CRYSTALLUM (The Primordial Principles Book 1) by Laney McMann Page A
Authors: Laney McMann
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do I, but we can't protect every fledgling Primori, or whatever the hell Kadence is, who gets into trouble!”
"I couldn't just leave it to chance!” Cole's temper spiked. "I had to check, and I was right. And what the hell's her dad playing at leaving her by herself? The Filios Daemoneum were hunting her, Dan. Isn't that obvious now?"
"Just say Devil's Children."
Cole shook his head. "She can't be a Primeva. She can't."
"You do like her.” Danny's voice was so low, Cole barely heard him.
Cole didn't answer.
Danny sighed. ”This will never end the way you want it to. I hope you understand that."
"You don't know how I want anything to end." Cole had still been able to smell the sweet scent of Kade's skin on his clothes when he'd come home that morning. With a groan, he leaned back on his hands, extending his legs down the porch stairs. He couldn't get involved with Kade even if he'd wanted to.
"We don't know what Kade's abilities are." Danny's tone softened. "You don't know. Maybe she's not helpless. Not all fledglings are. And her birthmark...we don't know for sure. It was dark in her bedroom. Maybe it wasn't a moon. Primeva can't carry crystals."
"I know," Cole mumbled.
Danny stared at the sky. "You are so screwed."
"I'll take the blame. Exitus acta probat.” The result validates the deeds. He exhaled. “I don't think Kadence has any idea what's after her, Dan, but she seemed to know Dracon. I don't get it. I don't think she knows what she is. Why's she living at home otherwise?" Cole stared at his black dress shoes. "She asked me what I was, and I told her I was Primori...like her," he said. "Her eyes got all wide, but I thought she just didn't know. I had to tell her. She was scared, and she had to know she could trust me, but—" The idea of Kade being on the opposing side of the Primordial circle made him physically ill. "I don't care if she's my responsibility or not. Or if she's not one of us ." He lifted his head. "Do you think the Warden would be happy if I let them kill her? If I wouldn't have gone to her house, knowing she was probably a target? I could feel it." He stared at Danny. "If the Ward knew I could stop it, and I didn't?" His forehead creased. "Well?"
"I never said that, Cole."
He popped to his feet, furious. He wasn't sure at whom, and grabbed his suit jacket off the porch. "It's done. I can't change it."
"Just keep your distance and it'll blow over."
Cole climbed into his Jeep and slammed the door.
"So, the crystal? The Patriarchae? The Mortal Coil? Did you think about any other leads?"
Cole rolled his window down. "I haven't been home for more than three hours! When might I have had the time to think ? While I was asleep? Perhaps we should have asked Dracon about it? ' Oh, by the way, your Hive, the one we destroyed... yeah, that. Well, we found an unblemished, pristine crystal in the balcony. Is it yours?' Seriously, Dan? 'Oh, and while you're fessing up information on your criminal activity to the enemy, us, who's the Patriarchae? And what's up with this new symbol you guys are using?'" Cole ground the Jeep into reverse and backed away from the Brotherhood.
"Why are you mad at me? It was just a question."
"A stupid one!” Cole screeched his tires.
"Do you still have the crystal?"
"Another stupid question." He put the Jeep in first gear and jerked his hand back as if the stick shift had bit him. Faint red lines crawled across his palm.
"Let the Kadence thing go. It's the Warden's issue," Danny yelled. "We have work to do."
Cole closed his hand into a fist and rounded the corner of the mountain road. Danny should know he was trying to stay away from Kade, and the fact that he was arguing with him about it made him want to punch something.
***
Of all the kids Danny could have been paired up with when he moved into the common house, he'd gotten Cole. Cole, the hot-headed, smart ass. The guy who was too damn gifted for his own good. The only reason the Warden put up with him
"I couldn't just leave it to chance!” Cole's temper spiked. "I had to check, and I was right. And what the hell's her dad playing at leaving her by herself? The Filios Daemoneum were hunting her, Dan. Isn't that obvious now?"
"Just say Devil's Children."
Cole shook his head. "She can't be a Primeva. She can't."
"You do like her.” Danny's voice was so low, Cole barely heard him.
Cole didn't answer.
Danny sighed. ”This will never end the way you want it to. I hope you understand that."
"You don't know how I want anything to end." Cole had still been able to smell the sweet scent of Kade's skin on his clothes when he'd come home that morning. With a groan, he leaned back on his hands, extending his legs down the porch stairs. He couldn't get involved with Kade even if he'd wanted to.
"We don't know what Kade's abilities are." Danny's tone softened. "You don't know. Maybe she's not helpless. Not all fledglings are. And her birthmark...we don't know for sure. It was dark in her bedroom. Maybe it wasn't a moon. Primeva can't carry crystals."
"I know," Cole mumbled.
Danny stared at the sky. "You are so screwed."
"I'll take the blame. Exitus acta probat.” The result validates the deeds. He exhaled. “I don't think Kadence has any idea what's after her, Dan, but she seemed to know Dracon. I don't get it. I don't think she knows what she is. Why's she living at home otherwise?" Cole stared at his black dress shoes. "She asked me what I was, and I told her I was Primori...like her," he said. "Her eyes got all wide, but I thought she just didn't know. I had to tell her. She was scared, and she had to know she could trust me, but—" The idea of Kade being on the opposing side of the Primordial circle made him physically ill. "I don't care if she's my responsibility or not. Or if she's not one of us ." He lifted his head. "Do you think the Warden would be happy if I let them kill her? If I wouldn't have gone to her house, knowing she was probably a target? I could feel it." He stared at Danny. "If the Ward knew I could stop it, and I didn't?" His forehead creased. "Well?"
"I never said that, Cole."
He popped to his feet, furious. He wasn't sure at whom, and grabbed his suit jacket off the porch. "It's done. I can't change it."
"Just keep your distance and it'll blow over."
Cole climbed into his Jeep and slammed the door.
"So, the crystal? The Patriarchae? The Mortal Coil? Did you think about any other leads?"
Cole rolled his window down. "I haven't been home for more than three hours! When might I have had the time to think ? While I was asleep? Perhaps we should have asked Dracon about it? ' Oh, by the way, your Hive, the one we destroyed... yeah, that. Well, we found an unblemished, pristine crystal in the balcony. Is it yours?' Seriously, Dan? 'Oh, and while you're fessing up information on your criminal activity to the enemy, us, who's the Patriarchae? And what's up with this new symbol you guys are using?'" Cole ground the Jeep into reverse and backed away from the Brotherhood.
"Why are you mad at me? It was just a question."
"A stupid one!” Cole screeched his tires.
"Do you still have the crystal?"
"Another stupid question." He put the Jeep in first gear and jerked his hand back as if the stick shift had bit him. Faint red lines crawled across his palm.
"Let the Kadence thing go. It's the Warden's issue," Danny yelled. "We have work to do."
Cole closed his hand into a fist and rounded the corner of the mountain road. Danny should know he was trying to stay away from Kade, and the fact that he was arguing with him about it made him want to punch something.
***
Of all the kids Danny could have been paired up with when he moved into the common house, he'd gotten Cole. Cole, the hot-headed, smart ass. The guy who was too damn gifted for his own good. The only reason the Warden put up with him
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