Orion growled, clearly unimpressed by the idea and I arched a brow at the two of them, feeling weirdly like I was watching a wildlife show where two predators had just stumbled upon each other at the edge of their territories and were about to fight to the death to claim pissing rights on the closest tree.
“Oo-ee, is it me or is it getting all kinds of hot in here?” Geraldine asked loudly, fanning her face as the two Vampires glared at one another in clear dislike. “I swear all of this testosterone is going to impregnate one of the ladies here present if you boys don’t find a way to dial it down a notch.”
“Yeah, suck it up, boys. The plan is already decided,” I said, flexing my fingers and letting Phoenix flames ignite along the surface of them as the thought of the fight got my veins buzzing. “Me and Darcy are gonna lead the group as we distract the Nymphs and draw them out of the temple. You two just need to sneak in while we keep them busy and fix the shadow hole with that fancy needle thingamabob. Simple.”
“You’re not leading shit, Roxy,” Darius growled, reaching out to grip my arm and tugging me closer to him as his pupils shifted to reptilian slits in warning. “You’ve only been on a handful of Nymph raids before. So I’m not gonna let you risk your neck trying to prove you can do something which you clearly haven’t got the first idea about.”
“Oh, there he is,” I said, leaning down and placing my hands on the arms of Darius’s chair as I looked at the darkness in him and prepared to stoke it with flames. “The asshole who still thinks he’s more deserving of our throne than the Heirs who were born to sit on it.”
“And there she is,” he replied in a low voice, our unending argument making the air crackle between us as we poked it awake once more. “The little girl who thinks placing a crown upon her head will make her capable of running a kingdom she knows nothing about.”
“Shall we do rock, paper, scissors to decide who will lead the charge?” Seth stage whispered. “It just seems like that stare off will go on all day if not and we have Nymphs to kill…”
Caleb barked a laugh and Max snorted too, but I just held Darius’s gaze and waited to see if I would find any flicker of doubt in his big ego, but all that looked back at me was a Dragon who was once again certain he knew best. Gah, sometimes I wanted to kick him in the dick even more than I wanted to use it for the fun things.
“Darius is right,” Orion said behind me and I forced my gaze around to look at him. “He is the most experienced among you when it comes to fighting the Nymphs. He should lead you.”
“Oh should he now?” Darcy asked with narrowed eyes, but before our argument could escalate, Geraldine leapt to her feet and upended the table, forcing all of us to scramble away from it - though Darius just stayed right there in his seat with his legs spread in his big balls pose without even fucking flinching.
“Ladies, let us prepare to leave - I have a gift for you to wear into battle and we have no time to waste on flimflamming with these uncouth ruffians. I suggest we all meet up in the barn post haste and the rest of you go and retrieve your weapons from your rooms - we cannot just sit around here lollygagging while Nymphs await their deaths at our fair and star bound hands.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Geraldine snatched hold of mine and Darcy’s wrists and promptly dragged us from the room, leaving the Heirs and Orion staring after us in shock.
Damn that girl knew how to make an exit.
“I wasn’t done telling Darius where to get off,” I grumbled as I was towed along at what was arguably a run.
“I know, my lady,” Geraldine said, casting a look over her shoulder before hurrying on, not once loosening her grip on me or my sister. “But that is the problem. Your dear Dragoon is blinded by his unfortunate upbringing, a need to prove himself worthy of his position and your love, his Leo pride, the stubbornness of Mars itself and not to mention the most desperate desire of his heart to keep you safe. There will be no reasoning with him, and I thought it prudent to save you the wasted breath. Big men like to talk the talk and bluster on about how powerful and right they are - but you gals and I know the truth.”
“What truth?” Darcy asked as we were pulled into Geraldine’s room.
“That a woman holds so much more power than any man could ever hope to. We are stalwart and true of heart, we love fiercely and protect ferociously, we are kind when kindness is due and stubborn when the right thing must be done and best of all - we are not blinded by the whims of a Long Sherman flapping between our thighs. And though Lady Petunia and her counterparts may have their attentions turned every now and again, we still hold the power that men can never hope to. So let the Dragoon believe he is in charge if it makes his manhood feel bigger-”