Chapter 32: I Will Kill For You

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: I Will Kill For You

Mars decided to talk things over with his wives before going any further with Alice.

He didn’t want to move forward without everyone on the same page, dreading what might happen otherwise.

So he had Alice take a seat on the couch, while the four of them retreated deeper into the kitchen.

Solaris perched atop the kitchen counter. Mars stood leaning against the wall a few steps from her, facing Alice directly, whose smile never wavered. Even her wound had already healed, reminding Mars that Alice wasn’t on the same level as them.

She wasn’t a Seeker like them. She was a Breaker, and that alone meant more strength than he’d initially given her credit for.

’Damn it all,’ Mars cursed inwardly. He glanced at Moon standing to his left, and Willow beside the seated Solaris, and saw obvious reluctance in both their eyes.

Neither wanted to share a home with Alice, but there was no real alternative. At least, none Mars could see.

Killing Alice had never truly been an option. Not now, while they were still weak and painfully vulnerable.

He’d managed to talk his way out of Loris’s death, but Mars wasn’t arrogant enough to assume he could pull that off twice.

So it was time to compromise.

"I don’t like this," Solaris said immediately, clearly displeased. "I don’t trust her. And I can’t live with someone I don’t trust."

"You don’t trust Moon and Willow either," Mars said.

"That’s completely different," Solaris snapped. "These two bitches and I are in the same sinking boat! No matter how stupid they can be—"

"Solaris calling other people stupid now," Moon laughed.

"—they wouldn’t dare do anything that could bring the Protectors down on all of us."

"For once," Willow added, a frown that had been there from the start still fixed on her face, "I agree with Solaris. We can’t trust the old hag, Mars. I know these Protectors." Her pink eyes sharpened behind her glasses. "Do you know how many spies our families have among them? Too many to count. They swear an Oath of Loyalty to the people of New France, but their real loyalty lies only with their own interests."

"She seems interested in us today," Moon chimed in, tilting her head. "But how long do you think that’ll last? And meanwhile we’ve got millions of euros, thanks to your sweet little robbery. Not to mention..."

Moon grinned wildly, eyes glinting with barely contained excitement,

"...we have drugs, sweetheart. Drugs." She licked her lips. "We could make even more money if we play this right. But not with a Protector watching our every move."

"You want us to become common drug dealers?!" Solaris said, outraged, keeping her voice low so as not to carry. "Me? Solaris Lightbringer? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"First, you dumb bitch, drugs are money. And maybe you’re too dense to realize it, but we need a serious amount of cash to keep this house running and to rank up," Moon said coldly. "Second, Lightbringer?" she scoffed, glancing sideways at her. "You’re Solaris bloody Lightbringer Fox now. Or did you forget? Mars is our husband."

"He fucking is not," Solaris hissed back, eyes flaring with fire at the words.

Willow frowned, clearly displeased. Moon only grinned wider, as if she’d expected exactly that reaction.

’I bet she did,’ Mars thought, watching all of it unfold.

"Look at her, sweetheart," Moon whispered, stepping closer to him, smile deepening. "You killed for her, because I’m fairly sure this bitch fucked up her own disguise. Then you let yourself get burned, letting her run off safely. Then — oh, my dear sweetheart, you must’ve been traumatized — you faced down a Protector captain alone, without breathing a word about her, or either of us."

By then, Moon stood dangerously close to Mars, her body nearly touching his. Her warmth seeped into his cold skin, and she smiled; this time, one that felt far less rehearsed to Mars than usual.

Ignoring Willow and Solaris’s stares entirely, Moon reached up and stroked his cheek sensually, making him shiver, watching him with something close to genuine respect.

"Yet despite all that, she refuses to acknowledge you."

Mars said nothing. Solaris’s body trembled, teeth clenched hard against her lip, fist tightening.

"But I do," Moon continued. "If you’re willing to kill for us, sweetheart, then maybe you have exactly what it takes to be with me."

"Because you want me to kill for you?"

"I want you ready to kill for me."

