~ NYSSA
I kept my responses as vague as possible mostly because even I didn’t know where we were going.
All I told her was that it had sothing to do with my family and she did not hesitate to let know how unimpressed she was by this choice and how irresponsible it was.
Once she agreed, I sent a text to that number, letting him know that I would be free today. I waited patiently for a response but it never ca.
I checked my phone an embarrassing amount of tis during work, but each ti, I was t with a blank screen and an unread ssage.
"Are you going to tell where we’re going now?" Aria asked at the end of the workday.
"Not yet," I said smoothly, trying to hide the fact that even I was in the dark. "I’ll text you soon."
"You’re going to have to let know sooner or later so we know how to tell Rowan."
"Tell Rowan what?" Eric walked up to us, hands crossed over his chest.
Aria and I glanced at each other warily, our expressions going sour subconsciously.
Eric frowned. "I don’t like that look one bit. If you’re planning sothing stupid, then I deserve to know. I’m your guard and if shit happens to you, then your mate is going to have my fucking head on a spike."
I chewed on the inside of my cheeks, shrugging innocently. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Bullshit," he shot back. "I’m not getting in trouble with your mate because of you."
"There is no trouble to get into."
The last thing I wanted was to involve more people. I’d done enough by involving Aria in the mix. It was best if Eric stayed in the dark.
He ran his hands through his hair. "I’m going to pretend like I didn’t hear this conversation. Hopefully that will give you enough ti to rethink whatever the fuck you’re about to get involved in."
He stayed silent throughout the entire drive back ho, murmuring things about stupid decisions under his breath and much needed vacation ti. I couldn’t help but smile to myself at the thick threads of worry that ford between his brows.
I made to step out of the car once we arrived ho but he stopped .
He stood in front of , dropping his voice to a low whisper. "What the hell are you getting into, Nyssa?"
"Nothing," I argued, raising my hands in mock surrender.
He frowned, obviously not believing . "That’s a lie."
I sighed. "I can’t—"
My phone buzzed at that exact mont and I glanced down at it. A gasp left my lips when I realized that the stranger had responded. He sent a one-line address and a ti.
"I don’t like that look," Eric mumbled, trying to glance at my screen.
I pocketed the phone instantly. "Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine."
I brushed past him before he got the chance to say anything else and made my way over to Aria. She was already in the living room, feet propped up against the center table.
"I have the address," I told her. "We need to be there by nine."
"What are the odds that Rowan isn’t going to be suspicious when I tell him that we need to go out in the middle of the night?"
"Very low."
"Is this worth it? What you’re doing, I an. Is it truly worth it?"
I nodded. "Very much so."
She sighed. "I’ll figure sothing out."
*******************************************
When Rowan returned sothing around seven, Aria was still in the house, eating a fresh plate of lasagna that I made.
"It slls good in here," he murmured as he walked in, imdiately making his way over to and placing a kiss on my temple. "It’s been a fucking long day. There was more work than I anticipated. How long have you been back?"
"An hour, give or take," I said casually. "Are you hungry?"
He nodded. "Starving, but I can’t stay. I have to et with Jeremiah and the other sentinels at the border. I may not be back until much later. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can."
I tried not to appear relieved, but it was hard considering how my lips itched to tug upwards.
That eting was the perfect excuse, and it freed from having to co up with so kind of lie as to why I couldn’t be ho.
"That’s okay," I murmured, unable to stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. "I’ll wait up for you."
"You really shouldn’t, I don’t know how long I’ll be." He tipped my chin up, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before turning to Aria. "Will you be here with her?"
Aria nodded. "I have nowhere else to be."
His shoulders sagged with relief as he swallowed deeply, murmuring sothing under his breath before disappearing up the stairs. Once he was gone, I turned to Aria.
"This is so amazing, everything worked out perfectly—"
"I worked everything out perfectly," she corrected. "That eting wasn’t supposed to happen until tomorrow. I moved a few things around."
My eyes widened in shock. "How? I didn’t see you do anything."
Her lips curved. "You have so much power, Nyssa, and you don’t even know it. Sooner or later you’ll realize that the whole world answers to you. All you have to do is command it."
She leaned back into the couch, hands crossed over her chest.
She didn’t speak again, not until Rowan returned down the steps with the top buttons of his shirt undone and his hair dripping water on the floor. She didn’t speak even as he bid goodbye, promising to be back as soon as he could.
It was a little after eight when she finally spoke, rising to her feet as she did. "We should leave now. If we do, we might be able to get there in ti."
She walked ahead of , pulling the front door open only to co to a stop.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice hard.
"Hello to you too, girls, the King asked to hang around. Are we going sowhere? I do love a good road trip."
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