Page 182 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“And now?”

“I don’t want it any less, Kil. I am just tired—tired of getting so close to it only to lose something else. If I knew what I was able to do, I would have not hesitated to use it. Now, the less I know the better. And…my nightmares are not so terrifying anymore. The darkness does not hold so many monsters now.” She sighed, trailing her fingers down my face. “Magnus will join us, won’t he?”

“He will.”

“Of course. I only killed a son. He has like seven others.”

“Six. Arun is dead.”

“Hells. Who got to him before me?”

I shook my head. “Silly girl.”

She giggled, sticking her hands under my shirt. This dream of mine looked so happy. “Should have seduced him. Gotten it over and done with.”

There was a sharp knock on our door and Snow shot straight up, elbowing me right in the stomach.

Thora strutted in with my brother on her tails.

“Keep your promiscuous hands off me,” the young one said, slipping from my brother’s grip.

What had he done now?

The red fury around my brother made me quirk a brow up. Could he not hide it or did he not want to hide it? “I caught her at Highwall.”

“Caught?” Thora choked out, stunned. “Caught? What am I, some sort of prisoner? I can stand guard.”

My brother howled with cruel laughter and then sneered at her. “Little bird, I cannot keep chasing you around.”

“No one is asking you to. And I am not for you to keep in a cage.”

“Keeping you safe is not keeping you in a cage!” my brother bellowed.

Snow tilted her head back to me, frowning and confused. “Does this seem familiar?”

I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to me. “Look again.”

Her mouth parted a little, studying my brother and her sister. “Ah.”

“Nia was there with me!” Thora screamed back in his face.

“Nia can hold her fort. She is capable.”

Hurt crossed her young face. “I can, too. And you don’t know what I am made of either, Malik! I trained with Snow! I was my father’s soldier as she was! I was his killer!” She took a deep stuttering breath, attempting to calm herself down and locking herself in her own invisible cage. The change was so sudden, from one face to the other. More than a mask. A separate reality that she could switch behind.

Snow tensed for a moment in my arms, knowing the look well. She stood up entirely, reaching her sister’s side and cautiously sliding a hand through Thora’s. “Hey.”

The little sister turned to hug her, but pulled away as if she had caught herself doing something she wasn’t supposed to do.

My wife’s brows dipped lower and she hugged Thora to her despite her hesitation. “Talk to me, Rora.”

“I don’t want you to protect me anymore.”

“You can’t ask me that.”

“I am not your responsibility anymore.”

“You are my sister,” Snow said harshly, hugging her tighter. “It is what sisters do.”