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Remus’s eyes sparkle as he looks back at me, grin widening. “You ready to ditch that animal yet?” He jerks a thumb over his shoulder toward Abaddon, Remus’s tail lifting to twitch in the air like an animated cat’s. “He’s a child, can’t you see? You need a man.”
I choke on the bite of food I’ve just swallowed, and Abaddon is on his feet again.
I put the rest of my broccoli down on my plate with the last of my meat and sigh in exasperation. I have a feeling if I stay here much longer, one way or another, the rest of my meal is going to be ruined. “I think I’m going to finish my food back up in my room.”
I hop up off the bench and slip out of the room. Behind me, the brothers erupt at each other. Oh well. Instead of heading up to my room, though, I aim downstairs toward the kitchen. I’m still hungry.
I think I’ll just go cook myself several more eggs and eat them in peace.
Chapter Forty-Two
ABADDON
I am angry that my brothers have driven Hannah-consort from the room. I want her back. I want to roar at her to return. Or better yet, chase her to her bedroom, tie her to the bed, and feed her the last bits of food from the edge of my claw.
She does not look back at me as she leaves.
The fury that burns low in my belly feels like hellfire, not that of the angels. But for once in my damned life, I manage to stay still.
I swallow my rage. For as much of a fool as I am beginning to realize that I am, I do see this: I am pushing her away even as I aim to draw her near.
But the fury bubbles nearer the surface because I do not know how to change it.
I am a monster. I was built to conquer through destruction, pestilence, and death. I am a despicable creature. There is no solace to be found in my arms, and yet I cannot—will not—give her up.
Even as I watch her walk away from me.
As soon as I hear her small feet pattering on the stairs, I turn on my brothers. On them, at least, I will not hold back.
“You,” I bark, aiming a clawed finger at Remus. “Give me your twin. Now. I need the tactician to scry for me.”
Fire burns in Remus’s eyes, as it always does when I tell him to relinquish control to his brother.
But I have no time for his petty ego. “Do you want to lose her?” I snap. “Then let Romulus take the reins. She ran into someone that day she left the dungeon door open.”
Remus shrugs. “What’s it to me?”
I charge toward him. “Did you hear what I just fucking said? She encountered someone. She was naked, and this man gave her clothing. When I questioned her further, she said he took her inside his cottage.”
“So?”
“So?” I mock. “Thing all but razed the village to the ground, if you’ll remember.”
“That was two hundred years ago.”
“I remind them of the danger if anyone comes sniffing around,” I growl. “The locals consider the whole forest cursed, and I did my part to reinforce the belief by giving the plague to anyone who came near for the first hundred years.”
Remus shrugs. “So you have become lax.”
I speak through my teeth. “That is what I’m telling you. I have not. I fly patrol regularly, and there is no one. No shack or hut or even a fishing lean-to. There’s no one in a hundred-mile radius except us. That’s why I need Romulus to scry.”
Remus’s jaw works. Then he rolls his eyes, just a moment before his face goes completely blank—the only warning we get before his head swivels on his neck. Even though I’ve been seeing him do this my entire life, it’s still disconcerting.
Romulus blinks awake.
“Lovely to finally have you at the fucking party, brother,” I growl. “Catch up quick.”
Romulus’s eyes go up and to the right—doing that weird thing where he’s accessing their shared memory. Fucking creepy, if you ask me. Not having your own brain to yourself.
“All caught up? Fucking lovely. Now call the angel runes.”
Romulus heaves out a breath, yanking on the edges of his long sleeves as he reaccustoms himself to control of his body. “Good morning to you, too. I haven’t called the runes in over two centuries.”
I clap him on the back. “It’s like riding a bike. It’ll come right back.”
He frowns at me.
“Just do it,” I growl. “Hannah-consort was right about one thing at least—too long you have moldered in that basement. It is time for us all to live again. Even your twin is learning to be civilized. It is truly the dawn of a new era.”
I put a hand on his shoulder again, but instead, this time, I squeeze. “Which is exactly why we need to be aware of any potential threats out there.”
