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“It’s not magic,” he snaps, sounding a little appalled.
I roll my eyes and give another hand wave. “Okay, then what is it? How does it work?”
He looks a little put-off, and I think he thought I would run screaming after he told me all the boogeyman stories about his brother. “What does it matter?”
I cock my head. “You’re expecting me to take off just because of what you’re telling me about Remus. It matters.” It matters because if Remus has been somehow using magic on me to make me feel all the things I’ve been feeling for him, just to use me for his own reasons and then toss me away, that’s one thing. If not, then this gets complicated.
Romulus shrugs. “It’s a power not of this world, imbued by the godhood of the Great Hall. When the Horsemen ride, our aura spreads across the land. Each curse works differently. Remus and I influence events by lassoing existing energy and pouring in our own will to amplify it.”
“So, can you change people’s minds to do what they don’t want to do?”
He breathes out, and I think he’s begun to see why I’m asking. “No. We can’t affect free will. But we can drive men to madness with their own existing desires by amplifying and feeding off them.”
“Feeding off them? Like some sort of energy vampire?”
He shakes his head, then pauses. “No and yes. My brothers and I never fed to use such a coarse term. But our father. . . sometimes I wonder.”
“What?” I’m curious every time I make Romulus pause. He seems so brash and confident, and yet sometimes, it seems like my questions take him off-guard. He doesn’t seem used to it. Either that, or he’s far, far more covert at manipulation than even his brother. Because he, too, seems really genuine even though he’s obviously trying to be off-putting. I guess that’s maybe why I believe everything he says.
I know his objective is to get me to leave. Something he seems to forget as he looks reflective while answering my question as if he’s lost himself in conversation with me.
“It was the question that used to drive me to distraction. Why did Father do it all? War after war, each different but essentially the same. Backing some human leader who would conquer, sometimes whole empires, but only for a time. Eventually, they would fail and be overtaken, everything they’d built falling to ruin.
“My father would then start all over again, whispering promises in the ear of another upcoming warlord. What was the point of it all? And Father remained so robust and determined. I thought for a time he was waiting for the perfect empire. And then I realized he hated peace and longed only for the thrill and madness of the conquering. He was like Layden, always hungry but never satiated.”
His eyes had gone distant as he spoke, but he blinks, coming back to me. “So I don’t know if destruction and devouring somehow fed him or if he just. . .”
“Could never be satisfied with the good things he had,” I finish for him. I’ve known people like that. My ex, for example.
His eyes lock with mine, and he nods. To my shock, I feel a sizzle of connection.
And then, upstairs, there’s suddenly loud noises and commotion. Romulus’s eyes jerk away from mine. He shakes himself and pulls back from me, and it’s like a solid wall falls down between us as he jerks to attention, ramrod straight again.
“Good,” he says curtly. “Everyone’s back.”
Chapter Fifteen
ROMULUS
I lead the way up the stairs and try not to hyper-focus on her lighter footsteps behind me. Abaddon is home, and he’ll side with me about the necessity of sending her away. This is a good thing.
I ignore the clenching of my chest at the thought and focus any emotion I feel into fury at Remus for ever bringing her here in the first place.
I reach the first floor and, across the space of the large open room, see my brothers and their families spilling through the front door. Baby Raven escapes her mother’s arms and starts flying in spiraling loops toward the high ceilings.
Ksenia, heavily pregnant, waddles over to one of the stuffed chairs near the fireplace and plops herself down while my three brothers head directly toward me.
I stride confidently over to them.
But apparently, I’m not fast enough. Because from behind my back, Lo-Ren scurries forwards.
“I’m so excited to meet you!” she exclaims. “I’ve heard so much about you. You must be Abaddon,” she says and holds out her arms. “I’m a hugger. Are you a hugger?”
Abaddon looks a little dumbfounded at the reception, which is a comical look on my lion-man brother’s face. The movement does look a little like a nod, and Lo-Ren must take it as such because she throws her arms around his middle and squeezes.
Hannah pops up behind her husband. “Did I hear you’re a hugger?” she asks enthusiastically. “I’m Hannah!”
“Hi! I’m Lauren,” Lo-Ren says, barely getting the words out before Hannah has consumed her in a hug.
