“And you think I do?” Knox bit back.
Brady’s hand lashed out, his fingers locking around the collar of Knox’s shirt. He pulled the fabric roughly down, exposing Knox’s scar. Gigi tried again to oh-so-subtly edge past Oren.
“Slate?” Knox’s voice rang out. “How’s thatnickof yours?”
“Tolerable.”
Knox never took his eyes off Brady. “Keep her out of this.”
Slate laid a light hand—a very light hand—on Gigi’s shoulder.
“Calla talked about us, you know.” Brady released his hold on Knox’s shirt. “You and me both—but you more. My sponsor said that Calla loved me in her own way and you in all ways.”
Gigi saw something snap in Knox. He lunged at Brady, and Gigi knew that if she tried to throw herself into the mix, Slate would hold her back, and he wasn’t in any shape to do that. So she just stood there, watching grief explode out of Knox and Brady as they traded blows, knowing in her soul that neither one of them was really angry with the other.
They were raging at the world.
“Maybe Calla was never what I thought,” Brady said, wiping blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
“Calla wasexactlywhat you thought.” Knox didn’t bother wiping a damn thing. He spat blood. “She was stubborn and spoiled and strong and smart.Fierce.And she was loyal enough to shred her own heart to save some fraction of mine.”
Knox took another swing, and Brady caught his hand. “Where is this coming from?” he asked Knox. “For years, you didn’t even care that Calla was gone. Now, suddenly, she’sworthmourning to you? After what she didto you?”
The fight went out of Knox, all at once, and Gigi felt his next words coming, felt them like the rumbling of earth right before seismic activity tears it apart.
“Orion Thorp wasn’t Calla’s father, Brady, but apparently, he is mine.”
Brady dropped his hold on Knox’s fist, and just like that, the fight was over.
“Helena told Calla the truth the night Calla left,” Knox continued. “Calla didn’t want me to know. She was trying to spare me. I was nothing to Orion Thorp. He left me to rot, but Iwasn’tnothing to Calla.Weweren’t.”
“Just like the duchess said,” Brady replied hoarsely, and something occurred to Gigi.
“Zella wasn’t even supposed to know who Callawas,” Gigi said. “Candidates choose new names. But Calla talked about the two of you. She must have told Zella enough for her to trackyoudown. The Watcher, too.”
“Calla just couldn’t let us go,” Brady said quietly.
“I know,” Knox rasped.
“Then you know,” Brady told him, “thatIcan’t let this go.”
“I know,” Knox said, “and that’s why I’m telling you that Nora made another appearance, that she has a plan of some kind to end this, to rid the world of the Gilded Blade.”
Nora hadn’t said those exact words, but Gigi couldn’t help thinking back to the scars on Nora’s arms, and deep down, she knew Knox was right. For Nora, this wasn’tjustabout making sure that the current Hand never became the Judge.
She wanted to end it all.
“Then why are you here right now?” Brady asked Knox. “Why aren’t you out there, doing whatever you can to help her end this?”
“Because,” Knox replied, “I’m a selfish son of a bitch.”
“No. You’re not.” Brady turned his head to look at Gigi.
Knox is staying for me, Gigi thought.Maybe also for Alisa, but definitely for me.And Brady—Bradywasn’tgoing to stay. Brady was going after Nora.
Part of Gigi wanted to try and stop him, to try to make Brady focus on the living over the dead. Another part of her wanted to tell Knox to go.
But what she said was: “Before you go anywhere, Brady, you’re going to do something for me.” Brady Daniels was a doctoral student whose specialties included symbols and meaning, ancient civilizations, and material culture, especially anything involving rituals or tools.
