“Do not preach to me about ways again, Gideon, I swear to the Divine. You’re a guardian. It’s easier for you.”
“There are plenty of humans who do just fine.”
“Yeah, but they’re not stupid!”
Gideon’s jaw snapped closed, eyes growing distant, hardened. She imagined the same expression was mirrored on her face. The resigned acceptance, the shutting down, and the shame that your existence was not just unwanted, but a burden.
Sera’s fingers began to twist, fidgeting around and around each other in an endless loop of motion. Gideon was quiet and she watched the flicker of memory shake from his features. The pair of them had found different ways of processing their mother’s criticism. It was unclear at this point who had the healthier coping mechanism. Sera’s shame and doubt in herself,or Gideon’s brazen confidence and deflection whenever his intelligence was questioned. His hands smoothed his hair and he summoned that charming smile that made everyone swoon over him.Gross.
Sera crossed her arms over herself. “Don’t believe me. But I swear, I’m the innocent party here.Theyattackedme.”
“The woman who reported the incident claims that Miss Blair left Trudeau’s Modiste and then was chased down this alley by three pursuers.” North hovered just behind her brother. Was he listening? Of course he was listening. She started smoothing wayward strands of hair from her face and touching her dress to ensure it remained flattering.
“You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her.” Gideon rounded on North. “’I’ll make sure she keeps to the right side of the law’ or whatever you said.”
“I am not her keeper nor her babysitter. She’s a grown woman who can do as she pleases,” North asserted, and while Sera was hesitant to view his words as gallantry, there were stars in her eyes when she looked at him. “And if you would look at the scene instead of jumping to accusations,sheis the victim here.”
Gideon’s eyes slid back to her and, for the first time in years he reminded her of the boy who slept on a table so she could use their only bed. The brother who pulled her from their home as the illness took hold of their mother. The brother strong enough to shut the door on mother’s toxic pleas.
Gideon had always been her hero. Even with all his bullshit, she had never stopped viewing him as the pinnacle of safety. And he never stopped trying to save everyone, either. He went to war to keep Unity safe. He joined the Watchmen to protect others. Always the hero. Always chasing the validation of others. Because, as mother always said, all he had was his strength.
Sera’s life had taken a drastically different path. Why struggle when it was so much easier to take what you wanted? Gideonhad strength, but Sera had her looks. What else could she do but use her beauty to get what she needed in life? What did right and wrong matter when you were starving?
“Are you okay?” Gideon asked, though his voice was clipped. It was his way of apologizing and that was as good as she’d get from him.
“I’m fine, now. But you should know, that woman saved me. And she goes by the Lady Archer, not the Rogue.”
“That doesn’t mean she gets to deal out justice on her terms and she—” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Lady Archer?”
“That’s the name she picked. The Rogue is a stupid name. Who the hell came up with the ‘the Rogue’ for a woman vigilante?”
Gideon’s fists clenched so hard they shook.
“He did,” Rachel interjected before continuing her work.
Sera fought to hold in her laughter.
“She is a person who is going rogue, as in, outside the law. The Rogue.” His stare was murderous, growing more lethal the more her snickers slipped through. “And she could have killed them, by the way.” He gestured at the assailants as officers carted them off under Rachel’s instruction. Three of them were needed to carry the demon who’d been knocked unconscious. “That one could have brain damage.”
Sera tried to summon guilt, but found nothing. She hoped he did. “That was me, actually.”
“Oh.” Gideon was derailed again.
Rachel glanced over her shoulder, giving Sera an approving nod.
“It’s been a very trying evening, why don’t I escort your sister home?” North’s fingers locked around her wrist.
Gideon started, “This is a crime scene. There’s questions and investigations and—”
“And I’m sure it can all wait until the victim has had a chance to recover. Sera is the injured party, any investigation would naturally bend to her welfare,” Kieran said.
“I… that’s not what I was meaning. You can’t—”
“You wish to express brotherly concern for her wellbeing?”
Gideon’s mouth opened and then closed. Sera had never seen her brother thrown off balance before, not by anyone other than Rachel, that is. It wasn’t lost on her that Kieran had moved between them, almost shielding her from Gideon’s obnoxiousness.
“You know my address, should you wish to check on her when she has had a second to recover. As her brother, you naturally want what’s best for her.”
