“What?”
“You’re upset. Show me your hands.”
Everett mutters about me being an asshole but pulls his hands out of his pockets, showing us.
“No frost,” Crypt muses. “Does this mean what I think?”
It means your curse isn’t what you thought, I tell Everett telepathically, shocked enough that I forget to speak out loud.
The ice elemental shoots me another glare before looking away.
“Yeah. I’ve noticed it since Maven and I—since she broke my curse, I mean. I have so much more control, it’s fucking laughable. I’m not unleashing ice with every tiny thought and emotion. I don’t…I don’t really know how I didn’t figure this outa lot sooner. Honestly, I feel like a damn idiot for not realizing the truth.”
We all absorb it until Baelfire finally seems to piece things together.
“Hold up. Is it just because you’ve gotten that much more powerful, or…” His eyes widen. “Holy shit! What if your curse isn’t what you thought it was? What if it was actually being shit at controlling your abilities?”
“Way to catch up, Lizard Brain,” Everett mutters.
“But then why the fuck would Arati’s prophet lie to you?”
Everett glowers into the distance. “I can think of five reasons, and they raised me just right so that I would never think to question a prophecy. I’ve seen my parents bribe others plenty of times. Just never fucking thought they would bribe a high prophet to translate a prophecy the way they wanted him to.”
We’re all silent for a long moment until Baelfire whistles.
“Damn. So…your cockblock curse was a big, fat lie. They were just trying to control you.”
“Yep.”
“To keep you lonely and miserable.”
“They do prefer me that way,” he says dryly. “They’ve always said lonely people are the easiest to make useful.”
Bael shakes his head. “Your parents are fucked up.”
“You have no idea,” Everett mutters, rubbing his face. “At least now I know the truth. That all the sickening panic I felt about putting my keeper at risk every time I was around her was just good old-fashioned psychological torture from my gold star parents.”
He’s bitterly sarcastic, but the truth is that when we were young, I thought hedidhave perfect parents. A perfect life. Far more perfect than mine ever could be.
Now, I also feel like an idiot for thinking that.
“I'll kill them if you like,” Crypt offers like he's just offering a stick of gum, blowing out more smoke.
I glare at him. “Youarethe expert at killing families. At least this time, there will be a reason for it.”
Baelfire makes a sound I don't get as he gives Crypt a look. “Yeah, about that…”
“Keep your fucking snout shut, or I'll drag you into Limbo again,” Crypt warns, flicking his still-lit cigarette at Baelfire. “Only this time, I’ll leave you in there.”
Of course, the heat does nothing to the dragon, who looks back at me. “He had a reason.”
Crypt’s eyes flash. “Don’t test me, Decimus.”
I look between them, uncertain, but Baelfire seems to decide to drop it for now as he rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath. For several long moments, we’re all quiet again. The tension remains between Crypt and me, though he ignores the glares I’m sending his way.
“So…back at that diner,” Bael breaks the silence, rubbing his neck.
“In Nebraska?” Everett frowns. “What about it?”
