AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Huh.” War dropped his arm and glanced toward Cassian. “Guess I owe you an apology.”
“I’ll put it on the list.”
Sienna looked up at Fenn. “Is that why you said the other guy could be a problem? Because you thought it might be one of you?” As she asked the question she realized how actually horrifying that prospect would be. Especially if she was right and Cassian was Famine.
Fenn inclined his head. “From your description, it could have been.”
“Except for the entire part about commiserating withFlorence Dossit, you mean?” Cassian asked sharply.
Rajan hummed. “I suppose this is the risk we take when we make such a habit of working independently.”
Guilt joined the swirling feelings in Sienna’s stomach and she crossed the room without thought, moving to stand in front of Cassian. His sharp, golden-brown gaze snapped to her and narrowed with suspicion. She offered him a smile. “I’m sorry for casting any suspicion on you, even inadvertently.” She held out her hand. “My name is Sienna, I have weird visions that don’t exactly come with a manual, and I’d love it if we could be friends.”
Silence filled the room and Sienna suspected that if she looked behind her she’d find everyone staring, waiting for Cassian’s response. But she held still.
Cassian’s jaw ticked. “So you’re also the one who’s immune to Death’s Touch?”
Someone—War, possibly—made a sound of stammering surprise.
Sienna let her smile broaden. “I’m lucky like that.”
Cassian broke from her stare, blatantly looking her up and down as if he were examining her. Only when he was done did he finally wrap his hand around hers. His fingers were long and slender and calloused. “I am Famine,” he said. He made her no promises of friendship, nor did he refuse her offer. It seemed like a decent start.
War cleared his throat roughly as Sienna stepped back toward her spot beside Fenn. “I think you buried an important detail, Fenn. What’s this about immunity?”
“He told me,” Rajan said, still calm.
Sienna looked over at Fenn and fought to keep a grin from her lips. He looked like he was struggling to project his calm exterior, but not in an angry way. It reminded her of when he’d told her sisters he had brothers—maybe that hadn’t been such a stretch, after all. But the reminder of her sisters sucked away the amusement she’d managed to find and Sienna curled her fingers into the sleeve of his shirt.
The man whose name they still didn’t know had threatened to kill Piper. He’d even spoken like he had some reason to believe he could exist outside the reach of the Four.
Fenn curled his arm around her, letting her head land on his shoulder. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said, his voice drifting over her as her head spun. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Cassian asked.
“Sounds like you have a difficult one on your hands,” War said.
“He’s not so difficult,” Fenn said. His voice lowered, going firm and cold. “He lives. I will take that from him.”
“I can’t advise that,” Rajan said. “We know too little about him. Something about his attitude concerns me.”
“Then I’ll deal with that, too,” Fenn replied.
Cassian huffed. “Boy, this is the last place you should be thinking about shirking the system.”
Sienna twisted her hands tighter in Fenn’s shirt. “Why…?” When she realized the question had passed her lips, she tilted her head enough to glimpse at least some of the room and asked, “Why us? Why now?” She sniffled against her tears. “I get that Florence is crazy and can’t contain her jealousy. As stupid as that is. But this guy makes no sense. I don’t even know his name, I’ve never seen him as far as he knows, and he’s hurtbothof my sisters now.Why?”
She saw War’s brow crease with a deep frown. Saw Rajan’s own lips thin in a displeased expression.
It was Cassian who answered her, almost as if realizing the answer himself. “Balance.”
War muttered something that sounded like a curse, in a language Sienna didn’t recognize.
Rajan crossed his arms again and hummed. “That would beg the question, then, of how he achieved such enlightenment.”
Sienna drew a steadying breath and straightened. “I’m so confused. Would someone enlighten me?” She looked across the room to meet War’s stare. “And we still haven’t been introduced. Obviously you’re War, but what’s your name?”
The large man grinned. “Sulien, and it’s an honor to meet such a fine seer as yourself.”
