Spark (Fire Within Series Book 4) by Ella M. Lee

Author:Ella M. Lee [Lee, Ella M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

I expected to find pandemonium when Claudius and I entered the house, but it was really only the Meteors who were making a racket. Dark-haired, dark-skinned Jabari stood with his magic blazing around him like a magenta storm. His hand rested protectively on the arm of the petite Chinese woman standing in front of him—Xiao-Xiao.

She was shouting at, of all people, Nicolas, who watched her calmly and impassively with his arms folded over his chest.

“Don’t think for a second that we’ll stand by and let you get your way!” she shrieked, her hair coming undone from its tight bun, her lips curled into a snarl. For such a little thing, her voice rang through the room.

The other pinnacle members looked on in various levels of astonishment.

“And what, exactly, is my way?” Nicolas asked, his low tone bordering dangerously on a threat.

“You’re trying to take over Meteor!” she spat, stepping toward him. Jabari dragged her back.

After a brief, incredulous silence, Nicolas barked out a laugh. “Pardon? You must be joking. Why would I want any part of your pathetic clan? If it were up to me, I’d smash your sanctum to pieces and kill you all.”

Tittering bubbled up from the corner of the room where most of the other pinnacle members were now collected. No one liked Meteor very much; Xiao-Xiao likely knew that. She was probably hoping the others in the room liked Nicolas less than they liked her.

“You lie!” she said, her face red from yelling.

Nicolas lifted his chin, affronted. “I’m lying?” His eyes scanned the room. “Edmond, come out here.”

Nicolas’s extended one hand toward one of the Wind pinnacle members—a short, scrawny, sandy-haired man whose nervous expression only deepened under Nicolas’s scrutiny.

Everyone in the room knew Edmond’s special skill: He was a truth-teller. He had a form of detection similar to Farhad—he could tell spoken truths from lies. That talent was somewhat common in Wind, far more common than in any of the other clans.

“Edmond,” Nicolas said, his tone placid and reasonable, “would you mind telling Xiao whether I am lying or not? I have no intention of involving myself with Meteor, and certainly no desire to take over the clan.”

Edmond watched Nicolas with wide eyes, wringing his hands in front of himself. “What Nicolas says is the truth,” he offered quietly, quickly stepping back under the press of sixteen pairs of eyes.

Ryan and I exchanged a look across the room. Nicolas had chosen his words very carefully. We both knew he was interfering with Meteor, although he was not doing so by personal involvement, possibly for this very reason.

Xiao’s heavy breathing was the only sound in the room. When she had drawn a third harsh breath, she said, “I issue a challenge.”

I closed my eyes briefly, annoyed. She’d just indicated her desire to duel him—with magic—something allowed by the laws of conclaves since their existence. How did she not know he’d crush her?

Nicolas pressed two fingertips to the bridge of his nose. “I decline.”

“You can’t,” Jabari said, his sonorous voice filling the room.

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