AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Twice,” Ezekiel breathed. “Twice.” He flinched.
Kai pressed, “Is she responsible for the rogue attack during the banquet for Delta Atesh?”
More hesitation. A further push of Kai’s power. Isla tried to gauge when to jump in and pull him back.
“Yes.”
“Did you know about it? Did you help?”
She could’ve sworn the fire in the hearth sputtered, and Kai’s essence became overwhelming—the bond pulling taut.
“I did not think it would be like that. She mentioned a few rogues slipping in to find something she’d lost. She promised no death. I swear.”
Kai’s eyes flared red, and Isla stepped closer. “And youtrustedher? She’d just killed my family. Your fucking best friend. My brother, who was like a son to you.Me.” All lethally clipped words, sharp as blades, but a part of him was slipping a leash. “You kept meeting with her. You got our people killed and lied about it.
A small fleck of crimson dripped from Ezekiel’s nose. Kai noticed it—and didn’t back down.
Isla stepped in front of him, putting her hands on his forearms, then smiled. “Not worth it,” she whispered.
She might as well have struck him across the face. “Not worth it?”
“That was supposed to come out better.” She stroked his arm in apology.
Ezekiel, in Isla’s granted reprieve, slumped in his seat. “She was the best chance…” He coughed. “She was the best chance against Io.”
“Well, now you have to take her out of the equation because she’s after us, too.” He didn’t need to know that she didn’t want them dead. A tired question spilled from her lips before she could stop herself. “Is there any way for this to end peacefully?”
Ezekiel shook his head. “You killed a man without touching him. We all saw it. We all lied to ourselves and said the rogue had done it to himself, but we felt you. Fear makes us not question. Hope tells us it doesn’t matter. You're stronger than Cassius is. And if you aren't, then you will be soon. Andthatcannot stand. It won’t stand. So, in my opinion…no. I don’t think there’s any peace while you exist.”
CHAPTER24
KAI
“I’m sorry for what I said.”
Kai glanced over at Isla from where he’d been observing the lake’s surface, the wind catching the wisps loosened from where she’d braided back her hair. The crescent pommel of the sword strapped to her back, the one she’d helped forge as a warrior, glinted into the moonlight. “What do you mean?”
She closed the distance between them, wringing a map of Deimos in her hands. Across it, lines were scribbled, mimicking the ones Callan had drawn. “When I said it wasn’t ‘worth it’, I didn’t mean…” She paused. “I didn’t mean Ezekiel shouldn’t pay for everything. That you shouldn’t get to tear him to shreds. Locking him somewhere, I know, isn’t enough of a punishment for all he’s done—”
Kai stopped her with a crooked finger beneath her chin. “If you didn’t stop me, I could’ve killed him, and we don’t need that right now.” Maybe it should’ve frightened him that there was very little tethering himnotto do it. As it had days ago with the rogue who’d breached their borders, even dulled to a whisper by the bane, that power called to him to kill. Ezekiel had a feeble mind, so easy to shatter and pick apart.
But for now, moving him out of the safehouse and into dank, cold, ancient dungeons beneath the hall would do.
Isla pursed her lips, haunted azure eyes glittering with the stars. “Are you okay? After all of that.”
I don’t think there’s any peace while you exist.
He only told me it was to protect the family…to protectyou.
All his fault. His father and Jaden’s death, his mother’s heartache, and every horrible occurrence that followed. His. Fault.
Guilt settled like tar on his heart as he took in Isla’s beautiful face and her sad, sad eyes. The face of a woman who would not know rest as long as she stood by his side.
I am me because I amyours. I’mmadeto take you, all of you, as what you are.
Even if he was a fucking curse?
He forced a soft smile but still said,“I will be,”because saying he wasfinefelt like too heinous a lie.
