Page 75 of Pride: Kneel Before None

Every low “hmm” that accompanied the Drakyn’s scrutinizing looks grated on my nerves further.

What was he looking for? A flaw? A hidden weakness? Or maybe he was secretly admiring my fashionable style. The casual look Iggy had pulled together screamed “runway fashion meets weekend comfort”. A sleeveless cream sweater with dark-wash jeans had an understated elegance and enhanced the brighter tones of red in my hair.

My arms were crossed tightly over my chest, hip cocked out to one side.

“You’ve been studying me for twenty minutes, and that’s all you have to say? A few grunts of acknowledgement and a word or two of clinical observation?”

Call me crazy, but after Valphyr’s last visit, I didn’t exactly trust I wouldn’t end up in some fucked up alternate reality.

Could you imagine it? A fucked-up variation of Wonderland when we already lived in Superbia? Oh wait, the humans called that Topeka, Kansas.

Nothing happened there other than overpriced coffee, highways, and far too many pairs of khakis. Make it make sense as to why mortal brains found it profound and fascinating.

Totally illogical.

“Patience, Little Spade,” Ace spoke in a tone attempting to placate me.

It didn’t.

“Oh, c’mon! I’ve been standing here for an eternity for several hums-and-haws.” I tipped my head back to look up at the vaulted ceiling, releasing an exaggerated groan of dramatic intolerance.

Ace sounded unsympathetic. “It’s been four and a half minutes, Eve.”

Dropping my head back down, I pinned him with a glaring look that spoke volumes of exactly how unimpressed I was with his correction.

Before I could write off this entire visit as a waste of time, Val stepped in front of me, cutting off direct line of sight to the Knight of Hell with a time fetish.

“Miss Bechette, I understand your frustration. A few more moments of your cooperation and⁠—”

I didn’t let him finish. My temper flared up, exploding out of me like a volcanic eruption.

“No! No more!” I snapped while stomping my foot to emphasize my intolerance for another moment.

Except it wasn’t just a childish stomp of my foot.

My vision flashed red—not figuratively speaking. The whole living room was bathed in an eerie scarlet glow. Lines broke out across the skin on my arms, looking like my flesh had cracked to expose lines of lava underneath.

The heat blasted throughout my body but didn’t stay contained. A stormy gust of energy ripped from my pores. The force of it sent the mail on the console table by the front door scattering to the floor, shook leaves of a nearby potted plant loose from their stems, and even managed to dislodge a couple of strands of Ace’s hair out of place.

Neither man moved in the damning silence after my outburst.

Just as quickly as the world had turned scalding, the crimson receded until the world returned to more muted tones.

I looked down at my arms. The fissures that had been ablaze seconds ago appeared to cool until they disappeared entirely, as if they had never existed in the first place.

In its wake remained a trembling in my limbs, hands shaky and knees unsteady.

Looking past Valphyr at Ace, the expression on his face was not what I expected.

He wasn’t angry, shocked, scared, or disturbed.

I felt all those things.

Instead, Ace looked… proud?

With unhurried movements, his hand smoothed the few unruly strands into place before standing from the sofa. His towering figure claimed the space in front of me, his hands landing on my shoulders.

A firm squeeze and a smile. Not a lecture or sneer.