Page 131 of Mage Massacres

As they stalked from the room, still bickering with each other, I slid into Miller’s mind. Her essence reminded me of peaches and plums, the colors teasing and easing my stress away. I showed her the two men I saw at the table, sitting with Stone, York, and Arwen.

“The guy with Farris at the bar the other night?”

“Yes. Stone is friends with him, too. His name is Zephyr Cross.”

She pursed her lips, searching her memories. “I’ve seen them together a few times before.”

“I think they do that to mask the pull of the mate bond,” I acknowledged. “You already feel it when Farris is around. Another nearby mate would make it stronger, but that could have been written off as the bond trying to pull you two together after being so distant.”

“I kind of thought maybe they were… dating or something, and Farris didn’t know how to explain their relationship.”

She grew quiet as her mind stumbled into a familiar gutter.

“Palmer says they’re just business partners,” I confessed, trying not to giggle at her.

“You never know,” she told me quietly. “I wouldn’t be upset if they were. I see the appeal.”

I sighed. “Millie, this is going to sound selfish, but I need you to meet him. You don’t have to like them or run off into the sunset.”

“The problem isn’t about not liking Farris or potentially not liking Zephyr, Lo.” She dropped her head in her hands. “The problem is that I wanted to run off into the sunset, and he left me waiting by the horizon.”

“If you want, I’ll send them away,” I offered.

“I’ll give them five minutes. Then I need all the vodka you can bring me.”

Shouting from the foyer had us both rolling our eyes. “I’m so over peopling. Can I hide outside with the hellhounds?”

“Get out of my way,” Farris demanded.

“She doesn’t want to see you,” Briggs snapped, but we both stood as footsteps approached.

“What do you want, Farris?” Miller asked, her voice tired.

“I want to talk to you,” he answered, still posturing from his interaction Briggs. “To explain. I can’t do that if you keep ignoring me. It’s time, Millie, and I’ve decided that I’m not leaving until we work this out.”

I shook my head at Briggs before he could begin to cut in between them. If she wanted them gone, then he could handle that for her. But if she didn’t, then we would give them some space.

Millie scoffed. “You decided it was time to work things out? Really, Farris? Or did you finally come to terms with the fact that your mate isn’t some damsel you need to keep safe? Now that you know for certain I don’t need you, you want to show up and plead your case.”

“Please, Miller. Just listen,” Farris requested, but she turned her back on him.

“Then listen to me,” Zephyr implored. “I’m who you should be angry with, not Farris.”

I held my hands up, palms facing Millie as I backed away. “I’ll be in the kitchen, but I’ll hear if you need me. This isn’t a conversation for us.”

Briggs wanted to disagree; I could see it written all over his face. I threaded my fingers through his, tugging him with me as I glided out the door and down the hall. I needed to get away from the animosity while I could.

“Why are you running?”

“I want to give them space and time, but I also need to de-stress,” I told him. “My shoulders feel like boulders are sitting atop them. I just—”

“Need a minute?” he finished, nodding his head.

I smiled, leaning into him. “Yeah. And Hyde is leaving. I want to check on her before she goes.”

“She’s fine.” He huffed. “I don’t know how long Bishop has before she kills him, but Arwen has been a little less of an ass to her. She was laughing with Joyner earlier. That doesn’t surprise me, though.”

“I need to leave trackers on those two and Murphy,” I absently commented.