“Ah.” Darius’s lush lips wrapped around the edge of his glass, and I tore my gaze away. Now was not the time for randy thoughts.
Emery nodded like Darius had actually said something meaningful, and I wondered if suddenly I wasn’t the only one able to read thoughts.
“What ah?” I asked, feeling incredibly stupid and very annoyed because of it. It had been so much easier when I didn’t have friends to confuse and annoy me. So much easier. And less painful. And less conducive to feelings of impending doom.
“Lead by example,” Emery said, accepting the full bottle from Callie. “He explained his reasoning, which is backed by his morals, and sold it to you with his personal guarantee that he will follow the same set of rules. You know he’s a trustworthy guy who will put his life on the line for you, if need be. He drew on your trust to elicit an assurance that you’ll abide by his moral code. That you’ll fall in line and act like a team player.” Emery turned to Darius. “It works because of the whole a pack is mightier than one wolf mentality. She’s never had a pack, so she has never confronted that sort of mentality.”
“You guys seem to be missing the point where I didn’t actually agree to anything,” I said.
“She is used to people manipulating her for their personal gain, and not for the gain of a group as a whole,” Darius murmured, and I could see the wheels turning.
“No, no.” I waggled a finger at him. “Don’t you get any ideas.” I turned to Callie for help. Maybe Roger was trying to get me on board with the team, but he had been reasonable. I still didn’t see the problem.
She was looking at me with a thoughtful expression. “You’re so used to being surrounded by the likes of his kind”—she pointed at Darius—“that you always assume people’s motives are to use you. Roger isn’t trying to use you—”
“That’s subjective,” Emery cut in.
“He’s trying to unite you with the rest of his team, and I’m sure that feels good to a person with your…background.” She was about to say “issues,” I knew full well. “You don’t pick up on that kind of subtle maneuvering, because he really is trying to look out for you, in the best way he knows how. Your primal urge with a guy like him is to let him protect you.” She dropped her voice to a mumble. “I’d want to let him, that’s for sure…” She dabbed her forehead.
“I can see that,” Dizzy said, frowning at her. “I probably would’ve said yes to that shifter too. Then again, he’s the sort of guy you don’t really want to say no to.”
“The problem, of course, is that he doesn’t understand his enemy,” Darius said, watching me acutely. Damn it, I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Exactly,” Emery said, war in his eyes. “The elves in charge are morally bankrupt. They do not care about anyone, save themselves. They aren’t stupid, either. Roger is naive when it comes to the really dirty, gritty places of the Realm. Places the elves have cultivated with their longstanding mistreatment. He can’t possibly know the extent of the vileness he’s about to face. He’s not prepared for it, and if he tries to chain you to his cause like this, he’ll get a rude awakening right before his forces are completely wiped out. He might be trying to do the right thing, but he’s not fighting fire with fire in this case.”
“I agree, mon coeur,” Darius said to me. He moved his words to his thoughts.
I did not realize your desire to be part of a greater unit. I should have, with your reliance on Penny and your growing esteem for Roger. With the loyalty you’ve cultivated with Cahal. I was shortsighted. Soon we will establish some roots and build us a life like the one you crave. I promise you.
“But for now,” he continued out loud, leaving me confused and touched and longing for a life that didn’t involve hiding, the fear of discovery, or constant feelings of impending doom. “For now,” he said, capturing my attention again, “we need to get past this last hurdle. And to do that, you need to work the way you always have—and that means being headstrong and impulsive. You know every player in this war. Now you have but to act, and let us help you bring about change.”
“Curse breaker,” Callie said softly.
“Yes, but…” Dizzy rubbed his temple. “Charity had that vision that said we were supposed to stop the two leaders from killing each other.”
“Charity had a vision of the shifters and fae standing between the leaders, true enough,” Darius said. “They all stood together, as you recall. But Reagan and the natural mages, and my vampires, were separated out. The shifters and fae have their interpretation of what that vision meant, but that doesn’t mean it is ours. We weren’t Seen to be standing with the rest of them for a reason. Reagan has different motives, and she needs to hone down what those are.”