Page 76 of Across the Sapphire Sea
Her unnatural green eyes flared bright, and her serene appearance took on a feral quality that set the hairs on his neck on edge. Without meaning to, Valeri took a step back.
“Elias makes his own choices.” Sachi’s voice hurtled as a dagger. “It’s you that must learn to respect him, not I.” She turned on heel and departed. The click of the lock engaged.
Valeri whirled back to find Laurence’s stupid chest in his way. Behind him, Elias whispered to Remy.
“You know he’s safe,” said Laurence. “You’ll have to be content with that for now. Leave him be.”
“Elias,” cried Valeri, his voice unrecognizable to his own ears in its pathetic whimper.
Elias glanced his way. Their eyes locked. Valeri’s soul twinged for the hurt he saw there. The hurt he’d put there.
“If you think I can easily forgive you for lying to me—to all of us—for suggesting we kidnap an innocent person and for putting us all in danger, you’re gravely mistaken.”
Valeri opened his mouth to beg forgiveness anyway, but Elias shook his head.
“Hold your tongue. We have vital information to discuss. Your wishes no longer rule this mission.”
Valeri closed his mouth. His chest constricted. He’d seen Elias mad with him plenty of times, but something about this was different. Had he finally pushed Elias over the edge?
The door opened again. Valeri hadn’t even heard the lock.
Finley entered alone.
Valeri had the passing thought that this could be their opportunity to finish the mission. There stood a half-breed, unprotected. With Elias back, their group was whole again. Aella could make the portal, they could grab Finley and be done with this. But he knew now the others would never agree. He began to think about why.
Valeri studied Finley, their gentle eyes and open expression. They’d been kind, even offered blood, though to what end Valeri didn’t know.
Regardless, Finley had done nothing to harm them and was living here in peace. Who was Valeri to trample that serenity? Nobody. The others already knew that. Elias knew it.But the mission—
“My apologies for the delay,” said Finley in their melodious tenor. “We need more time to come to a decision. We must hear from Sachi and consider all she has learned. As dawn approaches, we offer you the comfort of private bedchambers.”
They want to divide us, thought Valeri, alarmed. Would Elias even agree to stay with him? Valeri couldn’t bear to be parted from him again. They’d never slept a day apart since they’d met. His heart ached at the possibility. His hands itched to shove Laurence out of his way so he could hold Elias.
Ash stood and gave a quick bow to Finley. “Thank you for your hospitality, but we’d prefer to stay together. This room is perfectly adequate.”
Valeri sighed in relief.
Finley nodded. “Understood. Can I bring you anything? Do your young ones need to feed?”
“No,” said Laurence, possibly too forcefully. “Thank you, no.”
These people were far too eager to get them to drink their blood. Whether from genuine generosity or ulterior motives, he couldn’t be certain. Valeri would feed Elias himself. Laurence would feed Remy. They could manage a few nights this way before the situation grew dire. Hopefully they’d be long gone by then.
Finley opened their hands, uncurling elegant fingers. “Then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you be.”
“There is nothing else,” said Ash.
Finley bowed and left the room.
Valeri sighed his displeasure, exhausted by all the polite courtesies. The bows and the nods, as if they were friends when really they were prisoners. He ignored the guilt threatening to creep through newly formed raw patches.
“We should go,” said Valeri. If they weren’t going to get what they came here for, they had no reason to linger.
Elias shook his head and whispered quietly to the group. “I have something to tell you. We may not have failed after all.”
* * *
Elias, Present, 1432 Common Era
