“Not necessarily. Zayne loved you. He doesn't love this woman.”
Nadia sat back in her chair, clearly unhappy with the information. “What's he thinking?”
“My brother always has been an idiot. This time it isn't his fault, though. It's ours.”
Luke said he didn't know why he came to see her after all this time. He did now. As much as he wanted to make things right with her, he also wanted to see what he'd meant to her. The time and distance made it clear. He'd never been the one she loved. Not for a day.
Nadia was still in love with his brother.
“I'll let you get back to your busy day.” Chest cold now, he rose.
“Luke.” Nadia stood too. “I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't say that before, but it's true.”
“Why did you sleep with me?” It wasn't something he ever planned to ask her, but now it seemed silly not to. “You never loved me.”
Her jaw tightened.
“Zayne thinks it's because he hurt you by being so hard to reach,” Luke said. “You'd never hurt him just because he hurt you. And you're tough enough to handle the loneliness without turning to the person who it felt the worst for you to be with. I don't understand.”
“I…” A strange hardness came over her face. “I wasn't strong enough to walk away from Zayne, and it was what I needed to do. I did enjoy my time with you. It felt so easy then.”
Luke nodded. He thought knowing would set something right in him, but he only felt emptier. “Be well, Nadia.”
“You too. Look out for him. Please.”
He gave her one last look before leaving without making any promises.
CHAPTER 42
Zayne
The Capital
Kallum, Ciondo
833 P.C. [Post-Collapse]
Where days ago spring approached, it now awakened in full bloom around Zayne. Birds chirped, and soft white flowers unfurled from a tree near the porch of the house they were touring. Mellie's flowing skirt swirled about her calves while she spun, eyes as bright as the sky.
“You can tell someone put so much care into this home,” she said.
Zayne could only think about the Phaedra's plan to take over communications and give Becka Rogers the few seconds she needed to betray the Followers. Not about leaving his small, easy-to-control apartment for a huge home with Mellie.
He had to tell Kira today, and he could already see the look in her eyes when he did it. Zealous defiance.
The Phaedra still raged from her show with the PXI and from the failed mission with Becka Rogers. After Zayne and Luke came home empty-handed, the Phaedra ordered his brother not to take any pain medication for his injury, so his mind remained clear to reflect on his failure. Punishment for not delivering the churches to him. The only reason the Phaedra entertained this plan to videoconference with Becka and take over communication was because his father pushed so hard for it.
It was too dangerous to defy the Phaedra at any time, but right now, he was mad with fury. He wasn't just in the mood to kill but to torment in ways Zayne couldn't dream up.
He needed to break Kira out right now, not in a few days, but those damn mountains were too deadly. They had a lead on someone to talk to, but Reinard was vetting them still.
His wound tugged when he walked up the incline of the lawn. The doses of pure PXI over the past few days helped him heal, but the injury still hurt all the time. He was exhausted.
Sunlight glinted off the window of the second story, and Zayne heard the first shot in Bluehaven cry out into the silent city. The glass didn't break this time, but in his mind, it rained down over them. A single blink erased it, and he followed Mellie into the house, but every footstep was another bullet.
Shaking his head, he breathed out slowly. People in Bluehaven put care into their homes as well, but they were forced to abandon them when the war destroyed their city. Here in this neighborhood, loyal families came home at night with certainty that they need not fear any danger, and yet they supported the destruction across the territories. If anyone in Ciondo needed to fear planes dropping bombs on their homes, they'd never see the war the same again.
“It's gorgeous.” Mellie clutched his arm. “Look, babe.”
