Page 21 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

Ahren smirks. “Well, glad to hear it,” he replies mockingly. “But we’re going to be here for a while; try not making it harder for yourself.”

I frown at him. “I’m not taking advice from you on this matter.” I push away from the wall and head towards the barracks.

I near my room, her scent lingers in the hall, and when I enter my room, it’s even stronger, which only pisses me off more. As I get ready for bed, I can hear her moving quietly around her room.

This is fucking ridiculous.

I lock the door, switch off the light and take off my boots before sitting down on my bed, staring at the wall beside my bed. If I focus, I can hear her soft breathing or the occasional tut.

She’s unpacking from the sound of it.

I lie down, putting my arm behind my head as I stare at the ceiling, the tiny cracks in the wall allowing light to seep in, and now there’s just a thin wall to separate us.

Fucking great.

“Ready, Deimos King?” Mikhail asks as he stands there, the blizzard so loud I can barely hear him. I nod grimly. Sienna will be trying to raise barriers around our outposts today, if she’s able. There’s a squad of twelve ready to accompany her, and I’m here along with Mikhail.

“Ready,” I respond grimly, pulling on a pair of gloves.

We’re going to start by creating a barrier close to the dome, to see how long it’ll hold. Sienna herself said her demon magic works differently, so let’s see. In a way – not that I’d say that out loud – not that I’d say that out loud, but if her barriers hold, they may expect her to remain here permanently.

I wonder: can demon magic be infused into charms the way regular magic can? And thinking with that theory, is there a way to put a barrier inside a charm?

Something to consider. This isn’t a place she can stay. If we manage to eradicate the threat of the Indomitable from here, it would make it easier for us. Right now, thanks to the vampires, we have a stronger footing.

As far as we know, none of the full-blooded vampires is on the Indomitable’s side; they cannot disobey the vampire who sired them, and right now, all of the elite vampires are in the royal family. So as long as they remain in unity, the hybrids are the only ones who aren’t fully under their control.

Mikhail is sure that if he faced Velasara, he would be able to deter her somewhat since she’s confirmed to be a vampire-witch hybrid.

Everyone is here, but Sienna herself, and I glance at my watch. “She’s late,” I say, looking at Mikhail.

He cocks a brow. “I see she is the one,” he says, making me narrow my eyes.

“Let’s stick to the topic at hand,” I reply coldly.

“Of course, and here she is.” I turn to see where he’s looking and see Sienna step out in a floor-length light grey and white coat, with a matching hat, the pale colours only making her dark red hair stand out.

Mikhail pats my shoulder as he leans in, baring those sharp teeth. “If I were you, Deimos King, I’d stake my claim or you might regret it,” he murmurs quietly.

I simply glare at him as Sienna walks towards us, and I glance around.

“Where’s Ahren?” I ask no one in particular.

“He will be attending to other matters,” Sienna replies, looking my way.

“Hmm,” I respond before turning and leading the way. “The weather is worse the closer you get to the dome; be steady on your feet!”

“If you need any support, Señorita, I’m here,” Vasquez offers Sienna. I resist the urge to scoff.

I didn’t mind him up until now.

“Thank you,” Sienna replies in that annoying fucking voice of hers. He’ll get the wrong fucking idea.

“This shall be fun, do you not agree, Deimos King?” Mikhail asks, as if we’re talking about the fucking weather.

“I don’t see anything fun in it, Crown Prince. Do share,” I drawl.

I can feel her eyes on me, and I pull up my hood as we begin trudging through the snow. The worst part is we’re moving against the wind, which only makes it harder.