I nodded. Levi stared at his sheets.
“Well, when Zephyr mentioned his sister to me, Levi found it appropriate to mention, and I quote, that‘she’s always causing trouble’.”
A cold chill went down my spine.
“She sacrificed everything for you,” I breathed. “She gave up her childhood– she had to grow up overnight to keep you alive!”
“I didn’t ask for that,” Levi snarled suddenly. “I didn’t ask for any of this. They should’ve let me die.”
Rafe chewed his lip for a moment before looking to me. “What’s your diagnosis, Wy? He’s clearly depressed. I suppose it’s a good thing he can’t move, otherwise we’d have to worry about suicide.”
“You’re a little shit,” Levi said, then dropped his gaze again, staring hard at the sheets. I was beginning to wonder if it was a side-effect of his condition. He didn’t like holding our eye contact, but he also seemed unable or unwilling to look up for long periods of time.
The lighting in the basement was dim and homely, not harsh at all. His eyes shouldn’t have been struggling, so I had to assume he was being a dick.
“He’s depressed, but I don’t think it’s due to losing his Chain, which is odd.” I said lightly, following Rafe’s lead. “Actually, he’s not exhibiting any signs of losing his Key. What’s up with that? You didn’t give a shit about Iris?”
“Don’t say her name,” Levi whispered, though his tone was dark. “I cared very deeply for her.”
“So why do you treat her daughter like shit?” I asked.
Rafe cringed.
Levi very slowly dragged his gaze upward, pinning me with a look.
“Don’t you meanmydaughter?” he asked.
“Well, she’s not your daughter, is she? She was Ben’s. Can I sayhisname?” I snarked.
Levi dropped his gaze, shaking his head, then stopping as if he hadn’t meant it.
“So you didn’t want a Chain,” Rafe said, switching gears. “Come on, Levi. We’re all men. I’ll be the first to say I’m a possessive bastard. I hate watching Aiden all over your daughter while she repels me.”
Levi tried to school his expression, but Rafe and I both caught the scowl that’d formed. And something told me it wasn’t because he was imagining Aiden and Skye together.
This man was not having any of the normal reactions I expected from a protective father.
“You’re angry with her,” I said slowly. “Why? What’d she do?”
Levi’s jaw worked.
“What would upset a man like Levi?” Rafe said, rubbing his chin like a dick. “A possessive man. One who didn’t like sharing his Key. He doesn’t dislike his son. His son who’s biologically his…”
Rafe began to pace, thinking out loud in a taunting way meant to piss everyone off.
It was working.
Levi was painfully expressive for a man who’d just spent years only looking at his children. He was still paralyzed waist-down since Zephyr had managed to heal the top half of his body.
That seemed odd to me. Why had it taken Zephyr so long to heal Levi if he was able to heal his own fingers without setting them asa child?I knew Zephyr was never formally trained, but neither was I, and I fixed a broken rib on Rafe when we were only ten. I’d been terrified the Princess would put my head on a spike for hurting him, sure, but it’d been easy.
How was Zephyr even able to heal a years-old injury, anyway? Hewas unconnected. He was only a Link, as far as I knew. He shouldn’t have been able to heal something that old. Even with the passionate research he and Skye focused on…
“He’s only angry Iris is dead.” I said.
Rafe made a sound of surprise.
“That’s it. He’s angry Skye didn’t protect her mother. Am I right?”
