Ashes Of The Throne | Part I

Chapter 23 | And She's Baccckk

Matthew quickly jabbed Toni in the ribs before he shook his head, "you think that's stopped me?"

Toni's mouth dropped open, "Freya? No!"

Matthew smirked at the memory, baiting Toni with the confession.

"Fuck, why do you get all the fun for?" dropping the cocky attitude, perplexed that after all those months, he finally did it, and he wanted the details, "how did you manage that?"

"With her girlfriend," he offered, "two-for-one deal. Apparently, I was a fantastic birthday present. Kimberly was more into it, so Freya relented."

"Shut up, no, fuck off, I don't believe this shit!" Toni moaned loudly.

As soon as he realized that the two girls before him, one with honey-brown eyes and the other with striking sky-blue ones, were observing Toni with intense curiosity, he hastily regained his composure. Their attention then shifted to the Commander.

"Skarsgard," Eko began the introduction, ignoring Toni briefly, "Madison," she waved to her cousin next to her with a small smile, "she was a servant aswell on the moon."

Madison's facial expression piqued, "excuse me?" then her eyebrow raised at the story that had been constructed.

Eko apologized with an awkward laugh as she elbowed her cousin and shot her bright blue eyes in Madison's direction, silently imploring her to join in on the deception. Afterward, she turned her focus to Matthew and Toni.

"To be precise, I am a servant to the High Queen," she explained, being mindful not to divulge too much information that could compromise their facade. "Mads here can get a little testy when I don't address her by her proper title."

"This is ridiculous," Madison scolded before Eko jumped back in again, her laughter compounding the tension in the air.

"She was a bit more special than the rest of us," she shook her head to Madison, pleading eyes were at her cousin to behave, "wasn't that right Mads?"

Madison regarded her cousin with annoyance before she rolled it to the two men before her. Unfortunately, she knew exactly what her cousin had been doing; no subtle hint was required.

Sera had found interest in the company before her, the same company that made her own blood boil, the kind of company of one particular man she had not been flirting with in her absence.

It appeared the universe wanted to test her patience, Sera was already well versed in that regard.

Exhaling, she gritted her teeth as she held back the resentment, her cousin was safe after all, and were now together.

Once they returned to wherever she had been staying, it would allow them respite before they figured out the next step to get her back safely on the throne.

"Maddy?"

A mask drew itself around her, ever the woman of sophistication, "a pleasure to meet you both. I am told that you found-"

"-Eko," cutting in between her cousin's sentence, before once again laughing awkwardly between the three of them.

Eko swore Matthew was going to think she was some looney floozy with the way she was going.

"She'll use my full name, and it's embarrassing. She's so proper... Anyway...this is Matthew, and this is Toni," addressing the men to her cousin, praying to whatever god there was that Mad's didn't blow her cover.

Three bodies suspiciously stared at Eko, and Madison swore she would be her own undoing with this ridiculous lie.

"Thank you for your hospitality," the cold tone continued. It didn't matter if this soldier in front of her had a hand in saving Seraphina. She wasn't impressed with him, his lifestyle, and his disgusting arrogance.