Page 120 of Mate of a Monster

The last of Exile’s image flickers and dies above untouched plates and silver cups.

No one speaks.

My gaze lifts slowly.

Legend’s mother, the exiled queen, Cosima, sits at the far end of the table with that same composed elegance she’s worn all night. One hand rests near her wineglass, a smile curved at the corners of her mouth like this was exactly the reaction she wanted.

Everyone else? Stunned into stillness. Knight is half out of his chair.

London looks like she forgot how to blink.

Sinner’s mouth soundlessly hangs open for once in his life. Silver and Vicente are rigid, eyes locked on the space where the projection hovered. Zev looks between me and the fading image with an expression that would almost be amusement if it weren’t laced through with something sharper.

And Legend—

My mate stares at me like the world just shifted under his feet.

Which, to be fair, it did.

A cold pulse works down my spine.

How much of that did they just watch?

Well, if their silence is anything to go by—all of it.

Cosima lifts her glass in my direction.

“Well,” she says smoothly, smile widening just enough to show teeth. “That was illuminating.”

“So, that’s why his Ethos stayed on the island.” Sinner glares. “To protect the island herself, and in turn, the entire reason it exists in the first place—the keeper of the dragons. You.” His eyes meet mine. “Love that for you, Haide, but what about my brother?” He turns to his mother. “You gonna show us how the fuck to save him?”

“Oh, that’s easy, darling.” She smirks, sitting back in her chair. “Feed the island something else.”

Knight scoffs. “You heard that fucking thing. The island took his Ethos because it was the strongest replacement for her. What is stronger than the literal guardian of the guardians of our entire species, or the demon of a Deveraux?”

Her smirk is downright deadly. “The blood of one.”

“What does that mean?”

She leans back into her seat, finger tracing the rim of her glass. “Aren’t you going to ask me how I got back to Rathe, little girl?”

“Watch your tongue, Mother,” Legend warns.

“Awe,” she fake coos. “My youngest has finally grown a pair of teeth.” Her eyes fall to my neck. “Not that it looks like he’s made much use of them. Didn’t he bite the little blonde right away? And you’ve been around how long?”

My lip curls and Legend’s hand comes down over mine. It’s annoying how grounding it is, but I don’t hate the way the chaos under my skin settles.

It’s like he makes it easier to breathe.

Without her, I would have died, but without you, he will, too.

My stupid heart jolts in my chest and I can’t fight the flinch that follows.

Legend’s head yanks my way and the Nightkin purrs in my chest.

I keep my eyes on the bitch in front of me just so I don’t have to look at him. Picturing a wall, I build one in and around my consciousness.

Instantly, Legend’s hand tightens on mine, and his glare grows more pointed. He sends a small spike into me, a tiny little stabbing sensation that pricks across my skin in warning.