His shaking hands came up to staunch the blood flow, and he gurgled around the blood pouring into his throat as he said, “Devaroux.”
Jade’s family.
No.No, that couldn’t be the truth. They were our closest allies. They were the only family to ever invite us over for dinners and treat us like normal people. Other slayers were always so guarded, acting on their best behavior because my family was in charge.
Agony tore through me as I considered his words. The Devarouxs were in charge now. Had they smiled to our faces, acting like we had their undying support, when behind closed doors they wanted us sated and unsuspecting?
Did Jade know?Fuck.How did I miss the signs of their hatred for us?
Jeoffrey tried to push against the tip of Devorare, and I glared at him, eyes narrowed to slits as I tried to intimidate him into admitting he was a fucking liar. Fuck, all I wanted was for him to fall apart when he saw that I didn’t immediately believe him. I desperately wanted him to tell me he was making this shit up to save his ass.
“You made an oath!” he hissed, making me cock my head as I ruminated over his bombshell.
Time for one last attempt to make him squeal.
“You’re lying to me,” I deadpanned, trying to keep the thick emotion I was feeling from reflecting in my words. “Why would I make good on a blood oath when you didn’t uphold your end of it, Jeoffrey?”
If this was the truth, Jade had acted the part perfectly when I’d stared at her, begging her to end my life because of the agony of guilt that was consuming me for killing Skye. She said I deserved to live with that guilt, but was the truth actually that her family demanded that I live because of the deal they made?
His eyes bulged as he blubbered, devolving into hysterics. “Why would I lie to you? Why would I protect a slayer instead of choosing my own life? That’s the fucking truth, you’ve got to believe me!”
The truth was that he was so much of a fucking narcissist that he wouldn’t ever choose anyone over himself. He’d never sacrifice himself to save another.
The fact that the Devarouxs betrayed my familywasthe truth.
In an instant, I thought of the way I’d snubbed Drake for not recognizing the corrupt members of his board at first. Yet here I was, oblivious to the betrayal my family faced by one of my best friend's families. I bit down on my lip, trying to use the pain to ground me as tears threatened to spill over. Love really was blinding.
Forcing down the bile that rose in my throat as the truth sank, I took a deep breath and spoke to Devorare.
Incinerate him.
She didn’t respond verbally, instead the flames burst from my sword instantly and consumed him, sending him to his knees as he howled in pain. “You made an oath!” He screamed, clawing desperately at every part of his body, trying and failing to douse the flames consuming him.
“Oaths clearly mean nothing to slayers,” I spat, fighting the spiral that was threatening to take me over.
Don’t lump in all with the actions of some, Alina. You’ve learned that with the vampires, and it applies to the slayers as well.
How do I know they weren’t all in on it?I seethed.How do I know they weren’t all plotting to take my family from me?
You don’t, but what I can promise you is that we will get to the bottom of it, together. Don’t pass judgment until we have the answers. It will only torture your mind and heart that much more.
Andrei’s relief flowed through me, staunching my own burning rage in conjunction with Dev’s promise to me. The weight I felt removed from Andrei’s soul as Jeoffrey expired beneath the flames before us was enough to make me focus on the present moment. This was a huge victory, and though I didn’t feel settled yet, for now, I’d take solace in Jeoffrey’s death and the knowledge that he’d never be able to hurt anyone again.
Lincoln came back into the room with Rin, forcing him to his knees with a grunt as he wept. “Please, please save Lo. You promised.”
Lo.
Serena.
Tucking away the problem about the slayers into my shit-to-deal-with-later pile, I turned to find both women in the arms of men I loved. They sat on the couch next to one another, cradling Serena and Lo to them.
Drake tenderly stroked Lo’s cheek as black tears tripped from his eyes. Her eyes were open, but she didn’t seem to be fully cognizant.
Andrei pressed a kiss to his mom’s forehead, murmuring, “It’s over mom. He’s gone. He won’t hurt us ever again.”
My eyes burned as I swallowed the emotion threatening to engulf me. The pain and grieving that both of them were going through right now, in anticipation of the decision we had to make…it made me feel like I was being crushed by the weight of it.
We killed Jeoffrey.
