Leaving Eden
Page 42
Definitely smarter than a parrot.
Ramé shook his head, chuckling as he headed for the bourbon.
“So, uh, you want to tell me about those wings?” Loba asked, staring unabashedly at the glorious wings sprouting from Ramés back. Their clothing and jackets were a mess, torn down the back as if they had all been lashed. Ava snarled, irritation at the woman’s perusal overriding her common courtesy.
Loba turned towards her, lifting a brow.
Ava shrugged as if to say, “my bad” then hopped up on a stool beside her. “We actually needed to talk to you about that.”
Then she began to tell Loba about the mating bond and how it had affected them all, ending with the bounty on Loba and why the Council was looking for her.
“They say you’re dabbling in ancient magic. What exactly are you messing with? Does it have anything to do with what’s happening to us?” Midas asked, curiosity burning in his golden eyes.
Loba blew out a breath, sitting back against the bar. “I don’t think so. Honestly, I don’t even know what they’re referring to. I need to track down a friend. She’ll have answers. Meanwhile, you all need to get the hell out of dodge before shit really goes sideways. My Uncle Sal will put a bounty out on all of you once he realizes you guys killed Saltos. If it had just been Ava, we might have been able to talk him down. But with bounty hunters involved?”
Shaking her head, Loba continued. “Santos was a mutinous prick, but we don’t take kind to outsiders poking around in our affairs. Simon was only out of line because he was playing avenger without orders. Pretty soon, that won’t be relevant anymore.” She took another long swallow of her drink. “Not to mention what the Council will do if they figure out a group of rare Affinities are sprouting wings. It’s gonna be a ship in a storm if that happens.”
Slamming back the rest of her bourbon, Loba hopped off the stool and whistled for her monkey, who promptly returned and took up perch on her shoulder once more. “I will send word as soon as I find out what the hell is going on. You still have my number, Ava?” Ava nodded and Loba shook her head, exasperated. “The fucking Council…Sal is going to throw a fit.”
And then the tiny pirate was gone.
The four of them stared at one another, assessing the new development. Ava leaned forward, rubbing her cheek along Midas’ wing. “This is amazing…” she whispered. “Do you think… we can fly?”
They all paused, the weight of what was happening slamming home. “We’ll have to wait to test it until we get out to sea,” Ody said, grabbing his own drink.
“What now?” Ramé asked.
“Now we go home. Together.” Ody shrugged, taking a long swig.
“Home?” Ava bit her lip, her nerves plucking the strings that bound them together.
“Yes. Home.” Midas slid up beside her, wrapping an arm awkwardly around her waist, trying to avoid the wings.
Ava giggled at his attempt. Then she stopped, a look of horror coming onto her face.
“Wait! We can’t leave! I have to go get my things!”
They all blinked at her.
“Sunshine, we have wings. We can’t go gallivanting through town for your stuff. We’ll get you new things.”
Pouting, Ava bit the inside of her lip. She really, really didn’t want to leave her shinies. She had collected them for years. Her mother’s pearls were back there.
Ody sighed, pulling out his cellphone. “Yeah, I need a favor. Yes, I know it’s going to cost me.”
Ava’s smile was so bright, it could have shattered diamonds.
She would have her old shinies and her new ones. Looking around at the three golden men staring at her, knowing that they were heading somewhere that Ava could finally call home, Ava felt whole for the first time in her life.
Ava finally would have it all.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kandi Vale was born and raised in Michigan. When she isn’t spending time with her husband and five beautiful children, she enjoys getting lost in a good book or laying chicks out playing roller derby. By day, Kandi puts her degree from Ferris State University to use as a CT technologist, but by night she throws herself into her writing.
If you would like to see more of Dolor and Mattheus, they can be found in her debut paranormal romance series, The Slivered Souls Trilogy, which is now complete! There are several spin-off books from the same universe coming soon!
Slivered (Slivered Souls Trilogy, Book 1)
www.books2read.com/u/bo76O9
Author page:
https://www.facebook.com/KandiValeAuthor/
The Kandi Shop book group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255699695188114/
Instagram:
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Table of Contents
Full Page Image
Copyright
Contents
Dedication
Pride
Pride
1. Lyra
2. Adon
3. Lyra
4. Jonah
5. Lyra
6. Leon
7. Lyra
8. Adon
9. Lyra
10. Jonah
11. Lyra
12. Adon
13. Lyra
14. Leon
15. Lyra
16. Jonah
17. Lyra
About the Author
Dream My Way
Sloth
1. Aislynn
2. Aislynn
3. Aislynn
4. Aislynn
5. Aislynn
6. Aislynn
7. Aislynn
8. Nash
9. Aislynn
10. Reece
11. Aislynn
12. Devon
13. Aislynn
About the Author
Also By Serena Lindahl
Envy
Envy
Dedication
1. Charmaine
2. Corbin
3. Charmaine
4. Enzo
5. Charmaine
6. Andreas
7. Charmaine
8. Charmaine
9. Corbin
10. Andreas
11. Charmaine
12. Charmaine
Lucy Roy
Also By Lucy Roy
About the Author
Death Dealers
Wrath
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
About the Author
Also by Emma Cole
Glorious Gluttony
Gluttony
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About the Author
The Irony of Lust
Lust
1. Lusa
2. Lusa
3. Lusa
4. Eli
5. Lusa
6. Lusa
7. Gabe
8. Lusa
9. Zac
10. Lusa
Books by Kelly A Walker
Greed
Greed
1. Ava
2. Ramé
3. Ava
4. Ody
5. Ava
6. Midas
7. Ava
8. Ava
9. Ramé
10. Ava
11. Ody
12. Ava
13. Ody
14. Ava
About the Author