I want to.
I need to.
But as he leans in close, the tip of his nose brushing mine, I watch as darkness creeps into his already pitch-black eyes. “Our magic doesn’t mix. Do you remember that?” he asks, and I frown, recalling the moment he’s referring to, but it feels hazy now.
Instead of agreeing, I shake my head, uncertainty warring inside of me as he sighs. “Whatever this may be, Echo, it’s not. It can’t be.”
“Why?” I rasp, even though I’m too scared to hear the answer, but he seems desperate to share it.
“Because my family was slaughtered by scythes.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
KAEL
The door to the basement creaks as I swing it open, letting it fall shut with a thud as I jog down the stairs two at a time. Swinging the key in my right hand, I reach the bottom, the musty smell filtering my senses as I make quick work of opening the lock and turning on the light.
My target remains in the center of the room as expected, only now he’s clearly had a visit from Thorne, who healed him. Sending a silent thanks to my friend, I stuff the key in my pocket and rock back on my heels as I stare at the man in question.
Warren Blackwood.
I should leave. I should forget he exists. I should check myself into the medical center on site to deal with the fact that I’m insane, and if I’m not all theway there, I’m not far from it. I’m addicted to causing this man pain, and I don’t feel any remorse or seek a drop of forgiveness. I don’t think I’ll ever be done making him pay for what he did to Elodie.
Tilting my head at the fucker, whose body is slumped forward with his chin pressed against his chest, I take a single step toward him when my cell phone vibrates.
Fuck.
Pulling the device from my pocket, I grimace when I spy Anya’s name on the screen.
Anya: We need to talk.
I don’t bother responding. I’m still mad at myself. Everything that happened with Elodie and Willow is all my fault. I should have tried harder this weekend, but hell, she had been through enough with the rebellion. What was I supposed to do, force her to spend time with me while I concocted a lie in an attempt to protect her? They would have seen right through me. Besides, I thought I still had today, but apparently, seventy-two hours was more like sixty to them before they saw an opportunity for Willow to intervene, and they took it.
“Are you here to set me free?” Anger coils through my body at the sound of Warren’s voice, but I don’t let it show as I level my stare on his.
“What do you think?” I ask, and he grunts, shuffling in his seat, but he’s bound too tightly to be able to do much.
“I think I’ve been here long enough,” he starts as I drag the small wooden stool from the corner and place it down a few feet away from him.
Instead of taking a seat, I plant my foot on it as I glower at him. “How many times did you hurt, Elodie? Did you ever think enough was enough with her?” I push, rage rattling through me, and he shakes his head, refusing to give me an answer, which only serves to piss me off more. “I asked you a question,” I growl, his sigh of frustration only fueling my fury.
“I don’t know,” he mutters, but it’s not enough.
“Once? Twice? Ten times? Fifty times? One hundred times?” The anger inside of me is uncontrollable. I don’t know who I’m riling up more. Me. It’s definitely me. “Answer me!”
“I don’t know!” he barks back sharply, and I’m in his face a moment later, his tatty wifebeater in my grasp as I bare my teeth, my vision zeroing in on his pulse as my bloody desires creep to the surface.
“Well, what you should know is I’m here to make you pay for that. There will be no freedom, there will be nothing but my face for you to remember until I fucking kill you. But it’s not happening today, and it definitely won’t be tomorrow either.”
“You’re sadistic,” he hisses, and I snicker.
“You’re probably right.” I release my hold on him, standing tall as I take a step back.
“Elodie wouldn’t want this,” he mutters, and I grin.
“Wouldn’t she?” I cock a brow and he shakes his head.
“No, she wouldn’t. She’s a good girl. She would never accept something so cruel. Is that why you don’t bring her down here? Does she not know?” he pushes, but I quickly turn his words back on him.
