And just like that, I wanted to kill the siren. To eliminate any threat to Lily’s existence right here and now. In no universe or realm would I ever let Eliza harm a hair on Lily’s head. And they both knew that.
“Calm down, Captain America,” Eliza said. “It’s a moot point, because she hasn’t gone dark, right?”
“Right,” I growled. Though, I did hear the unspokenyetin her statement.
“Then there’s no problem. She raised her army, she didn’t go dark, everything’s good. No need for me—oranyone—to take any unfortunate actions.”
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Eliza was right—everything had worked out. No reason for me to kill anyone. Today.
Eliza patted my shoulder. “I know. I don’t like the idea either. But it’s the only request she’s made of me, and I won’t let her down. She needs us, Rathiel. In more ways than the obvious. I think…I think we ground her. We keep her focused. She is fighting an impossible war. And it’s up to us to support her any way we can. Even if that means making secret murder pacts. It gives her peace of mind.”
“What method do you have planned?” I asked, my voice colder than I intended.
She met my stare with a frown. “Rath?—”
“What. Method?” I growled.
She sighed. “Quick. Clean. And only if there’s no way to save her.”
“Your daggers?”
“Of course.”
I almost laughed. If Eliza thought she could kill Lily with a dagger, she needed a dose of reality.
“I’ll ask Calyx to help,” Eliza said, as though sensing my line of thought.
That made me stiffen. When I could finally look at her again without wanting to kill her, I turned to face her. “I’ll be clear. I like you, Eliza. You’ve been helpful and loyal. Fought at Lily’s side in a war that isn’t yours. But if youeverso much as raise a blade toward her, I will tear you apart myself. And when there’s nothing left but bits of meat and flesh, I’ll feed you to Mephisar. He won’t waste a bite.”
As though to reinforce my threat, not thatheknew it, the hellwyrm slithered toward us.
Eliza paled, but she didn’t flinch. She studied me, then nodded once. “As long as we’re on the same page.”
“Oh, we are.”
She sighed. “You know, I didn’t ask her for the job. It isn’t my fault that she came to me. But even if it would kill me to do it?—”
“Yes, it would,” I agreed.
She cut me a glare. “I would still do it. Because sheaskedthis of me. I refuse to force her to live an existence she doesn’t want. Can you say the same?”
I returned her glare. Instead of answering, I rose to my feet, so very done with this conversation.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she murmured.
I approached Lily. Eliza had said we needed to let her sleep, and I wanted to, but unfortunately, we had an outpost to raid. As much as I wanted to handle it all for her, she would kill me when she woke up and realized what I’d done. This was her army, her people. And as old and powerful as I was, I was still just one of her soldiers. She wouldn’t appreciate me babying her.
Leaning down, I brushed her hair back from her face. “Lily, love, it’s time to wake up.”
For a moment, she didn’t stir, until I ran my fingers across her cheek. Then she hummed, a low, pleased sound that mighthave woken something inme. Now wasn’t the time, though, so I pushed that urge aside and focused on my task.
“Come on,” I said, my knuckles now running down her neck. “You’ve slept longer than the entire front line put together.”
Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, and those celestial-blue irises of hers cut right through me. She slowly blinked before smiling, and the sight of it eased my shoulders.
“What time is it?” she rasped, her voice still wrecked from last night.
I chuckled at the very human question. It wasn’t like we wore watches or had clocks down here. I’d heard her discuss the concept of time once or twice back in her apartment, but I’d never bothered to learn how any of it actually worked. “Hell o’clock. Camp’s all up, but you’re not.”
