Chapter Nineteen
Lara sat on a cream couch at Rem and Jenna’s, her mind replaying the events she’d witnessed: first, the woman with the stone and then Nyx.
Tears slipped down her face as she thought of the hybrid woman. She had tried to keep her hope alive, but it had been nearly an hour now, and there was still no sign from her.
Marcus was ready to storm the place to get her back, and Magnus was just trying to keep order.
Jenna sat down next to her.
“How you holding up?” she asked.
Lara shrugged. It didn’t seem like there was much else to say on that. She couldn’t even begin to put her emotions into words, so why bother?
“You left her,” Marcus shouted at Rem. “We let some outsider lead us, and this is what he does.”
Marcus paced the floor of the room. Several of the other hybrids murmured their support, and Lara couldn’t help but wonder if they weren’t right. Rem had left her.
“Have faith,” Jenna said quietly. “He’d never do anything to harm these people. Just have a little faith.”
Jenna patted her knee and stood back up to help keep the group at ease.
Not really even sure if that was possible, Lara sighed and searched for the one person she did have faith in, Magnus. His eyes met hers, and he was drawn to her.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Magnus shook his head and looked around. “I think it’s too early to make a call,” he said. It was a bit non-committal but still exactly what she would expect.
“I think we should have a vote,” Marcus shouted at Rem.
The room fell silent at his challenge.
Rem turned to the door and walked out.
“What?” she said and looked to Magnus.
He frowned and stared at the door. He started to get up but stopped when Rem came racing back in.
“Clear the couch,” he shouted.
Lara jumped off the couch and moved away.
A tall dark-haired man stepped in. His eyes were a brilliant ice blue and so clear they seemed almost eerie. He carried a motionless Nyx in his arms.
Magnus stared at the man for a long moment, narrowing his eyes.
“Nero?” Magnus said from beside her, and she frowned. It wasn’t a name she’d heard before or a hybrid she recognized, but then she hadn’t really even started to learn all his people.
“So that is why that damn scent in the woods seemed familiar,” Magnus muttered.
Nero gently laid the unconscious Nyx down. When he stood beside her, Lara noticed he refused to meet the eyes of the people in the room.
Marcus blinked. “It is him, isn’t it? He’s not an ugly son of a bitch anymore, but it is him.” He laughed. “Just because he doesn’t look like a freak anymore doesn’t change anything. I can’t believe this. You let him in?”
Rem nodded.
Marcus pointed at Nero. “He’s Romulus’s bitch! They probably already have Glycons on the way.”
The room erupted into shouting. Magnus put an arm around Lara, pulling her body behind his as the crowd moved forward.
“You let that bastard in our home?” Marcus said and moved to stand in front of Rem. His rage boiled over and choked the room.
“I did,” Rem said simply, his face calm.
Lara glanced back over at Nero. With his shoulders back and chin held high, he stood beside Rem. He seemed ready to take whatever the crowd might say.
“We should kill you both,” Marcus spit out. “You’re not even really—”
In a flash, Rem had his hand around the other man’s throat and pinned him to the wall.
“You can fucking try,” Rem ground out. The two stared at one another, Rem’s hand still firmly squeezing the other’s neck. It was clear who would win in a fight, and after a moment, Marcus glanced away likely coming to the same conclusion. Rem released his hold, letting Marcus fall to the ground, coughing.
“This man was a pawn in the Horatius Group’s game. Just like we all fucking were. You can no more fault him for playing along than you can anyone else.”
Magnus shifted in front of her, and she knew he was remembering the things he’d mentioned being forced to do.
“Not only that, but he has already redeemed himself against the Group. Twice. So stop your petty bitching, Marcus.”
The room fell quiet as they looked down at Nyx. Jenna sat on the floor beside her, pressing a cold rag to her head.
Her eyes blinked open slowly, never really focusing on anything until she found her target.
“Nero,” she whispered.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and the room turned to the new face.
“Right now we need to treat Nyx,” Rem said. “We’ll keep Nero under close observation, but I don’t want him being harassed. Anyone found doing so will answer to me.” He glared at Marcus.
Lara watched as suddenly everyone found themselves busy.
“Take him,” Rem said quietly to Magnus. “Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“We could cuff him,” Magnus said.
Rem shook his head. “It’s not Nero that I’m worried about.”
Magnus nodded and looked to Lara.
“Go to the house and wait,” he said. “I’ll be there as soon as I’m done.”
She nodded and made her way to the house.
Once outside, Lara was glad to have the quiet of the night to think. There were just so many things that had happened, and she didn’t even know if she could process it all.
She found her way to the house and went inside quickly. The big comfy couch called to her. Before long she was snoozing away.