Ascension Saga: 9. Grace Goodwin

       Destiny

      Morson. Morson. Where the hell was this guy?

      Nix searched the other side of the room, moving from shadow to shadow along the periphery, unnoticed by the attendees. I had no idea how that was even possible. He was six-foot-plus of pure power and raw sex appeal, but then, maybe since we were in a room full of traitors who were plotting to kill my mother and my sisters, they had other priorities.

      Most in the room were powerful in one way or another. Clerics. Lords. Ladies. I hadn’t been on Alera for long and even I could tell. Members of the Optimus Unit, too. Talk about the fox watching the hen house. The Optimus Unit was like Earth’s FBI and judicial system all in one. Not the brightest setup, in my opinion. Civics class taught me about separation of powers and yeah, they didn’t have that here. I meant separation of powers, but Civics, too.

      I scanned the faces, searching for the man I’d barely caught a glimpse of on the monitor before coming down here. Morson. The only person here who, according to my sister, Trinity, was worth saving.

      With my bat hearing, the ticking noise of that bomb was still echoing in my ears, despite the fact that it was more than one hundred steps behind me, in another room. It appeared my strange superpower had locked onto the sound as a constant reminder that I was running out of time.

      Tick. Tick. Tick. Worse than a metronome. Infinitely more annoying.

      Die. Die. Die. That’s what I heard. The sound made my blood pound and my head hurt. Someone wanted everyone in this building dead. Someone wanted to destroy everyone who knew the truth about what happened to my mother all those years ago. Whoever it was held onto a grudge. Twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven!

      People had been dropping like flies. One after the other, some psycho was killing people off. Fortunately, Trinity, Faith and I had survived. And Mom, too, since her spire was still lit. And now, this fucker—yeah, he was a total fucker—was planning on getting the rest with one bomb. A bomb was ticking down and here I was, looking like I was mingling at a cocktail party.

      The risk didn’t bother me. No. What bothered me was knowing Nix was still in the building. My death? Not the end of the world. But if anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.

      Was this what love was supposed to be? Gut wrenching anxiety?

      I thought about how I felt any time I imagined Mom rotting in chains somewhere, or the times my sisters were hurt growing up.

      Yep. Gut wrenching anxiety. Worry. Fear. Helplessness.

      Love sucked. Why did we spend our whole lives chasing it?

      “Morson, good to see you here. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

      I wrenched my neck in the direction of that voice and spotted my prey, Morson, talking to an older woman who also wore the uniform of the Optimus Unit. I had no idea who she was, nor did I care. She’d be dead soon. And so would Morson, if I didn’t get him out of here.

      But Nix. How would he know I’d found him? He was on the other side of the large room, dozens of bodies between us.

      “It has been a long time,” Morson replied. “I am looking forward to hearing what the next steps are in taking the throne.”

      If Trinity hadn’t said he was one of the good guys, I would have had a very hard time controlling myself. But this meeting said it all. The person who’d killed the king and tried to kill Mom was back at it. I didn’t linger to find out who the woman was. Clearly, she knew Morson well. But why was he undercover, and for how long? It couldn’t have been since the attack on my mother.

      I looked at him one more time.

      No. Too young. Maybe Leo’s age. He had probably been a child when Trinity’s father was killed. Still, he could have been at this for years.

      Poor bastard. I could never pull that off. I was too impatient, and I knew it. Too prone to take risks. Sometimes, stupid risks. Like riding Nix’s cock in the high cleric’s office while she spoke to a warrior on the other side of a door.

      But god, what a magnificent cock.

      I looked for Nix. Found him. His eyes met mine and I dipped my chin so he’d know to start moving closer. And those eyes. Intense. Beautiful. Focused on me.

      That was the answer. That look. That was what made love worth the pain.

      The woman talking to Morson crossed her arms, her booted foot tapping the floor in obvious annoyance.

      “I expected to be patient and wait for another attempt, but twenty-seven years?” the woman said, thinking the same as me. “I have to wonder if the king is actually dead. It would be just like him to pull a stunt like this, although I never knew him to wait this long for anything.”

      That had me stopping in my tracks. The king might be alive? That meant… Holy shit. If it had been him behind the attempted coup, why wait so long to try again?

      Morson looked as stunned as I felt. “Did you know him well?”

      “Oh yes. We grew up chasing each other through the citadel gardens. He was just a few years younger than I. Always a selfish bastard. A bully. I never did understand what the queen saw in him.”

      With my feet like steel welded to the floor and my brain in overdrive, I turned to look for Nix, my mate, the only man in the universe I cared about right now. Well, Morson, too, but not in the same way. Duh. But once he was safely away from this exploding building, he could do whatever the hell he wanted and Nix would still be mine.

      Nix’s gaze bored into mine as he moved closer. Intent. I saw the same anguish I’d been feeling moments before in his gaze. He didn’t want me here. He was only in this room for me. Because I asked it of him. Because he respected me enough to give me what I needed even if it placed me in danger, although I’d probably be handcuffed to my bed if he’d known a bomb was involved.

      I hadn’t understood what it cost him, until now. What letting me be reckless and wild on Earth had cost my sisters and parents. Danger meant nothing to me. Pain meant nothing. Death? Well, I’d prefer not to rush toward my end, but even that held no true cost to me. Until now. Now, I understood.

      Fuck me six ways to Sunday. I was in love. Head over heels, do anything to keep him safe, anything to make him happy, love. With the gorgeous, growly guy moving through the room like a wild animal hunting his prey.

      “Your timing sucks, Des.” I was talking to myself as I moved toward Morson, but I tilted my head at Nix, this time clearly indicating that I’d found our target and to get moving. He didn’t take his eyes off me, but changed direction, heading for the closest exit, which was a good twenty paces away. And Morson was big. If he didn’t cooperate, I’d have a hell of a time getting him out of here before the bomb went off.

       Tick. Tick. Tick.

      “Excuse