That fast, my body went from relaxed to taut at the thought of giving her what she needed. How many nights had I imagined now what it would be like to feel her lips on my throat?
“You said you haven’t given up on Dante.” Firelight flickered over her face. “But you’re losing hope, aren’t you?”
I looked at our hands, twined together, a lump in my throat.
No matter my feelings, Emberline was my brother’s wife. I had no right to touch her. No right to imagine her at my throat. No right to fantasize about any of the filthy thoughts that filled my head these days.
Yet I couldn’t look away as I gave her the truth.
“Yes,” I admitted. “Every day that passes with no sign of him, no leads, I wonder… what if I’m only imagining our bond is still there? What if the Fossa finally swallowed him whole?”
Her fingers dug into mine.
“But then,” I continued, voice rough, “I remember who we’re talking about. Dante won’t die quietly. He will never lie down and accept his fate. If he’s breathing, he’s fighting. If he’s fighting, he’s trying to get back. To us. Toyou.”
“He is fighting to get back tous,” she echoed as she squeezed my hand. “You’re doing everything you can to bring him back, Gabriel. Thank you for that.”
I gazed at her, warmth glowing in my bones as we stared at each other, perfectly aligned, for once, in our sorrow, our resolve, and our mutual love for my brother.
Love that had no place for jealousy.
No matter how badly I craved his wife.
I looked at where our hands were joined, throat closing up. A wife who deserved her vengeance. A wife who was combat trained, capable, and as good a fighter as I was. Possibly even better.
“I’m not asking you to stop wanting revenge,” I explained softly. “Gods know, I don’t have that right. But I’m asking you to wield your hate like one of your knives. Carefully. Precisely. We can’t afford mistakes now, Emberline. Not if we want him back.”
I held my breath, fingers flexing around hers, before she yanked her hand away, two spots of color blooming in her cheeks.
“Are you asking me to hide?” she demanded, tone sharp.
“Oh no. Hiding you away would be a crime.” I grinned, a wicked darkness growing inside me, “You are a hunter. And I’d never ask you to be anything other than what you are, Emberline.” I brushed one of those errant curls out of her face and tucked it carefully behind her ear, hyperaware of our closeness, of how good she smelled.
“Continue your nightly jaunts through the city, butbe careful. Youwillkeep distance between you and your uncle, and youwillstay out of sight. You’ll listen. You’ll watch. And when the time comes…”
I leaned forward, the heat of our bodies wrapping around each other, her citrusy scent thick in the air.
“When the time comes…” My breath washed over her face, and she closed her eyes. “You’ll be the one to decide how they all die.Thatwill be your reward, Emberline. Foryour patience and for your sacrifices, you will be their executioner. And when those bastards beg for mercy, you will not show them a sliver of pity.”
Revenge. Justice.
They were all we had to hold on to right now.
Finally, she nodded, drawing a slow, disbelieving breath as she realized I wasn’t locking her away after all.
I was giving her room to fly.
“Fine,” she said breathlessly, pushing up out of the chair. “I’ll be patient and careful and stay out of sight. For now. But Gabriel?”
“Yes?”
“If Dante dies,”—her voice was barely above a whisper—“if they take him from us… there won’t be anything left standing when I’m finished. No one will be safe, not a single one of these bloodsuckers. Gods help this city because I will burn everything down around them. You need to understand that.”
I held her gaze for a long moment, then rose, towering over her.
“Good. Because if my brother dies, I’ll be right there beside you with a flamethrower. So will Nico.”
The coals in the hearth shifted, sending up a tiny spray of sparks. I reached past Emberline to pick up the cipher and tuck it away. “This is mine. Try keeping your hands to yourself, klepto.”
