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Ker, standing in front of us, shifted her gaze back and forth and looked nervous. “Maybe we should give the siblings a few minutes?”
“No, everyone’s just tired.” Joy smiled. “We just need to get some sleep. Thank you for showing us where to go. Come on, Chloe.”
I stared at my siblings for a moment. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Noctus.”
“I look forward to it,” Noctus said.
Ker nodded. “Okay, then. Let’s—”
“It’s fine, Ker,” I interrupted her. “I’ll show my siblings where our rooms are. Same hallway?”
Ker, feeling the tension, fidgeted. “Yes.”
“Their rooms are the two rooms next to yours,” Noctus said.
“Got it. Thanks!” I flashed them a smile, then strode through the library as fast as my much-shorter legs would carry me. “Goodnight, everyone!”
I didn’t wait for a response, and Joy and Pat caught up with me before I even had time to duck around the first shelf.
I was quiet up until we left the library and closed the door behind us—I was certain neither Ker, Aristide, nor Noctus could hear us this far away with a wall between us.
“Look,” I began as I led the way down the hallway. “I know you’re disappointed with me, but I’m not going to apologize for this.”
“None of it was your fault,” Joy said.
“Except for choosing to leave us in the dark,” Pat said.
I sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m not sorry about that.”
Pat tucked his hands in the pockets of his coat. “Oh?”
“No. You’re my family. I was protecting you.” We popped out of the maze of hallways, ending up by the immense staircase that led up to the second floor where the luxurious bedrooms were.
“We don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for our sake, Chloe,” Joy said, her voice softer and kind.
The gentle tone of her voice nearly undid me—I was aware it was a little silly that I was starting to get upset when I was the one who’d lied to them…until I remembered they’d done the same thing.
“You mean like you and Pat have?” I asked as I started up the stairs.
“What are you talking about?” Pat asked.
“The way you two chose careers and planned to move here without telling me,” I said.
“We wanted to help you,” Pat said.
“Yeah, and I wanted to protect you!” I climbed an extra stair to give myself a height advantage, then turned around to face them. “The Paragon’s reaction to the elves ismild. Supernaturals hate them. Associating with them is a major risk, and you both already were kidnapped because of me. I wasn’t going to tell you because I had to choose between Noctus and everyone, and keeping my family safe. I chose you!”
Pat and Joy exchanged glances.
“It’s not that we don’t understand where you’re coming from,” Pat said. “It’s just…you’re our little sister. We want to protect you.”
I briefly pressed my hands to my eyes.They don’t get it. They’re just on autopilot, trying to take care of me like they have since I was little.
I couldn’t blame them. I was an anxious existence. I’d never been bold, or the type to stand up for myself.
And in their defense, I’d let Pat make all the decisions about how to handle the tracker, passing off what should have been my responsibility.
But I’d always been willing to sacrifice for my family.
