Page 128 of Fractured Souls

“And you knew all this time? Why didn’t you come to me?” She had a sudden urge to slap Tasha… or fight her again. Maybe these Kordolians had rubbed off on her a little too much.

“I couldn’t,” Tasha said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. “I’ll have to explain it to you, but not now. Whatever training you received at the Academy, what I went through was a hundred times worse. I know things that could get me killed… that will get me killed if I’m not careful.”

“So what are you doing here? And where are Mama and the boys?”

“I neutralized two human males in the forest behind,” Nythian said quietly. “Are those the boys you were talking about? But no… they were fully grown.”

“Nythian…” Alexis went cold, her heart skipping a beat. “Please tell me you did not kill those two.”

“They are unconscious. I’ve learned not to kill indiscriminately. They are lucky, considering they were surprisingly well armed.”

Alexis let out a deep sigh of relief.

Even Tasha seemed relieved. “Well, there’s your answer. Felix and Kylian have been staying here with me. We sent Maman to a secure location, because I’m expecting someone. They were helping me lay a trap in the jungle.”

“Someone?”

“Someone who wants me dead. I have a lot of enemies. I thought you could have been a part of it, especially when you showed up with the Kordolian, but of course you’re not. You would never get involved in that sort of shit.”

Alexis closed her eyes and took a deep breath, seeking her center of calm the way Ashrael and Nythian had taught her. Nythian came to her side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It always felt so good when he did that. When she opened her eyes again, she was in control. “Clearly, we’ve stumbled across something that I can’t even begin to understand right now. You have enemies. I have enemies. I haven’t seen you for twenty-odd years, and you’re carrying a whole lot of baggage, as am I. We’re different people. We barely know each other… but I don’t care about any of that right now. I knew you. I know you. Whatever this shit is, we can handle it… you have no idea. You have to trust me on this.” She stepped forward, arms spread wide.

Tasha’s expression softened a fraction.

They hugged. At first, Tasha was stiff, but then she softened a little.

“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to see you again,” Alexis whispered. “I’m here now, Tasha. I’m sorry I wasn’t looking out for you back then.”

She remembered the day like it was yesterday.

They’d been walking along the beach, looking for shells for Tasha’s meticulously organized collection, which she arranged by scientific name in plexiclear boxes. But they’d been arguing about something, and they were both sulking.

She couldn’t remember what it was about—probably a boy.

They always argued over boys.

Tasha had wandered off to a spit, where a series of rock pools were caressed by the glassy ocean. She was probably looking for cone snails again, much to Alexis’s horror—the damn things were highly venomous and could kill just one sting, but Tasha apparently had a way of handling them.

Alexis had decided to go for a swim in the crystal-clear water, enjoying the refreshing coolness. She submerged completely, touching the sandy bottom.

And when she came up…

Tasha was gone.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Tasha whispered, and for the first time, Alexis detected a hint of emotion in her voice. “The people who took me… there was no way you could have protected me from them. Maybe it was better that way.”

Alexis let out a shuddering sigh of relief. “I’m so glad I found you here. There’s a lot we can do to—”

She became aware of another presence at the periphery of her vision. Alarmed, Alexis glanced to her left.

Lodan.

He was supposed to be waiting on the ship. Unlike Nythian, he was wearing his full armor, and he looked both elegant and threatening… if such a thing were possible.

Tasha gently disentangled herself from Alexis’s arms and turned to the pilot. If she was at all surprised by his appearance, she didn’t show it.

As Lodan studied Tasha, his golden eyes narrowed. “What were you thinking, coming to your home if you knew someone was after you?”

“I was desperate.” Tasha started to tap her left foot impatiently, a sign that she was getting annoyed.

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