“Never. Never again. It was a mistake.”
“Why did you leave?”
He shifted slightly. He wouldn’t speak ill of their father. He admired John, even though he was the reason he had left. It wasn’t his place to explain to Raven. “You’ll have to talk to Willow about that.”
Marcus and Willow moved farther into the water, her fear showing in her tight grip on Mercy’s mane. The hem of Christian’s tunic floated around her as the liquid rose to her thighs.
Christian stiffened, and he prepared to rush to her aid.
Raven chuckled softly. “He won’t let anything happen to her. He knows you’d kill him.”
“Slowly,” Christian ground out. “I still might.”
“What is it about Marcus you don’t like?” Raven wondered.
“He trailed me for weeks to get that book. He would have killed me to get it. He killed Brother Nicolas. What is there to like?”
Raven’s eyebrows rose in understanding. “Killing Brother Nicolas was an accident. He didn’t mean to do it.”
“He’s a killer,” Christian insisted.
“Aren’t we all?”
Christian ground his teeth. “Not of innocent people.”
“It’s something he must live with. He said he’s sorry.”
“Sorry for a murder?” Christian spat out, scornfully shaking his head while his gaze bore into Willow.
“Look, Sage loves him. You’re going to have to get over your hatred of him. He’s going to be with us.”
Christian crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t have to like him. I just have to tolerate him.”
Marcus took Willow’s hand and led her a step deeper.
Christian’s jaw clenched tight, and his body coiled in anger.
“Relax,” Raven advised.
It was easy for Raven to say. She wasn’t in love with Willow. He didn’t want any other man touching Willow, let alone Marcus.
Willow’s other hand stayed laced in Mercy’s mane as the horse stepped deeper into the pond.
Christian was happy to see she didn’t trust Marcus more than her horse.
When the water lapped at her waist, Willow froze. Mercy bobbed her head as if trying to encourage and comfort Willow. But Willow stared at the pond’s dark water and shook her head.
Christian lurched forward.
Raven put a hand on his arm, halting him. “Wait. Give her time. She will do this. She has to.”
“Why? Why does she have to do this?” he demanded, his voice thick with rage and frustration. “Look how frightened she is.”
Raven grinned patiently. “She is learning. She’s a Hawke. Shewilldo this.”
Despite what Raven said, Christian couldn’t stand that Willow was distressed. Every instinct he had was to go to her and protect her. He clenched his fists.
Willow stood between Marcus and Mercy, holding tightly to Marcus’s hand, the other hand buried in Mercy’s mane. She intently listened as Marcus spoke. She shook her head again, reluctance in the tilt of her chin.
