Kane’s gaze moved across the crowd, gazing at his father, Cyrus, Adora, and back at me. “Do you know what she did?”
“I don’t care. Whatever it is will not be resolved by harming her.”
A crafty grin stretched across his face. “I’d like to hold my own town meeting.”
Kane tightened his hold, pinning her to his chest. He dug the tip of the dagger into her temple. “You should all know that Adora Sullivan is a whore,” he shouted, eyes red and cheeks shaking. “Do you have any idea what it feels like to be used? For nine years, she pretended to be family.” His eyes filled with tears. “For nine years, she pretended to care about me. For nine fucking years, this bitch fucked me!” He was screaming now, his hand shaking. “All this time, she admitted she got close just to kill me. For something I didn’t even do.”
“You know Adora,” Cyrus countered. “You know about her mom and what her mom tried to do. Adora didn’t mean to, man. She can’t help herself, just like you and I can’t help who our parents are. Sheneedsus to be there for her.”
“Be there for her?” Kane wiped his nose. “She tried to kill me tonight.”
“Darling, I told you not to do that,” I said, keeping my eyes on the dagger, preparing to fly up the stairs. And, “I couldn’t—” she started to say, but my palm bolted out in front of me. “Don’t say a word.”
“No, no, no.” He tightened his grip around the dagger. “Let the cunt have her last words.”
At that, my gaze snapped back to Kane, another wave of rage spewing from my pores. “Kill her, and I will be there before you finish, reach down your throat, and pull out your intestines.” The anger clenched my teeth, not the cold any longer. “Are you willing to die for a girl who would take pleasure in scraping your guts from the bottom of her shoe?”
“If you had one day in my shoes, you’d slit your own throat.” Kane pressed his mouth to her ear. “She was supposed to be the one who gave a damn about me. She was the one who accepted me. I guess I have no one.”
Adora’s face contorted and her body shrunk in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” she cried. It was the first time I’d heard her say anything, and her terrified voice slashed my heart.
Kane adjusted her, bringing the knife back to her throat. “You think I’m willing to spend the rest of my life watching my back because I let you live?”
The scene of how I found Phoenix flashed before my eyes. Kane was capable of not only killing her, but he was capable of shredding her into pieces in front of an audience. This fear inside me only increased with each passing second.
A sudden movement caught my attention.
Cyrus was bolting toward Kane.
Time moved slow as I watched Kane’s eyes snap to the side, seeing Cyrus coming. Kane then drove the point of the blade into Adora’s collarbone, a wail escaping her. Before Cyrus could reach the stairs, I grabbed the back of his coat and threw him into the pavement.
“Nobody moves!” I shouted, seeing Kane stop. I put my palms in the air. “You have a death wish? Fine, but you have two options, and you’ll be happy to know you’re dying either way. The question is, would you rather die as the witch who killed a woman, or as the witch who killed a Heathen?” I spread out my arms. “Let her go, and I will not fight you. You can drive that dagger right through my heart.”
“Whoa-ha-ho,” Kane sang. “Now, why would I want to do that? You see, I have a feeling, and correct me if I’m wrong—”
I lifted my chin. “What?”
“A slit of her throat would kill you both.”
My jaw snapped shut. I scanned the crowd.
They were all staring at me with torches in their eyes under the crimson eclipse. Augustine furrowed his brows, wearing an angry scowl. Cyrus looked defeated as though he already knew.
My gaze fell upon Adora. And there went my heart.
It beat so violently every time she looked at me.
She was my only and all.
She was the very last breath at the bottom of my lungs.
I held her here, with my gaze, under a myriad of stars, as though we were alone. “Kill me?” I shook my head, my teeth chattering. “Losing you would sever my soul.”
A tear slipped from her eye, and a relieved exhale left me.
As though all the weight was lifted from my shoulders.