"Would you kill for me, Moon?"

"I would," Willow cut in, and Mars turned to her. She held his gaze steady, repeating, "I would kill for you, Mars."

Moon frowned, her moment stolen.

"Why?" Mars asked, curious. "Why would you?"

"You deserve it," she replied.

"And if one day you decide I no longer deserve it?" he countered. "What then?"

The silent assassin gave no answer to that. She just looked at him, and that silence was answer enough for Mars.

He smiled wryly and turned back to Moon. "And you?"

"Of course, sweetheart, I’d kill for you. As for why," she leaned in, whispering close to his ear, "because you’re interesting, sweetheart. And I’ll keep killing for you until you stop being interesting."

"Well," Mars’s lips twitched, "that’s very reassuring, ladies. At least now I know I’m safe inside my own room, even if I’m no longer safe outside it."

Moon chuckled, amused. Willow gave a slow shrug. Solaris huffed, though something in her chest ached, for reasons she couldn’t quite name.

She watched Mars’s wry, defeated expression for a moment, and recalled the cold, emotionless one he’d worn in front of Loris.

Two different people, it felt like. But Solaris knew they were one and the same. Still...

’His Gift’s side effect is brutal,’ she thought, feeling a pang of guilt for dumping every responsibility on him and stepping back herself.

For a moment, Solaris considered what she could actually give him, as thanks. But she pushed the thought away almost immediately, unwilling to sit with it.

’No! Why should I thank him?! I’m his wi—!’ She instantly smacked both cheeks together, hard and loud, her face flushing red.

Mars, Moon, and Willow all stared at her, puzzled; Moon in particular wearing her signature "what a dumb bitch" expression.

Solaris’s face burned red with embarrassment. She turned her head away sharply. "What the fuck are you all staring at? We better talk seriously instead of standing around solving nothing with this old bitch!"

"I swear this woman isn’t sane," Moon said.

"Because you are?" Mars said, giving her a look that read ’girl, be for real.’

Moon smirked. "Sweetheart, you haven’t seen anything yet. Don’t think I forgot we’re sleeping together tonight. No old bitch is stopping that."

"Phrasing, Moon. Willow and Solaris might get the wrong idea."

"Aren’t we—!"

"Can we fucking focus for one minute here?" Solaris cut in, tired of Moon dragging the conversation off track every time. "What are we going to do about this old hag?"

"What else?" Moon shrugged. "Sweetheart said no killing, so no killing. We’ll find another way."

"What about our own safety, then? Am I the only one who cares?"

"I’ll handle that," Willow said, her eyes turning cold. "The Rose family has ways of keeping spies silent. You two do too, but ours is more effective."

’Hm... secret information about the Primes! Mars, you’ve come a long way! And the captain wants me to go to college? Fuck college!’

"Tell me," Mars said, eager.

Solaris and Moon, however, were much less enthusiastic. Because they already knew exactly what Willow was about to say.

And sure enough...

"One of the easiest ways to keep a spy quiet is to bind their heart directly to the secret itself," Willow said. "We do that with a Mind Rule."

"Huh?" Mars exclaimed. "What does that mean?"

"A Mind Rule is a forbidden technique that binds two statements together. If one is broken, consequences follow," Willow explained. "In our case, it means: if Alice does, says, or even implies anything that endangers our safety, then she..."

She paused, glancing at Mars. "...what can we threaten her with, Mars?"

"What, huh?" Mars murmured, closing his eyes, mind racing, recalling the flicker of love and gratitude he’d sensed from Captain Snow towards Alice, thanks to his Gift.

He hesitated, unwilling to hurt someone who genuinely wanted to help him.

But given the situation, like most things lately, he had no real choice but to pick whatever kept his wives safe. Which meant taking the harder path.

He closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly, wondering what kind of man he was turning into, and finally parted his dry lips:

"Captain Snow," Mars replied, gazing at Alice from across the room. "Captain Snow might be someone she cares about deeply."

DING!

[You have completed your Quest!]