they’d protect you, and pay you for your Azoth. It’s a very good deal.”
“Why don’t you have one?” I shoot back, deflecting the focus from me. “You’re rich enough.”
Darius tenses. I know the second the words leave my mouth that they were the wrong ones. His amber eyes turn to pained golden slits. He looks at his hands, then up at me.
“I can’t. I would hurt them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Sir?” We’re interrupted by Reeves rapping on the door. “Should I bring her things down to the car? It’s ready.”
“No. Change of plans,” Darius says. “She’s staying here.”
“Like hell I’m staying here,” I stand and grab my bag. I march out the door but Darius is quicker, so much quicker. He blocks it with his lean body, height towering above me. He’s so close I can smell the cloves on him, and my body goes wild, like something’s clawing out of my skin to get to him.
“You’re staying.” His voice is final, like he’s used to giving orders. I want to obey. The unadulterated longing inside me wants to obey his every command. To submit. But after everything I’d been through, I promised myself I’d never let a man fuck me over again. And I intend to keep that promise to my last breath.
“I’m leaving,” I glare up at him. “I have a roommate to get back to, and a job to find and a life to live, whether or not I’m a damn Azoth. Now get out of my way.”
***
She’s so incredibly brave, and so infuriatingly stubborn. My admiration for her resolve wars with my irritation at her ludicrously strong will. If she leaves, the Sage Council will surely track her down again at a later date provided she avoids homunculi - her Azoth is too strong to go to waste. It could do wonderful - and terrifying - things in the hands of the right alchemist. It was strong enough to feed me just by being in her presence. I didn’t need to consume her blood to feel full, satiated, and content. That alone is evidence enough. Perhaps it could even destroy the homunculi and the Mutus for good. I’d die as well, but it’d be a small sacrifice to rid the world of an evil that has long overstayed its welcome. I have always been ready to die for that cause, no matter how impossible it was. But with this girl’s Azoth -
Suddenly, a wave of heat washes over my skin, and a low buzz itches at the back of my brain. No. Not here, not now -
The girl’s glare is interrupted as my wolf Avalanche runs in, her snow-white coat gleaming against the red carpet. Her blue eyes find mine and she barks, tail wagging furiously.
“I know, Ava.” I kneel and scratch her head. Ava turns to the girl and growls.
“Looks like she wants me to go, too,” The girl says, and turns on her heel. There’s a flash of silver outside the window she’s passing, and the world seems to move in slow motion as I lunge for her. I can only scream internally and wordlessly. Not her. You’ve taken so much from me, you Mutus bastards, but you will not take her, not my firebird -
Avalanche is faster than I. She leaps ten feet horizontally, powerful forepaws slamming down on the girl and forcing her to the floor just as the dagger shatters the window and pins to the wall where the girl’s head was but a moment ago. I turn to Reeves.
“Quickly, arm yourself and get to the basement. Activate the Stormhearts.”
Reeves nods, and disappears downstairs.
“Ava, off her,” I say. Avalanche backs off. I bend down and help Mia up.
“What the hell was that for?” She coughs, brushing glass from her hair. I point to the dagger, and her eyes go wide. “Is it the -”
“Homunculi,” I nod. “But I have a Thorngate alchemy around the perimeter that repels all homunculi.”
“Then how did they get in?”
“Mutus. They have alchemists who can reverse a Thorngate with a Softcarve alchemy. But Softcarve takes huge amounts of Azoth - and the Mutus don’t care much for Azoth lives. I’m sure they sacrificed a few to get
“Why don’t you have one?” I shoot back, deflecting the focus from me. “You’re rich enough.”
Darius tenses. I know the second the words leave my mouth that they were the wrong ones. His amber eyes turn to pained golden slits. He looks at his hands, then up at me.
“I can’t. I would hurt them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Sir?” We’re interrupted by Reeves rapping on the door. “Should I bring her things down to the car? It’s ready.”
“No. Change of plans,” Darius says. “She’s staying here.”
“Like hell I’m staying here,” I stand and grab my bag. I march out the door but Darius is quicker, so much quicker. He blocks it with his lean body, height towering above me. He’s so close I can smell the cloves on him, and my body goes wild, like something’s clawing out of my skin to get to him.
“You’re staying.” His voice is final, like he’s used to giving orders. I want to obey. The unadulterated longing inside me wants to obey his every command. To submit. But after everything I’d been through, I promised myself I’d never let a man fuck me over again. And I intend to keep that promise to my last breath.
“I’m leaving,” I glare up at him. “I have a roommate to get back to, and a job to find and a life to live, whether or not I’m a damn Azoth. Now get out of my way.”
***
She’s so incredibly brave, and so infuriatingly stubborn. My admiration for her resolve wars with my irritation at her ludicrously strong will. If she leaves, the Sage Council will surely track her down again at a later date provided she avoids homunculi - her Azoth is too strong to go to waste. It could do wonderful - and terrifying - things in the hands of the right alchemist. It was strong enough to feed me just by being in her presence. I didn’t need to consume her blood to feel full, satiated, and content. That alone is evidence enough. Perhaps it could even destroy the homunculi and the Mutus for good. I’d die as well, but it’d be a small sacrifice to rid the world of an evil that has long overstayed its welcome. I have always been ready to die for that cause, no matter how impossible it was. But with this girl’s Azoth -
Suddenly, a wave of heat washes over my skin, and a low buzz itches at the back of my brain. No. Not here, not now -
The girl’s glare is interrupted as my wolf Avalanche runs in, her snow-white coat gleaming against the red carpet. Her blue eyes find mine and she barks, tail wagging furiously.
“I know, Ava.” I kneel and scratch her head. Ava turns to the girl and growls.
“Looks like she wants me to go, too,” The girl says, and turns on her heel. There’s a flash of silver outside the window she’s passing, and the world seems to move in slow motion as I lunge for her. I can only scream internally and wordlessly. Not her. You’ve taken so much from me, you Mutus bastards, but you will not take her, not my firebird -
Avalanche is faster than I. She leaps ten feet horizontally, powerful forepaws slamming down on the girl and forcing her to the floor just as the dagger shatters the window and pins to the wall where the girl’s head was but a moment ago. I turn to Reeves.
“Quickly, arm yourself and get to the basement. Activate the Stormhearts.”
Reeves nods, and disappears downstairs.
“Ava, off her,” I say. Avalanche backs off. I bend down and help Mia up.
“What the hell was that for?” She coughs, brushing glass from her hair. I point to the dagger, and her eyes go wide. “Is it the -”
“Homunculi,” I nod. “But I have a Thorngate alchemy around the perimeter that repels all homunculi.”
“Then how did they get in?”
“Mutus. They have alchemists who can reverse a Thorngate with a Softcarve alchemy. But Softcarve takes huge amounts of Azoth - and the Mutus don’t care much for Azoth lives. I’m sure they sacrificed a few to get
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