Page 33 of Into Darkness (Night Prowler 6)
Though he knew she was teasing—because Honor never cared to attend an Assembly meeting—not a hint of a smile touched her lips or eyes. Which, Magnus reasoned, was a good sign. If Honor smiled it would be such a momentous occasion the Earth’s axis might shift, disrupting gravity and launching them all into outer space.
A frozen heart was the only thing the two of them had in common.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, inclining his head. Surprisingly, he wasn’t being ironic; he actually was thankful she’d come. He hoped Honor and her sister might eventually grow close. Lord knew Honor could use some thawing, and Lumina . . .
He glanced back at her, concerned. She was trying valiantly to cover it, but he sensed how much it cost her to stand here, acting normal. Maybe if she and Honor spent some time together, got to know one another—
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Honor said, staring hard at Lumina. While everyone else tensed, the twins sized each other up in hostile silence.
Okay
, maybe “grow close” was overreaching. Maybe “not murder each other” was a better goal.
Magnus gestured to the large round table surrounded by chairs on the opposite side of the cave. “Let’s sit.”
Honor said, “Dear sister and I have a few things to work out first.” She looked around, her frosty gaze sliding over the gathering. “Everybody might want to clear out for a bit, until we come to an understanding.”
Without even looking at Lumina, he felt her bristle. The air temperature spiked; the candles in iron braziers along the walls flared up with a hiss.
Shit. Can anyone say “disaster of epic proportion”? He stepped between the two women, eliciting a low growl of displeasure from Honor.
“Move, Seeker,” she said, deadly soft. “Or I’ll make you move.”
“I’m the Alpha of this colony, Honor.” He controlled his tone, though all he wanted to do was wring her neck. Not that he’d survive the attempt. Not that he cared. “I’m responsible for the safety of everyone here. And you know I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety if you get upset.”
Her eyes were the permafrost of ancient tundra, where ice never thawed and life refused to grow. By her sides, her hands flexed open, fingers twitching as if they longed to wrap around his neck. “Yes, you’re the Alpha. Congratulations on being the proud owner of a dick.”
Her voice dripped acid contempt. The answering growl that rumbled through his chest was pure reflex; he really despised it when Honor went all man-hater on him.
With a sneer, she added, “And I’m not upset. Not yet. But if you don’t get out of the way in the next five seconds, I will be. And we all know what happens then.”
They stared at one another, seething, until a soft voice broke their stalemate.
“You know what I hate more than anything in the world?” Lumina stepped out from behind him. She faced Honor with her shoulders back, grim determination on her face. Magnus felt a rush of admiration for her, which was quickly swallowed by panic. She had no idea what she was doing—and Honor had had a lifetime to practice her Gifts.
Her extremely deadly Gifts.
“Bullies,” Lu finished quietly, staring Honor down. “And that’s exactly what you are, isn’t it? You’re nothing but a big fat bully.”
The harsh intakes of breath from the Assembly were loud in the silence of the cave. For a moment, Honor looked stunned, which left him stunned; was she . . . hurt?
“No,” Honor whispered, shaking her head. “That’s not . . . I’m not . . .”
“Yes, you are,” Lumina insisted, stepping closer to her sister while everyone else in the room began to edge away. Christian pulled Ember against his chest, Demetrius stepped in front of Eliana, Hawk yanked Jacqueline to his side. Xander merely shook his head and muttered, “Women.”
“You tried to choke me the minute we met. Why, because you didn’t want any competition? You liked being the strongest one? The most powerful? So that everyone else has to do whatever you say or face the consequences?”
Honor’s mouth dropped open. She looked crushed. Lost.
Between Magnus’s fear at what might be imminent and his anxiety for Lumina’s safety, lurked his astonishment that someone—finally—had gotten Honor to show any kind of emotion. He’d known her since she was born, and had never seen her be anything but . . . cold.
Okay, angry, too, but mostly just cold.
Lumina stepped closer to her sister, until they stood just a few feet apart. “That’s it, isn’t it? You like being feared.” She tilted her head, examining Honor with a shrewd eye. “You know who that reminds me of?”
Don’t say it, Magnus thought. Dear God, please do not say—
“Sebastian Thorne.”
