“I am.
Flashes of River’s storms—plural, now, because she’d lost control twice, proving she truly was a danger to everyone in the Republic of Balance—swept through her mind.
“No. You arenot,” Nikhail said firmly.
She opened her mouth, but before she could retort, he continued, “But even if you were, I would not leave you. I meant every word I said in the library. I want you.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Storm and all.”
“But I could hurt you.”
“You won’t. Not with your storm.”
“I don’t?—”
“The only way you’ll hurt me is if you push me away.” He seemed to peer into the very essence of her being.
River wanted to believe him. His words sounded so good, and she desperately yearned not to be broken.
But this…
This was a lot.
As if he knew that she wasn’t sure what to say—if anything—Nikhail leaned in. His mouth swept over hers. The meeting of their lips was barely more than a peck, but something deep inside her rejoiced at the touch.
“I promise, River,” he said when he pulled away. “No matter how long it takes, I will stay by your side. We will wade through the storm together. And one day, whether it is weeks or months from now, the clouds will part, and you’ll see the stars again.”
CHAPTER 4
I Warned You
Getting River into the Hub on the day of her storm had been a complicated process. Nikhail had been able to expedite it, both because of River’s last name—the Waterborn legacy held significant sway in the Republic of Balance—and his own influence.
Nikhail had pushed to get River into a room, refusing to allow her to be placed in a cell, where those with out-of-control magic usually ended up. Had she been locked up, he was fairly certain she never would’ve seen the light of day again. And gods help him, but Nikhail refused to allow that to happen.
Getting River into the Hub had been difficult, but getting her out was proving to be even more challenging.
Nikhail held River’s hand, and he was doing his best to ignore how frail she felt standing beside him. As if a single gust of wind could blow her away. He channeled his frustration into his glare, which he directed at the armed guards before them. The pair stood behind a desk, guarding a locked door.
Williams and Thatcher, according to the badges on their uniforms, stood with their arms crossed and fingers brushing the tops of their guns. A warning. Nikhail knew very little aboutthe soldiers, other than the fact that they were refusing to allow them past. Or, more specifically, refusing to allowRiverto enter the room behind them.
She was an unknown, even with her last name. They were nervous about granting her entrance to the room they were guarding.
The nerves, Nikhail understood. Every soldier was on edge right now, especially since the Black Night’s attacks hadn’t stopped at Hydrangea House. Less than an hour after the first attack, four others had taken place in the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Regions. The coordinated bombings had all targeted government buildings. Blessedly, they hadn’t resulted in further casualties, but they’d destroyed important structures in each region.
Before this, the rebels had merely been a pest. Or at least, that’s what the Chancellor said. The group had been causing her problems but could be ignored. That was no longer the case. Between the murder of Representative Blackwing and the bombings, the rebels were making a stand.
Chancellor Rose was finally taking them seriously.
The fire fae was still in the hospital, but that hadn’t stopped her from working or sending out orders that, until the rebels were rooted out from the Republic, no one was to be trusted. She had implied in her latest message that she believed the rebels might have one or more people working within her government and the military.
Distrust was at an all-time high.
The problem was that even though the soldiers in front of Nikhail were doing their jobs, he didn’t care all that much.
Perhaps it was the emptiness gnawing at his soul from being exposed to prohiberis for two weeks, or it could’ve been the quiet despondency River had fallen into, but he needed to get River out of here. His water fae had showered and gotten changedbefore they left the room, but she’d barely spoken since he promised to walk through the storm with her.
These guards were in his way, and that was a problem. This was their last stop before they could leave.
“Listen,” he said in a measured tone, holding up his badge again. “I told you who I am and what we want. Let us pass. We will be in and out in five minutes.”