“Dante.” This time, Luca speaks aloud, which is rare. He’s self-conscious about his accent, both Deaf and the fact that he learned speech from a Ukrainian woman, and he tends to speak like her. Everyone in the room freezes as Luca continues with his voice. “It’s fine. I’m saying yes.”
I stare at him. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘I am. It’s fine. It won’t be forever.’
‘You know what companions have to do, right?’ I demand. ‘What the Vyastil will require you to do in their world?’
He nods. ‘There’s no other way.’
Eissa walks over and lays a hand on my shoulder, and Cielo lets out a little growl, so he quickly removes it and signs, ‘I promise you I will not ask that of him. This is for appearance’s sake only. To protect him. He will be safe with me.’
“I didn’t understand most of that,” Everest says, “but I can tell you that Luca will be fine with him. Eissa is a good man.”
“Vyastil,” Eissa corrects.
Everest shrugs. He’s still upset, and I don’t blame him. Admitting Zane is not a good person would be like me admitting Luca was a criminal. Even with evidence, I’m not sure I could.
I would go down swinging, that’s for sure.
‘I’m fine. I agree,’ Luca tells me once he has my attention.
I let out a puff of air. ‘Fine. We can tell everyone when you come home for your stuff?—’
‘He cannot,’ Eissa signs stiffly. ‘We must leave for Erethar tonight, and your family cannot know where he’s gone.’
I swallow heavily and shoot pleading eyes at my brother as I lean into Cielo’s warm body. It’s a small comfort. ‘What am I supposed to tell them?’
He shrugs. ‘Tell them I moved to Vegas. I took a job go-go dancing.’
I smack his leg, making him laugh and groan at the same time. ‘Be serious!’
‘I am. You have to make it sound like I moved far away. Tell them we got into a huge fight and I’m taking some time for myself. Ask them to trust you. They will.’
I don’t know if that’s true, but what choice do I have? This is to save his life, and I have to believe that Eissa will take care of him. I glance up at the monster in question, and Eissa is staring at my brother with a look I can’t read.
There’s tension here. I don’t understand it, but I can feel it.
Eventually, Eissa’s ears flick, and he looks at me. ‘Is it settled?’
‘Don’t hurt him.’
I can feel the offense rolling off Eissa in waves. For a moment, he looks furious, and a moment after that, he looks resigned. ‘I understand your fear, but I will not harm him. He will be safe.’
‘I won’t be able to see you,’ I remind him. I look back at Everest and repeat myself aloud. “Promise me you’ll visit him whenever you can.”
Everest nods frantically. “I promise. And…” He turns to Luca. ‘I’m sorry. About…Zane.’
Luca sighs and waves him off. ‘It’s fine.’
Everyone in this room right now knows it isn’t fine, but for now, we’re all willing to accept the words we’re given. Eissa beckons Everest and Rathyn to follow him, and Cielo steps away from me, kneeling beside my brother as he knocks their foreheads together.
Luca gives him a hug as best he can with one arm, then Cielo stands and drags a touch over my jaw before leaving.
And then it’s just Luca and me again.
‘I hate this. I want to murder Zane.’ I don’t even want to use his name sign. He’s dead to me. Now his name is just fingerspelled.
Luca sits up a bit more with a grimace, and he takes a moment to answer. ‘There might be more to all of this than I understand. And if Eissa has his way, Zane will be in jail.’
