“It’s not that bad, actually.” Layden’s voice comes from behind us.
Apparently, he didn’t storm off to his room after all. He’s meandered to the fireplace couches, but now he’s heading back in our direction, having been listening to our conversation the whole time.
Again, my eyes narrow at him.
“Look.” He holds out his phone.
A video plays on it—a serious man in a suit speaking while sitting at a news desk. “The incident that took the Internet by storm has officially been debunked as a hoax. In Miami this week, a winged man appeared to descend from the sky to the shock of everyone in the plaza.”
“Many took amateur video of the incident.” In the corner of the screen, a shaky video shows a shadow descending into the center of the plaza, people scattering in all directions. “And the world has been ablaze with conspiracy theories about the man, who some on the scene heard claim to be a god. But today, the Florida man has been arrested, along with his illegal jet pack.”
The video changes to police pulling a tall, drunk-looking man out of a trailer while another policeman holds up a large jetpack, and still another drags out a pair of massive, synthetic wings.
“In other news, yet another federal bank has been hacked?—”
Layden turns off the video. “See? No long-term ramifications. The humans have already moved on to the next story.” He smirks. “They have the attention span of goldfish.”
“That’s that,” Abaddon says with a broad smile, clapping me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stumble slightly. “Problem solved.”
“Wha—”
“What’s for dinner?” He turns to Hannah, already moving on. “Should I sear some steaks?”
“What do you mean, problem solved?” I demand, voice rising. “She can’t stay!”
Abaddon turns to Lauren, eyebrows raised. “Do you want to leave?”
She shakes her head firmly. “No. If it’s not too much to impose on your hospitality, I’d really love to stay and get to know Remus better.”
Abaddon claps his hands together decisively. “Sounds like it’s solved to me.”
“What about the little problem of him and I sharing a body!” I demand, gesturing wildly at myself.
Hannah looks genuinely sympathetic as she reaches out to put a gentle hand on my bicep. “I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you, Romulus. It’s not like you two could really discuss what it would be like if one of you started dating.”
Dating?!
What alternate universe have I stepped into?
“This is Remus we’re talking about!” I pull away from her touch. “Psychopathic murderer? Does no one remember?”
But Kharon only steps forward, dark brows furrowed with concern. “We all have a past, brother. Even you.”
“Exactly,” I say heatedly, seizing on his words. “Which is why we need to keep her—” I wrench my head so fervently in Lauren’s direction that it almost snaps, “—away from us.”
Kharon’s eyes are full of compassion—that gentle, kind expression he always has—and I want to punch him for it. Especially when he says softly, “We are no longer the monsters we once were.”
Instead, I just laugh. A cackle that I know only from my memories. My brother’s manic cackle bubbling up from somewhere deep inside.
“You think people change?” I say accusingly, pulling back from all of them. Creating distance. “You think you’ve all become so civilized because you put on these stiff clothes and play happy family?”
Baby Raven has flown down to perch on the back of Ksenia’s chair, her small clawed feet gripping the upholstery. All of them are watching me like I’m the crazy one.
I’m the only one speaking any sense here.
“We’re monsters!” The words rip out of my throat. “We were born cursed, and we’ll die cursed!”
My words ring out, echoing off the stone floor and walls.
