My answer is immediate, if not a little desperate. “No.”
“No, what?”
“Neither are true.” A dark cloud filters through myhead as I consider my options here. If I don’t admit who he is to me, they’ll find him at our parents’ house. If I do tell them, then I’m confirming his complicity in hiding my existence. Either way, they will discover everything.
Kellen raises a brow—he’s got me cornered and that’s exactly what he wanted.
Unless… “I will not speak another word unless you agree to leave him and those he lives with alone. They will not be harassed, harmed, or killed for anything regarding me.”
He snorts, tapping Elias’ shoulder in the process. The latter simply assesses us.
“And you think you have any right to make demands ofus, why?”
This fucker. “Because you haven’t killed me or sent me off to a facility yet. You need information from me and you won’t get another word unless you guarantee their safety.”
The men regard one another before Elias nods. “Fine, you have our word.”
“How do I know you’re not lying? Is that not all men are good for?” I’m pushing my luck, but I can’t help it. If it were me instead of Mira in that house, they would have killed my family and sent me to Riverton all the same without a second thought. They don’t actually care. I startle when Elias’ hand slides across the table, waiting palm up.
My nose scrunches at the gesture, understanding what he intends. “You think a hand shake is good enough?”
He laughs, head shaking as his hand rises. “No, I have the ability to share my power, but only if I touch you. I can show you that we’re both being truthful.”
My eyes stare at the offering as I ponder my options. A paper trail of contracts wouldn’t be feasible, neither would an outside witness. The more I think about it, the more I realizethis is the only viable option. Who would I even go to if they were lying? This way, at least I can be sure of their intentions.
My fingers rise from their place on my left arm, shifting to hover above Elias and hesitating a breath before lowering. Warm skin greets mine, my eyes snapping up when Elias’ fingers close around my palm. He watches me in a way that reminds me of coaxing a scared animal—as if he knows how close I am to running away.
Then I feel it.
A simmering energy, gentle and pleasant, glides through me, and my fingers involuntarily curl to match Elias’ grip. The pulse in my neck races as his power spreads, and I jolt when my mind begins to perceive the intentions of everyone in this room. I’m not certain how I can tell, but it’s clear these two are being truthful with their words.
My hand pulls back the moment I confirm, not wanting anymore physical contact. It fucks with my head.
“Okay,” I mutter, swallowing around my still racing heart. “I’ll talk.”
“Who is Lachlan Ashford to you?” Kellen repeats again.
“He’s my brother.” Elias sits back as his eyes widen while the other man hums to himself.
I hope I didn’t just kill my entire family.
Breathe.
Elias questions me next. “Your empathy, how long have you had it?”
“Since I was a child. Turns out when you’re locked away from the world, you have a lot of time to practice.”
“Locked away?”
I register my mistake and almost choke on a drop of saliva, but it’s too late to take it back. “Figure of speech.” They won’t buy that.
And they don’t. Kellen’s eyes sharpen. “You’ve been in hiding your entire life.”
It’s not a question, and I don’t treat it like one. Instead, I examine my fingernails, noting the way they’ve grown since I stopped biting them out of nervousness.
“Your parents,” Elias says, understanding dawning in his voice. “They hid you—that’swhy you don’t have a chip.”
“My parents are good people who did what they had to do to protect their daughter.”
