His Darkest Salvation (Jaguar Warriors 3)

Jaden let go of Finn’s hands and stepped away, suddenly uncomfortable and not really sure why. She looked back at Finn. The eagle knight avoided her eyes and looked away. Something major was going on.

“But what does that mean?” Her words exploded in a rush of air. “An explanation would be good right about now.” She looked back at Finn. “What is Julian trying to say?”

Finn ran hands across his temple and exhaled. “Our world is made up of layers, the human realm being one of many. This portal has the ability to open several of them.” Finn glanced toward Julian, and the look that passed between the two men set her teeth on edge. She clenched them together, ignored the pain that sliced its way along her jaw, and looked at the both of them.

“No talking in riddles. I need this laid out real precise.”

Julian turned at her words, and again she was taken aback by the utter lack of emotion in him. “It means the portal is not only a direct conduit to the demon realm, it can also be used as a path to the upper realm.”

“The upper realm,” she echoed. “Like heaven?”

“Bingo. That would be it, the penthouse suite,” Declan answered.

Shocked silence followed his words, and Jaden didn’t quite know what to say. The thought of someone like Cormac managing to rip open hell was bad enough. The human realm would suffer greatly, would in fact never recover.

But what would happen if he successfully opened a path to the upper realm? The battle would be unprecedented, their world forever altered.

“Sounds like one hell of a party, don’t you think?” Though Declan grinned at all of them, she sensed his anger. The energy around him thickened as his eyes narrowed. “I can’t wait.”

She crossed to Julian and stood within inches of him. She heard his heart beating, saw the pulse at the base of his neck. Her gaze wandered to the scars under his pectoral before traveling back up to his face.

“Is this what you and Declan are hiding? Why didn’t you tell me the other night?”

A muscle worked its way across his cheek, but he remained silent, his golden eyes narrowed on her.

Her animal reacted, and her fist flew out to thump him in the chest. Hard. “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re acting like a fucking zombie.”

Her gaze fell on Declan. “Seriously, why would you keep such crucial information to yourself? This situation has just gone from shit to worse.”

The sorcerer’s eyes glistened, and his teeth slashed white as he smiled crookedly at her. He turned without another word and clasped Julian on the shoulder.

“You wanna fill her in?” he murmured. “Secret’s out, sport.”

Jaden stared at the two of them, her chest heaving and a truckload of emotion threatening to break through.

“My reasons are none of your concern.” Julian stared at her and bared his teeth, before glancing toward Finn. “This information must stay between us. You do understand the consequence if it gets into the wrong hands.”

Finn nodded and remained silent. Julian turned to leave.

“Do not walk away from me,” Jaden shouted at his back. She rolled her shoulders as she tried to contain the anger that was agitating her cat something fierce. She could not believe he would keep something so important from her.

The others slipped into the chamber and were greeted by Declan. “I think maybe we should leave them alone, it seems they have some issues to work out.” Declan nodded to Finn and turned back toward the passage. “We’ll give you five minutes. Then we need to vamoose.”

Jaden bit the inside of her mouth and ignored the pain as she watched Cracker and Finn follow the sorcerer from the chamber. Nico, however, refused to follow and took several more steps until he was inches from her. He was angry, his hands clenched to his sides.

She knew he wouldn’t leave unless she told him to. “Go, Nico, I’ll be fine. Castille and I need to . . . come to an understanding of sorts.”

The jaguar turned eyes that were as flat as obsidian on Julian, and Nico growled menacingly. “If you touch her, I will kill you.”

“You could try, but it wouldn’t end well for you.”

Nico took a step toward him, but Jaden stepped between them and put her hand on his chest. “Nico, I’ll only be a minute.” She watched as conflicting emotions ran over his handsome face, and, in that moment, Jaden wished with all her heart that Nico belonged to her.

Her life would be so much easier.

Instead, she was forever linked to a man who disliked her as much as she did him.