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“No, I don’t. But if I focus on how impossible this is going to be, how much hell this dumb veil has brought upon my life, I won’t be able to move from this seat. So that’s what I’m choosing to focus on right now.”
Wrath shook his head. “I need to talk to Marcus. I hate to say this, but he might actually know what’s going on with Alek.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because,” he breathed, “if anyone has practice with giving into the darkness, it’s him.”
My mind reeled, and my heavy eyelids fought to stay open. I palmed my teacup, feeling the sting of the healing cut on my hand.
“Where do you think he went?” My voice was barely above a whisper. It was weak. I knew it was, but I couldn’t contain the question anymore.
Alek disappeared. He chose to run away into the forest as if we were the absolute last people he wanted to see.
All because Narcisa wanted to help him.
It didn’t make any sense. The defensiveness, the anger. It wasn’t like him.
Alek wasn’t one to let people get under his skin so easily.
“You two look cheery.” I turned to find Salem sauntering into the room, her thick black eyeliner darkening her eyes and her blonde hair reflecting the golden glow of the fire. “I take it the veil didn’t close as expected?”
I stiffened. “The veil is closed.”
The sound of her boots against the stone floor grew louder and louder as she approached, moving to stand behind her brother’s chair. “Then what’s with the pouting?”
Wrath glanced at me once before answering, “Something’s happened to Alek.”
“What?” Salem’s voice split through the low cracking of the flaming hearth. “What do you mean something happened? Where is he?”
I couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t meet her gaze.
“We don’t know,” Wrath pushed. “He ran off after the ritual was complete.”
She gaped. “Why the hell would he do that?”
That’s the question, isn’t it? Why run?
Especially if he argued that nothing was wrong, that we were incorrect to think anything had gone awry when we brought him back from the veil.
Why run?
And where the hell did he go?
The front door swung open in the distance. My gaze immediately locked onto Wrath’s, both of us wide-eyed and thinking the same damn thing.
Salem was already storming in that direction.
I threw the quilted blanket from my lap and stormed after her, hearing Wrath follow directly in my footsteps.
I turned the corner into the main hallway to see Alek standing frozen just inside the front door. Salem marched up to him at full speed before stopping a few feet away. “Where have you been?” she demanded. “And is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Nothing’s going on,” Alek answered stiffly. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Don’t need to worry?” I chimed in, narrowing my eyes. “You ran away into the forest, and we had no idea where you were, Alek! God, what was I supposed to think?”
His eyes softened as he looked at me, but he twisted his attention to Salem. “I’m home. I’m fine. Everyone can calm down.”
“For fuck’s sake, brother,” Wrath snapped from behind me, shaking his head. “Give us some warning before you go running away again. I’m exhausted, and I’m turning in.”
