violence, but this time, I did everything I could to push it all down.
Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain.
“Aileen.”
I turned around and felt my barely contained fury threatening to explode when I saw Margarita standing there, her face carefully blank. “Yes?”
“Come with me,” she said and turned around, heading to the exit of the gym.
Since I knew ignoring her wouldn’t solve whatever this was, I threw the now-empty bottle away and followed her out.
She took me to an empty training room and shut the door behind her before turning to me. I was about to speak when she slapped me.
The violence within me still hadn’t dissipated, and I was tempted to succumb to it once more when Margarita’s eyes glowed and she said, “It seems you really don’t take my warnings seriously.”
Cupping my bruised cheek, I glared at her. “This is none of your fucking business,Lieutenant,” I snarled.
“Logan is my business,” she hissed back, “and you dared mar his face with your dirty whore hands.”
I barked out a humorless laugh.
Her face grew angry. “Since words don’t seem to get through to you, I’ll start moving to actions.”
“I don’t care,” I told her truthfully. “So do your worst, Margarita, but don’t forget that whatever happened just now with Logan, he still needs me as his partner.” When her eye twitched, I grinned. “So I wouldn’t recommend roughing me up, if only for his sake.”
She growled, but I ignored her, moving past her and outside the room, heading back to the main training facility.
I was done with letting people think they could do whatever they wanted with me. I’d been lenient with Logan for a long time, and for a good reason, but now that it was coming to bite me back in the butt, I could no longer ignore it.
The same went for Margarita. I was through with having others intimidate me as if I were their little lackey.
So for now, I would do everything I could to ignore them and just focus on the mission, which was to survive the Hecatomb.
Anything else could wait.
Chapter 30
Aileen
The cafeteria transformed.
Gone were the buffet and the tables and chairs, and in their stead were a few high-top party tables filled with blood-mixed champagne glasses. Music streamed through a couple of monitors, overseen by one of the League members, who seemed to have been a DJ in his human past. The floor was filled with vampires talking and dancing under decorated letters that dangled from the ceiling, creating the wordsGood luck in the Hecatomb!
“They really went above and beyond, didn’t they?” Zoey said from where she, Isora, and I stood near one of the champagne tables.
