“And I love you, but you cannot treat me likethat.”
His hand fell to mine. “I won’t let anythingruin what you are.”
I opened my mouth to respond but closed itagain. I had no words for that. “Please don’t do that to me again,”I finally said.
“I will try and speak with you. It will bedifficult, but I will try.” I smiled and kissed his cheek. That wasmore than I’d expected from him. “But you must listen to me. I knowthis world and these creatures. I never wanted you exposed to thosethings.”
“Because of what passed between you andLilitu?”
His upper lip curled in disgust. “She nevershould have said those things in front of you, but not because ofthat, though I wish you hadn’t heard it. I can’t keep you from allof it, but I want to shelter you from as much of the hideousness ofmy world as I can. You’ve already seen far more than most humans,been expected to deal with far worse, and have a heavy burden onyour shoulders. I will do everything I can to make it at least alittle easier on you.”
“Kobal,” I breathed, my heart melting at hiswords. I couldn’t possibly stay upset with him when he said thingslike that.
“But you have to promise me, if I amcommanding you and you don’t like what I’m saying, you will nottake off again. You can hit me with a ball of fire—”
“My fire has no effect on you.”
“You can knock me on my ass with one of yourenergy balls—”
“I just killed someone with it. I would neveruse it on you.”
“Lilitu didn’t see it coming and she had noidea what you are capable of. Next time, hit me withsomething, I will be prepared foryou, but don’t ever take off like that again.” Squeezing my hand,he lifted it and rested it over his heart. “When I discovered yougone,”—his eyes were black pools of emotion when they met mine—“I’dnever been more terrified in my life.”
My breath caught in the face of hisvulnerability. Kobal was many things, but vulnerable and open werenot among them.
“Do not do it again, Mah Kush-la.”
“I’ll never do it again and I’ll zap youfirst,” I vowed.
“Good.”
“You know, before I met you, I was alwaysrational and didn’t have a temper, or at least not one that Ishowed very often.”
His eyebrow quirked. “I doubt that.”
“It’s true,” I replied. “I had to take careof my brothers. I had to make sure they were fed and protect themthe best I could from our mother. The few times I got mad enoughthat I fought with my mother, she threw me out of the house.”
A vein in his forehead throbbed to life.“Where did you go when she did such a thing?”
“I would stay with my friend, Lisa, and herparents.”
“Did you like living with them?”
“I did,” I admitted. “Lisa’s mom would cookus breakfast every morning. Her dad always played games with us,and there were family dinners every night. I would catch fish forthem, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Theyconsidered me a part of their family and treated me like it.”
“Then why did you leave their home?”
“Gage would be a big enough pain in the assthat my mother would finally agree to allow me back home, and Iwould return for my brothers. I think Lisa’s parents would havetaken Gage and Bailey in too if they could have, but my mothernever would have allowed such a thing.”
“Why not?”
I stared at the road whizzing by beneath myfeet again as I thought over his question. “Because she would havehad no one to feed her and do her bidding without us. She wouldhave had no one to abuse, and she so enjoyed her abuse. It was theonly thing she ever found any real pleasure in. The only reason Iagreed to leave my brothers behind when Mac came for me was becauseI knew they would be going to live with Lisa. I would have foughtMac to the death otherwise.”
His hands twisted on the steering wheel ashis knuckles turned white. His head turned slowly away from me, butI could feel the tension thrumming through his body. “Did yourmother hit you?”
“Her words were her biggest weapon.”
“Didshehityou?” he bitout.
