Bound by Prophecy (Descendants Series) by Melissa Wright Page B

now.
    “Aside from our discussion earlier,” I asked, “what do you know of our friends?”
    She stared at me blankly for a moment, and then swallowed. “Not much.”
    I nodded. “One more thing you should know, that you should expect, is that they’ve been very successful.”
    “You mean…”
    “Their special insight into the business world, their relationship with powerful people, it has allowed them to garner ample property, funds, and the like.”
    She quirked one brow at my talking in code, but it fell when she realized what I was telling her. The Division used their sway to cheat and steal their way to riches. And then she glanced at my days-old shirt, still no worse for wear, the cut of my jeans.
    “It’s another value we don’t share,” I said. “I earn what I have.” Aside from the last few days, I thought. But Morgan hadn’t given me much choice.
    “I didn’t…”
    I waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I just want you to understand. To know what to expect. The rest of us don’t use our advantage for arrangements, we’re honest businessmen.”
    “All of you?” Emily whispered.
    I sighed. “We were. It seems both sides are now led by the selfish, their greed and want for power.” I spun the ring on my middle finger. “Morals are not a tool for war.”
    Emily smiled. It was just the tiniest rise of her lips and it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but it was a smile. “You sound like my sensei,” she said.
    The driver dropped us at Fordham Heights and we walked toward the train station. Emily questioned my methods, but realized quickly that any pursuers would be easier to spot if they’d managed to follow us through so many different routes.
    “Council trained us how to respond,” I said. “All of us. And so we can’t use those techniques. We have to decide on the spur of the moment, be as unpredictable as possible.”
    “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just anxious to see Brianna.” She glanced down the stairwell. “And I hate trains.”
    I smiled. “Me too, but that’s not where we’re headed.”
    There wasn’t much else around Fordham, no taxis, no bike rentals. She looked up at me, brows raised. “It’s not?”
    I spun her toward the street, where a black limousine waited curbside. “Nope.” And then I leaned in to whisper in her ear, “And it’s bulletproof. Like a tank.”
    She smiled, and this time it was for real.

 
    Chapter Twelve
    Reunions
     
    The ride to the estate was brief, and Emily sat eagerly beside me peering out the tinted glass. When the driver slowed to turn into a security gate, she squeezed the crook of my arm. It wasn’t until we’d passed through and began to spot the gardens and outbuildings that I realized she wasn’t letting go.
    It was hard not to be impressed by the white, marble-columned mansion, somehow both stately and modern at once. The design was timeless, materials priceless, and Emily barely seemed to notice. A security guard opened the door as we came to a stop, and Emily climbed over me to push by him.
    As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she was running for the house. She didn’t even notice the red Ferrari on her way past, or the four guards in Armani suits placed outside the main door. But it didn’t matter, because as soon as she’d reached the top step, Brianna came running toward her.
    They hit with a practiced familiarity, and held each other for several long breaths before Emily’s hands moved to grab Brianna’s shoulders and push her back, just far enough to glare at her. I’d made it within earshot when Brianna whispered, “It was the only way.”
    I could see the tension slowly leave Emily’s shoulders. And then Brianna reached a hand up to cup her sister’s cheek. “Em, you slept.” Emily eased out of the embrace a little more and Brianna laughed. “And what are you wearing?”
    Emily glared at her. “I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare.”
    Brianna smiled sweetly. “You know I have some