Born of Ice

“Then please, go stay with him. I would sell my soul to be rid of you.” He looked over at Sphinx. “Can’t you nudge her into submission?”


“Are you kidding? As stubborn as she is? I’d fry my brain trying.”

Alix was still stunned over Zarina’s appearance. She couldn’t believe her brother let her parade around dressed in something so skimpy at her age, and the fact that she was armed . . .

Amazing.

Devyn leaned over and whispered in Alix’s ear. Chills went down her arms as his breath tickled her skin. “Can I ask a huge favor from you?”

Please let it start with the words “Get naked in my room.”

“Sure.”

He pulled his debit card out and handed it to her. “Could you take Rina somewhere else to eat while I do business?”

She wasn’t so sure about that. Zarina didn’t seem exactly malleable.

In fact, the girl was already glowering at both of them. “Don’t tell me.” Her next words were spoken in a mocking tone. “We’ve got business to discuss. Would you mind giving us a few minutes ’cause you’re a girl and we’re going to play at being men?”

Taryn tipped his bottle to his sister in a mock salute. “Since you already knew our thoughts, why did you disturb us?”

She pierced him with a malevolent glare. “Suck an asteroid berry, you pirate-snot.” She glanced at the men around her, all of whom were trying to stifle their laughter at her words.

Realizing they weren’t going to interfere on her behalf, she sniffed in mock hurt. “Fine.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “Sit around being inconsiderate asses . . . and you wonder why none of you are married.”

Sway cleared his throat meaningfully.

Zarina scoffed at him. “Oh, shush. You don’t count. You had an arranged marriage. These losers can’t get a girl for more than the three and a half minutes it takes them to embarrass themselves with their feeble gropings that always disappoint.”

It was Vik’s turn to clear his throat. “On behalf of the mecha population, we don’t suffer from certain biological frailties that plague organic life forms.”

“Thanks, Vik,” Taryn said sarcastically. “Way to defend us, buddy.”

“Well, I have been told—”

“Uh-uh-uh.” Taryn cut Vik off. “You’ve done enough damage, mech. Just sit there and be quiet before we organics seek revenge.”

Zarina stood. “You know, Alix, men suck. Really. They are the worst. Come with me. I need an estrogen fix before their chromosomal defects contaminate me any further.”

Still somewhat confused, Alix followed Zarina out of the pub.

She didn’t know what to make of this. Part of her said that she should stay and spy on what the men were doing, but hearsay wasn’t proof. She needed hard-core, irrefutable documentation of Devyn’s activities, and they didn’t strike her as being stupid enough to have that on them in a public forum.

Not even in this place, where illegal activities were happening all over.

Zarina stopped in the hallway, turned around, and glared at the door. Her eyes glittered with malice as she leaned against the outside wall, crossed her arms over her chest, and tapped her fingers against her upper arms. “How can you love and hate someone so much?”

Alix had no idea. She’d never had emotions that conflicting. Hers were basic. She loved her mother and sister, and hated her father. But then, her life had always been one of simplistic survival mode.

Dreams, hopes, future plans . . . those were things that belonged to free citizens. So at her mother’s insistence, she’d banished those kinds of thoughts at an early age. It was only now when she had a hope of being free to make her own life that she even began to think about tomorrow as being something better.

Zarina narrowed her eyes before she resumed her tirade. “I swear one day I’m going to kill him.” She huffed. “Do you have a brother?”

“No.”

“Lucky you. I have four. You want one?”

Alix laughed. “If they all make you want to kill them, then I’ll pass. I think I’m all right without one.”

“Wise woman. Though to be honest, they’re not all total dicks. Jayce and I get along, and I used to be best friends with Adron . . .”

She frowned at the catch in Zarina’s tone. “Used to be?”

Her eyes turned dull. “My oldest brother was a League assassin and had a bad run-in with a psycho animal who left him crippled. He’ll never be the same again, I’m afraid. Even though he lived through it, a part of him died that night, and I miss the brother I used to have. That being said, I’m grateful to God that I do still have him, even as surly as he is. So I won’t complain about him at all. The twins, however—”

“Work your last nerve?”

“Exactly.” Letting out a long sigh, she took Alix’s arm and pulled her toward a very nice restaurant. “But let’s not talk about my brothers. I have something much more interesting to discuss with you.”

“And that is?”

“The fact that we need to get Devyn in your bed ASAP.”