Page 152 of Deadfall

Emersyn’s lashes fluttered as she came back from wherever her mind had been.

“Remember how we thought this was a family affair?” I nodded. “The brothers are at war with each other. Octavius was going to use my father against Albatron.” She sighed heavily. “Albatron is hoping that by giving us back to my father, he can buy himself some time from my father’s vengeance, so he can go after Basilion.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, North won’t go for that.”

She gave me a brief smile. “That’s what I said.” The smile disappeared. “But, it’s more complicated than that.”

I waited out her silence.

“Albatron shot me. I blamed him for a lot of what happened to me and my family.” She paused. “But, I fear, some of that has been misplaced.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I demanded.

She steeled herself to tell me something that already felt heavy.

“As I alluded to before, Octavius did—things—to me when I was young. But, what I didn’t mention is that someone stopped him from going further,” she said carefully. “I didn’t know who that person was, until now.”

“It was him, wasn’t it,” I stated flatly. “Albatron.”

Emersyn nodded. “And he claims he shot me because after Vetticus was done with me, I would have gone to Octavius, and Albatron has a thing against using children.”

“Do you believe him?”

She shrugged. “He showed me—” She cut herself off, too exhausted to explain, and leaned her head back. “Yeah—I do. And that’s what’s fucking with me. I don’t know my father’s side of things. I don’t know enough to know what to do.” She looked over. “How do you reconcile a monster who turns out to be the hero?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said dryly. “But then again, it is all a matter of perspective I suppose.”

Emersyn opened her mouth to continue, but the door opened and Angel stepped into the room. He set down two water bottles before he put his hands in his pockets.

“What do you want, Angel?” I asked, my tone dripped with exhaustion. “Or, Dante—”

“Angel is fine. I just wanted to let you know we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Leaving?” Emersyn prompted.

“To take you two home of course,” Angel confirmed.

That shocked us both into silence. Until that moment, it still had felt more like a dream. When Angel still didn’t leave, I gave him another look.

“I also wanted to let you know that I sent men back to the island,” he said.

I immediately straightened, the cuff on my wrist clashed loudly against the pipe as my entire body reacted to his words. Emersyn was no better. She froze, and I heard her bated breath.

“And?”

Angel shook his head and had the balls to look upset. “They didn’t find anything.”

It was like getting hit with the reality of him being gone all over again. I couldn’t breathe, the lights were too bright—I felt way too trapped. Emersyn said something, but I couldn’t hear her over the ringing in my ears. It sounded like she said they needed to try again.

Angel nodded. “Yes, we will be sending out another team to confirm. But, if the findings are the same, I’m sorry for your loss.”

He turned to leave, and when he put his hand on the door I found my voice again.

“Why?” I rasped.

Angel turned and gave me a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes and held too much pity.

“Because I’m not the enemy,” he turned back to the door, but still didn’t make a move to leave. “And because I know the grief of that kind of loss.” He pulled open the door. “I don’t wish that on anyone.”