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Kahn scoffed, still not buying Randa’s story. “Too bad you didn’t find your bloodthirsty side when you were playing bondage games with Parald.”
For whatever reason, that taunt bothered her more than the others. Randa’s whole body went still, except for her hands. Those clenched in her lap, so tightly that her knuckles went white. Brown eyes met his again and Kahn knew he was the villain in her version of this story.
The JTBA.
That’s what his sisters had called it… back when he’d still had sisters. They’d all thought speaking English was fun, because it hadn’t caught on as quickly in the Light House as it did in other Kingdoms. Even the universal Elemental language had been frowned on by the old timers. The Light Phases were one of the few Elemental Houses with their own dialect, which they made sure no outsiders understood.
The girls had had a similar idea. They’d created all kinds of English abbreviations as a secret code between themselves. Kahn had been forced to learn that human language just so he could keep up with all the acronyms being tossed around.
JTBA: Jerkoff to be Avoided.
Mother fuck.
“Leave the girl be.” Julius chided in the Light House dialect. He shifted between Kahn and Randa, just like Kahn had done when some JTBA started hassling his little sisters. “This is getting us nowhere.”
Kahn’s jaw clenched. Not at Julius’ sanctimonious preachiness. He was used to that. But it pissed him off that Jules had stepped in front of Randa. Shielding her from Kahn, like she was his to protect.
Was Julius trying to claim her?
“Do you think to claim Randa for yourself?” Kahn demanded in their language, before he could stop the words.
Julius shot him a thoughtful look. “No.” He said, also in the Light Phase tongue. Only about ten people in the universe still spoke the language, and Randa wasn’t one of them. “But the woman is frightened of you. Is this who you are now? A man who scares harmless girls?”
His sisters flashed through Kahn’s mind again. The six of them fearlessly climbing all over him as he tried to work. Rolling their eyes when he lectured them on dangers. Painting his fingernails while he slept. Playing pranks on him and then giggling madly when he got mad. Making his life a beautiful chaotic mess and never even once worrying that he might harm them.
Kahn had never hurt a woman. Could never hurt a woman. Not so long as he loved his sisters and he would love them with his dying breath.
“Fuck you, Jules.” Kahn snapped in basic Elemental and stomped back to the shadows.
Randa exhaled in relief when he retreated.
Rye tried to take control of the conversation. “Why do you think Saxon is following you, Randa?” He leaned forward in his throne, which was really just a sideways crate. The Light Phases didn’t care about niceties like furniture. Not even in the throne room. “Is this some kind of weird family thing? Because we don’t get in the middle of emotional fights…”
“I have no family.” Randa interrupted with absolute certainty. “My Match died in the Fall and whoever I once knew in the Stone House has long since disowned me. There are no emotions involved. I give you my word, this arrangement will just be business.”
Kahn snorted, unable to help himself. “Bet you say that to all the guys.”
Her eyes narrowed in his direction. “Only the ones I hope to never see again, once their work is done.”
“And if we kill this asshole for you… How are you going to pay us?” Kahn demanded, since it seemed like no one else was going to bother. They were all too fascinated with this woman to treat her like they would any other client. “What the fuck do you have that we could possibly want?”
Besides the obvious. Gaia, she was pretty…
Randa arched a brow at him. “I’m going to help you gentlemen get the only thing that you really desire.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m going to help you find your Matches.”
Chapter Two
Graffiti is the most common type of property vandalism.
Graffiti is often the first element in a spiral of decline.
West Lindsey District Council
Someone had painted the word “Whore!” on her front door again.
