“You’ll never understand.” How could she?
“Try me.”
“She was soft, Seah. Gentle.”
“Weak, you mean.”
He inclined his head to her. “As I said. You can’t understand, and it’s not your fault. I didn’t understand what it meant to love or be loved until I met her.” More than that, he hadn’t thought he deserved better.
Violence was all he’d ever known. All he’d expected from everyone.
Hissing, Lyseah dragged her claws over his neck. “I hate you, Malphas! I wish you’d died in battle!”
“So do I.”
There was no sympathy in her eyes as she motioned to the others to take flight. Without another word, she flew off.
Itzal stayed behind.
Caleb had no idea why. It wasn’t exactly in his nature to do so. “Breaking rank, brother?”
Itzal shrugged. “I was never much of a follower. Of all demons, you know that.”
Yes, he did. Caleb’s brother had always been a rebel. Even to the idiot depths of Nick. “I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
Itzal gave him a lopsided grin that exposed his fangs. “I’m always in trouble.”
That was true enough. Or at least it used to be. When they were younger, Itzal had courted trouble like it was the last morsel on earth and if he didn’t have it, he’d starve.
Caleb looked in the direction Lyseah had flown off. “Is she going to tell on us?”
“Probably. As you saw, you’re not her friend.”
“Awesome.” Caleb glanced to Nick before he turned back to face his brother. “Who will she be reporting to?”
“Not Cyprian, if that’s what you’re asking. He’s not here.”
Caleb let out a sigh of relief. “Then who’s in charge?”
“Mot.”
And that sucked all the relief right out of him. Mot was Laguerre’s husband, who normally went by the name Grim. Cyprian’s psycho stepfather who’d been out to destroy Nick for years.
Crap.
Grim hated Nick passionately. If Grim caught wind of this, he’d be after them with so many reinforcements that they’d blot the light from the sky. No one could stand up to the army he’d throw at them.
“How much time?”
Itzal thought about it for a second. “She’s probably in his throne room, right now, telling him about you.”
“Should we run?” Nick asked.
“Only if you want to get caught. Anything that runs sets off alarms.”
Bubba sheathed his sword. “Then what do you suggest?”
“Prayer?”
