‘I am completely normal,’ Kay says with a haughtiness that makes me clench my jaw.
Benny looks at my newly rediscovered brother. ‘William, what about you? Have you seen any evidence of these powers?’
William grimaces and looks at me in question.
I nod encouragingly. ‘We can trust him. All of them. I swear to you. Show them what you can do.’
A hint of excitement glimmers in my brother’s eyes as he reaches out and places his hand on Ruben’s wineglass. ‘You mean like this?’
A second later, ice crystals appear on the outer edge.
‘Duuude!’ Ruben extends the syllable into a groan. ‘That’s red wine. I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be served warm.’
‘Sorry,’ William says, but his sudden, wide grin is unrepentant and reminds me just how young he still is. I want to kiss my friend for his casual reaction; it was exactly what was needed to break the tension of the moment, and I’m once again reminded that Ruben’s power to warm goes well beyond that of a physical nature.
Yet as I turn to Benny, hoping for the same easy, laid-back demeanour on his face, my hope is shattered. Instead, a tight frown clenches his face.
‘Benny?’ Nervousness coils within me. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘What was that?’ he asks sharply, but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking solely at William, who shrinks back a little.
‘Benny, it’s our power. It’s nothing to be afraid of …’ My pulse is racing, an unexpected fear gripping my ribs. ‘William is?—’
‘I’m not talking about the ice,’ he cuts in. ‘I’m talking about the pain William just felt across his stomach. The wince he didn’t quite hide.’
‘What?’ I question. I didn’t see a wince. I look between the two men who are sitting opposite one another. ‘William? Does it hurt you? Does doing that magic hurt you?
‘No.’ William’s answer is immediate, yet it is too quick to be believable, so I look to Caz.
‘He’s lying,’ she confirms.
‘I think he’s still in pain,’ Benny continues. ‘It did something. His entire body reacted.’
I turn back to William. His face is pale and his eyes avoid meeting mine.
‘Benny can see things,’ I tell him, trying to keep my voice soft and calm, ‘and Caz knows when you’re lying, so there’s no point trying to hide things from us. Tell me the truth. What does it do to you when you use that magic? Does it hurt?’
The thought of my little brother being in pain makes me want to wrap my arms around him and shield him from the entire world, but I get the feeling that’s not something he would accept from me right now. He is nearly a man grown; he does not want a sister’s protection.
Yet he will get it all the same.
‘Sometimes it hurts, but …’ William’s voice trails off.
‘But?’ It’s Jonas who presses him this time. ‘You’re safe here, Will. No one around this table is going to say anything about you to anyone ever. You know that. Please tell usthe truth.’
Still, he remains clammed up and silent, and I don’t need Benny and Caz to tell me there’s more we need to know.
‘William, my friends just took a blood vow to make sure you stay safe,’ I try again. ‘And I get that this is a lot for you, but I’ve been honest with you from the very start of this. Now I need you to do the same. You understand? It’s the only way we can guarantee everyone in this room stays safe. That includes you. Please help us do that.’
Finally, William dips his chin in the most minuscule of nods, but rather than speak again, he reaches down to the hem of his shirt, which he pulls out, then unbuttons the bottom before lifting it higher. Every pair of eyes in the room is on my brother, every breath held, and my heart is hammering against my ribs so hard I can hear the pounding in my skull. With one final movement, William’s stomach comes into view.
A gasp escapes me.
His skin is covered with the icy lace pattern characteristic of the Issen.
Fear and dread war for supremacy. He cannot have a normal life with these marks upon him. He will not be able to marry, not unless he binds his wife with a blood vow.
How far the delicate pattern extends, I can’t tell.
