Gods. Did she think I didn’t know what she would have to do? That it was also one of the reasons she hadn’t wanted me or Kieran there? She would have to getclose.
Fuck.
“I didn’t say you would,” Kieran answered.
I let out a dry laugh. “That’s bullshit. The fact that I’m here is because you feared I would do exactly that.”
“No. That’s at least partially bullshit, you jackass. And you know it,” he replied. “We’re not there because Poppy and Attes were right. The agreement with the Fate and whatever protection it offers does not extend to us. He would come right at us.”
“He would try,” I corrected, arguing for the sake of being an asshole. “And you saidpartially. Care to elaborate?”
His jaw tightened. “You know what you would do the moment Kolis opened his mouth and spouted some nonsense.”
“Hmm.” My attention shifted to Delano as he descended the shorter stairs. The dagger at his hip caught my attention. The color and shape of the hilt were familiar. I lowered my gaze, catching a gleam of dark red. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to Delano’s. “Is that the bloodstone dagger?”
“It is.” He sat on the bottom step.
My head tilted.
Don’t, warned Kieran through thenotam, his arms unfolding.
Of course, he knew what I was about to do. I’d made it clear that I wanted to be left alone. They refused. That didn’t mean I wasn’t willing to go low—even lower than how I ensured Emil and Netta didn’t follow me.
I doubted the latter would be speaking to me anytime soon.
Kieran shifted his weight.This isn’t easy for me either. For any of us. None of us is okay with remaining here while she’s there.
My grip tightened on the bottle.
The difference is, we’re not acting like assholes,Kieran reached out through the link again.You’ve already said some nasty shit.You don’t need to add to that.
I said some truthful shit.Nasty, truthful shit I had also spewed at Malik concerning a certain missing Revenant.If you want me to stop, you know what to do.
Eather pulsed from Kieran as he lowered his chin.
I smirked around the rim of the bottle.You’re going to need to put me into the ground instead of Poppy. Something you should have no problem doing.
There was a slight flinch—a crack in his resolve to wait this out.You think I don’t know what you’re doing?Kieraninterrupted.We’ve been here before.Didn’t work then. Not going to work now.
He was right. Wehadbeen here before.Yearsago, when drinking, fighting, and fucking did nothing to silence the shit I didn’t want to think about. I’d lashed out at him—at everyone. But I was a hell of a lot meaner now.
You should be checking on your sister, I advised as I lifted the bottle.Then again, she’s probably busy getting fuc—
Kieran severed the link, shutting me out.
Ouch.
I laughed, then took a drink as I shifted my focus back to Delano. I knew exactly how to get him out of here. “The same one made from the bones of your sister?”
“Fucking gods,” Kieran muttered.
Delano’s chin lifted. “It is, Cas.”
“You don’t think that’s weird? Or disrespectful?” I shook the bottle, sloshing the amber liquid as I forced my mouth to keep moving, to speak the words that tasted sour and bitter. “I mean, that’s your sister’s bones—”
The bottle shattered in my grasp, showering me with glass and whiskey.
My father let out a low whistle as I opened my fingers, letting the neck of the bottle fall to the floor. I turned my head to Kieran.
