Path to Destiny

Chapter 30

A/N: Here's a recap, if you need one: While Drush is preparing to go to war with a shadow army and crazy Queen Jada at its lead, Lannie and her friends are hiding in the Underground, preparing to enter Balua to get the support of the emperor and empress.

Lannie is warring with herself to tell Titus that her Harbinger powers are affecting him -- she doesn't want to let him go, but if she doesn't, he will die. During her inner war, Ezra has told her that he knew about Jada Harari's treachery when they infiltrated Drush, and he intended to blame Lannie as a Harbinger for Jada's murder. Lannie argued with Ezra at dinner with the entire Underground and her friends watching. She left in a fury and took her anger out on Eden, who was furious Lannie distrusted her. And then Lannie was left to mend what her anger broke. Enjoy!

Chapter 30

It was that night when I decided to tell Titus the truth.

I spent five full seconds of terror after I knocked on his door, thinking he'd forgotten about me, when he opened the door.

Titus looked past me with a raised eyebrow before letting me into his room without complaint. The room was sparse like mine, with a bed, couch, and chair.

He brushed a hand through his dark brown hair. It had grown longer in the past few weeks. I reached out to tug at a strand of his hair. "You going to cut this any time soon?"

It was a joke, but Titus flinched when my fingers brushed his cheek. I withdrew my hand immediately, and he smiled at me -- a nervous smile. He circled to his bed and sat on the end, leaning his back against the bedpost. I sat across from him on the opposite bedpost and crossed my legs. The cotton quilt was soft between my fingertips. I plucked at the strands coming undone. "So I--"

"I know why you're here," Titus said.

I felt my heart thud painfully in my chest. My fingers froze. "You do?"

He nodded. "You obviously couldn't stand being apart from me."

His face was dead serious, and two seconds passed before we both started laughing. I wiped the tears from my eyes. "You are a fool."

Titus held out his arms. "Come here."

I hesitated. He looked at me meaningfully, and I grudgingly sidled over to him. He wrapped me in an embrace and held me against his chest, setting his chin on my head.

There was no place in the world I would rather be than right here. "I'm sorry for my behavior at dinner," I told him as I listened to the beating of his heart. "I shouldn't have been so snappy."

He played with a strand of my hair. "I would have told Clarice and Ezra off, too."

"Not like I did."

"I thought..." He cleared his throat, then he chuckled. "Never mind."

My skin started to burn with anxiety. "What is it?"

"Ezra... I thought you and him--" He stopped, and my throat constricted as he continued: "Well, Ezra is the leader of an underground syndicate that fights to free the slaves -- and he's a shapeshifter." He sighed. "I was thinking I might as well give up now."

I rose abruptly, accidentally jamming my head into his chin. "Sorry!" I said.

Titus rubbed his stubble-covered chin with a grimace. "It's fine. Why--"

"Don't ever say that," I told him sternly. I leaned my hand against the quilt to right myself, and I looked him in the eye. "There is no other, Titus."

His amber eyes glittered as a smile lit his mouth. He cupped my face and stroked his thumbs over my cheeks. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."