If Ciprian sees a change, though . . .
No. He’s a master manipulator. A Casanell, for gods’ sake. He twists the truth as easily as he draws breath. Dammit, he’s proved that to me multiple times, yet I keep falling for it. Even now, I’m leaning into him, close enough that my arm brushes his shoulder, listening to his concerns with my fucking brow furrowed.
I recoil and spot the singed section of carpet where thekoil’nashralanded. It was close... too close. And Ciprian said he’s supposed to “take care of us.” That certainly doesn’t mean patching us up and paying for our therapy. There’s too much happening, and I don’t have a good grasp on any of it.
My wings tremble, the blades grinding against each other. If I could get a minute alone...
Delicate threads of golden magic wrap around the singed fibers of the carpet, slowly but surely erasing all signs of damage. I watch Malach repair the carpet until I can’t see through the tears blurring my vision. A small piece of order restored; it’s a life preserver when I need it most.
Fingers graze my cheek, and Luca blinks up at me groggily. “You look worried, baby,” he whispers.
“You passed out,” I tell him, tears spilling from the corners of my eyes. No—not now.Not with people watching. I have to be strong, strategize, and fix this.
Ciprian rocks back on his heels and sighs. “You look like shit.”
Luca chuckles. “You should see the other guys.”
“I heard all about them,” Ciprian says drily. “If you didn’t haveMr. Clean’s better-looking cousin erasing evidence, I would have seen them too. Front-row seat, like Celine’s snitching neighbors.”
Luca raises his eyebrows, then yawns. “Are you here to kill us or take us in?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Ciprian sighs. The sound is heavy, as if he’s carrying the weight of the world. I can’t decide whether it pisses me off or makes me more stressed.
“Can it wait until morning?” Luca asks.
Ciprian snorts a laugh. “It is morning, dude.”
As soon as he says it, I see the glow coming through the shattered window. Malach got rid of the broken glass, but his magic can’t repair something that badly damaged. He fixed the carpet for me—to make me feel better—and I know it was difficult for him. He’s always been better at removing messes than fixing them.
After a few seconds of blissful silence, everyone turns to Alistair.
Fists clenched, he’s still staring at the kitchen tile.What the hell is wrong with him?Maybe Ciprian is right, and I’ve missed something.
“Alistair.” I snap my fingers to get his attention. “Get to my room before you fry.”
He blinks at me, his eyes crawling almost wistfully to the rays of sun stretching across the living room floor.
Ciprian jumps to his feet, rushing to the window and pressing the ruined shade over it. “Hurry up,” he says.
When Alistair finally moves, it’s slowly. I hold my breath as he walks around the counter, past the couch, and into the hallway. As soon as he’s covered in shadow, air leaves my mouth in a whoosh.
“I can fix that,” Malach says, dipping his head toward the ruined shade.
Ciprian moves out of the way so he can get started. “I’ll stayon the couch,” he says, glancing at me. “Get some sleep, Celine. We’ll talk it through in five or six hours.”
I nod. A strange numbness takes hold of me and makes it easier to think logically.
I can’t be mad at Ciprian for this. It wasn’t his fault that someone called the enclave to report what happened. The fact that he’s conflicted enough to keep us in the loop tells me... something. I’m too tired to know exactly what, but I do know it would be stupid to antagonize him any more than I already have.
“Thanks.” I force the word out through a jaw clenched too tight.
From the halfhearted curl of Ciprian’s lips, he knows exactly how hard it was for me. “Don’t pretend with me, hot wings; I know you still hate me. We can talk about this like adults once you’ve rested, but you don’t have to force a lie. I prefer you as you are, pissed and all.”
I pull Luca to his feet and drag him out of the room before I can do something absurd, like hug a fucking Casanell.
TWENTY-TWO
Unspoken rule of the Fringes #509:
