Page 89 of Pride: Kneel Before None

“Genevieve!” a woman’s voice called out as she rounded the corner.

My eyes narrowed dangerously as she ran towards us.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Eve’s surprise put me even further on edge.

Because of fucking course, Mirra showing up here was just what we needed while my casino looked like a goddamn wax museum set in a horror film.

Mirra came up to Eve, reaching out for her forearm.

I moved instantly, cutting between them.

“Don’t touch her,” I snarled, pushing Eve behind me, ignoring her protest.

“Ace, what are you doing?”

My eyes locked onto Mirra’s, making it clear she would be treated like a threat until proven otherwise.

She didn’t try to go around me, but she looked offended at my intervention.

“I need to get my daughter out of here. She’s not safe here. I can help, but you have to let me get her elsewhere.” Her plea came out desperate and concerned, and her eyes glanced around with paranoia.

Eve’s hand settled against my back, fingers curling into the fabric of my henley.

“Why should I?” I didn’t trust this bitch any more than I trusted a loaded die.

“Genevieve, please—” She tried to step closer to get a better look at Eve.

I advanced into her space, towering over her.

“Back the fuck up, Mirra!” I snapped, my voice rough with the promise of violence.

The Knight inside me swiftly rose to the surface, red burning my vision.

Eve’s mother wisely backed up a step, raising her hands in a show of supposed harmlessness. She had some self-preservation instincts after all. But she still didn’t know when to shut her mouth.

“You have to trust me, sweetheart. I know what’s best for you. This man only seeks to use you for what you are, keep you for himself.”

Huffing in annoyance behind me, my Little Spade tried to push past me without any success.

“How would you know?” Eve scoffed.

“He took you to a grotto today, didn’t he?”

My Little Spade went quiet for a second. “How do you know about that?”

Her mother’s face shifted into something close to pity. “Didn’t he tell you what is in those waters? I can smell the trace of their magic on your skin.”

“That’s enough. I won’t have you filling her head with blatant lies,” I warned Mirra.

Uncertainty crept into Eve’s tone. “What is she talking about, Ace? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Later, Eve,” I urged.

A single, sharp laugh of disbelief erupted from Mirra.

“How convenient. Do you plan on giving her the whole truth?” She drew her lips into a knowing smile as she glanced at Eve. “The allure of the lagoon is that the waters amplify bonds between demons, making whatever connection exists nearly unbreakable.”

“What the—” Eve cut herself off as she stared at me, the beginnings of suspected betrayal creeping into her eyes. “Is she telling the truth? Is that why you brought me there?”