had no business feeling a sense of entitlement to me for any reason. I had no clue what role he wanted in my life, because he didn’t know himself. My thoughts clouded as anger spilled out in harsh words. I went somewhere I shouldn’t have, but that hindsight thing is a real bitch.
“Maybe you just want to fuck me, is that what this is all about? Just tell me the truth, Adam. If I sleep with you, would that be enough to—”
His body shifted so quickly that I flinched.
“Silver,” he said reaching out to me, “you know I would never strike you.” I backed up and held my arms tightly.
Adam fell silent, staring at the space between us. When he left, his footsteps ruptured through the silent house until he slammed the door behind him. That was our first real fight, and I felt awful about it.
Chapter 6
“Why did you bring me here?”
I fidgeted in the booth of the same bar we were in the night before, looking into my Ghuardian’s eyes, tinted with shades of suspicion and wrath. Fine with me; I always loved a good apocalypse.
Justus returned home early, throwing a wrench in my plans. I called Sunny, but it didn’t take the sting away from the fact that I couldn’t see her.
Tonight, Justus wasn’t dressed in expensive threads, but a muscle shirt and loose pants. In fact, that’s what troubled me. I knew something was wrong when he flew out of the training room—dripping in sweat—and told me to get in the car.
He stroked the edgy lines of his tattoo, which was a habit. His eyes fell on me like a jury, and his tongue was the gavel waiting to slam down.
“Tell me, what do you think of this place?”
Like a good defendant, I sipped my vodka and changed the subject. “Did you get that tattoo before you were made?”
“No. In my family, men did not mark themselves.”
“If we heal, how can you have a permanent tattoo?”
“Are you reading the books I give you, or staring at the pictures?”
I joked on occasion about there being no pictures to break up the reading, but his condescending attitude rubbed me the wrong way. I spent months learning our history from his books. Granted most of it was boring, but I made every effort to live up to his expectations.
“Liquid fire seals any scar or tattoo; it’s an ancient extract and only a few know how it is made.”
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked again.
His fingers rapped on the table. “What kind of Ghuardian would I be if I did not allow my Learner to have some fun? I thought this looked like... your kind of place. What do you think?” He stretched his left arm over the back of his seat and flexed his jaw. “Are the men here to your liking?”
“It’s so-so.”
His fist slammed against the table. “Why did you defy my orders? I told you not to leave!”
The bartender polished the bar, watching us closely.
“Are these Mageri rules, or your rules?” I hissed.
“Don’t test me.”
“Oh, I’m testing you,” I said, pointing a finger. “Adam has the freedom to leave without an escort. You have kept me in a prison with invisible bars.”
I cringed at the ugly stare looking my way. I should have been grateful for everything he did for me—and I was—but it wasn’t enough.
“How did you know I was here?” I shifted in my seat and the cheap vinyl croaked.
“I don’t have to follow you, Ember Gates. Every time you pass off your ID or pay for something, it flags our system. I keep a watch on your account, and I know where you go.”
I huffed loudly. “Good to know, because next time I’m paying with cash.”
He lowered his voice. “I am responsible for you. Your safety is my priority, and I do not approve of your barhopping.”
“I wasn’t barhopping, I was…”
I pursed my lips when the truth almost slipped out. Justus may not have minded the seclusion of his home, but I came from a life where I had a job and went out with friends, and even by myself. My independence was the hardest thing to let go of, and the
“Maybe you just want to fuck me, is that what this is all about? Just tell me the truth, Adam. If I sleep with you, would that be enough to—”
His body shifted so quickly that I flinched.
“Silver,” he said reaching out to me, “you know I would never strike you.” I backed up and held my arms tightly.
Adam fell silent, staring at the space between us. When he left, his footsteps ruptured through the silent house until he slammed the door behind him. That was our first real fight, and I felt awful about it.
Chapter 6
“Why did you bring me here?”
I fidgeted in the booth of the same bar we were in the night before, looking into my Ghuardian’s eyes, tinted with shades of suspicion and wrath. Fine with me; I always loved a good apocalypse.
Justus returned home early, throwing a wrench in my plans. I called Sunny, but it didn’t take the sting away from the fact that I couldn’t see her.
Tonight, Justus wasn’t dressed in expensive threads, but a muscle shirt and loose pants. In fact, that’s what troubled me. I knew something was wrong when he flew out of the training room—dripping in sweat—and told me to get in the car.
He stroked the edgy lines of his tattoo, which was a habit. His eyes fell on me like a jury, and his tongue was the gavel waiting to slam down.
“Tell me, what do you think of this place?”
Like a good defendant, I sipped my vodka and changed the subject. “Did you get that tattoo before you were made?”
“No. In my family, men did not mark themselves.”
“If we heal, how can you have a permanent tattoo?”
“Are you reading the books I give you, or staring at the pictures?”
I joked on occasion about there being no pictures to break up the reading, but his condescending attitude rubbed me the wrong way. I spent months learning our history from his books. Granted most of it was boring, but I made every effort to live up to his expectations.
“Liquid fire seals any scar or tattoo; it’s an ancient extract and only a few know how it is made.”
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked again.
His fingers rapped on the table. “What kind of Ghuardian would I be if I did not allow my Learner to have some fun? I thought this looked like... your kind of place. What do you think?” He stretched his left arm over the back of his seat and flexed his jaw. “Are the men here to your liking?”
“It’s so-so.”
His fist slammed against the table. “Why did you defy my orders? I told you not to leave!”
The bartender polished the bar, watching us closely.
“Are these Mageri rules, or your rules?” I hissed.
“Don’t test me.”
“Oh, I’m testing you,” I said, pointing a finger. “Adam has the freedom to leave without an escort. You have kept me in a prison with invisible bars.”
I cringed at the ugly stare looking my way. I should have been grateful for everything he did for me—and I was—but it wasn’t enough.
“How did you know I was here?” I shifted in my seat and the cheap vinyl croaked.
“I don’t have to follow you, Ember Gates. Every time you pass off your ID or pay for something, it flags our system. I keep a watch on your account, and I know where you go.”
I huffed loudly. “Good to know, because next time I’m paying with cash.”
He lowered his voice. “I am responsible for you. Your safety is my priority, and I do not approve of your barhopping.”
“I wasn’t barhopping, I was…”
I pursed my lips when the truth almost slipped out. Justus may not have minded the seclusion of his home, but I came from a life where I had a job and went out with friends, and even by myself. My independence was the hardest thing to let go of, and the
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