“She’s fucking pregnant—”
“This is not a question of morality. This is a question about how my Tiger feels—”
“Kenji.”
“Do you want me to kill her?”
Every sane cell in my body shuddered.
“Do you, Tora?”
My breathing picked up.
“Because I would for you.”
My bottom lip quivered. “She’s pregnant.”
“That’s why this conversation needs to be careful.”
“You can’t kill her.”
“Andyoucannot ever feel threatened—”
“I was just explaining—”
“My Tiger willneverfeel threatened by anyone. I would kill them first. Set them aflame right in front of you so you can watch their skin melt, liquify, and crumble into nothing. So you can smell the stink of their burning hair and flesh. So you can touch their ashes when it’s all done. Pick them up in your hands. Let them slip through your fingers and blow in the wind. Rub your palms together until they’re gray and grainy from their cooked bones.”
The dragon-shadow sneered above us.
My stomach twisted. “Kenji. . .stop. . .”
“Do you want me to kill her?”
My eyes watered. “No.”
“You would never need to know how it happened. Your hands would not be dirty from—”
“Don’t.”
“Whether those babies are mine or not our peace is not threatened. I could kill her afterwards—”
“Kenji. . .” Shivering some more, I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“We need to.”
“We don’t. Because you’re. . .scaring the fuck out of me.”
“This is who I am.”
“I know. . .”
“We can never pretend aboutthispart of me.”
I swallowed. “I know.”
“You don’t.”
“I’m learning.”
