Ascension Saga (Interstellar Brides): Book 7

I didn’t mind getting her riled up, that was definitely a sister’s job, but not like this. “No. It’s not.”

She slumped and put a hand to her chest. “Thank god. Now tell me what the hell is going on?”

“I sneaked into the elder cleric’s office last night.”

“That’s why you’re covered in blood?”

I shrugged. “Not exactly.” I explained what I overheard, leaving out the fact that I’d been nicely impaled on Nix’s cock at the time.

“God, that poor man,” she replied, looking down, probably at her lap or the floor or something. “He died, you think, because he’d been tasked with looking into Mom? Because this… this triad wanted answers?”

I just stared at her because… duh. I didn’t want to feel like a wimp, but seeing Crayden’s head nearly cut free from his body had been a bit much. I was tough, but apparently, a still bleeding decapitation was near the edge of my mental limits.

“Okay, sorry. Of course he was killed because of that. So we look into this triad, these three clerics… Marna, Forge and Severil?”

“Elder Amandine says they want answers, not that they were the masterminds. They’re just higher ups or something,” I replied. “Have Nix look into them.”

She laughed. “Yeah, right. You might have ditched him, but I’m sure he’s not far.”

I hadn’t seen anything of him since last night, but I wanted him. Now. I wanted his big body and his heat and I wanted him to wrap me up and make me forget everything but him. And his kiss. And his cock. My pussy clenched at the reminder. I was sure there was a big wet spot on my pants again, just from thinking about him. We’d both come, what, three times last night?

And now? I wasn’t covered in his scent or his seed. I’d washed all that off this morning. Now I was covered in death and pain and secrets. Blood.

Elder Amandine had turned into my ally. She would do her thing while I did mine, which was talking to Trinity.

I really needed another shower, but she needed to know what the hell was going on first. Crayden hadn’t survived twelve hours after his orders to look into Mom’s kidnapping. Which meant whoever had killed him had people on the inside, who knew where she was. Perhaps even knew who and where I was, especially after talking with Elder Amandine for so long. Some asshole could be stalking me right now, waiting for his chance to slit my throat, too.

Why I assumed the killer was a man, I wasn’t sure. But it seemed the violence and strength needed to cut someone’s neck that deep, with such raw rage? Just felt male to me. Pissed off, vengeful, hate-fueled male.

“Destiny?” Trinity prompted.

“I’m fine,” I replied.

“You don’t look fine.”

“If not Nix, then have someone else look into this. I can do some of it from here, especially now that I’ve got an ally in Elder Amandine, but things just went from meditating to murder around here.”

The way she pursed her lips, Trinity didn’t look happy about that.

“Did you send that Neanderthal here?” I asked, then cursed myself for a fool. With everything that had just happened, I had to ask about Nix? Really? I was pathetic.

“You know I didn’t,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “You were the one who said you were in danger. That Neanderthal just decided he’d go after you.” That was my big sister. She didn’t back down and she gave as good as she got. Damn lawyers. Her and Dad. I could never argue my way around either one of them. “And what did you do to your hair?”

I reached up, touched the long strands. I’d forgotten I’d dyed it black before I joined the clerics. “I had to color it. It’s not like a purple-haired woman wouldn’t stand out around here.” I hadn’t seen anyone with colored hair since we’d transported to Alera. Not a one. And purple? Not happening. But black? So boring. I hated boring hair.

“Trin, forget my hair. That conversation was so two days ago. I’m sorry I scared you, but I’m fine. I just wanted to give you a heads up… and to see your ugly face.”

“Ha ha,” she said, waving her finger at me.

“As for Nix, I don’t need him lurking around like an overly protective caveman. He’s just going to get in my way. Again.”

Or get me naked and riding his cock. That would probably be an even more dangerous problem.

“How did he get in your way before?” Trinity asked, the question slyly. Her grin contained the question I refused to answer.

“He followed me, then cornered me,” I said evenly, leaving out everything after he climbed through the window. Hell, I even left that out and how exactly he cornered me. “And now he’s gone. Don’t let him come back here. Don’t do that to me again.”