“No.” He grimaced. “Well, yes. But that's not why I'm suggesting we help. There aren't a lot of them, and I doubt they all know how to build houses. And there are hundreds of us here. I'm sure we'll have several volunteers. Maybe even a few who know what they're doing.”
Then Keltyr's stomach rumbled.
“It was just lunch,” I said.
“Ember, that was hours ago,” Rath said. “We've been here talking for a while.”
“Oh.” I did an internal check and determined that yes, I was hungry as well. “Then maybe we can catch General Rontor at dinner and talk to him about Fress.”
All three of them surged to their feet.
I chuckled and got up a bit slower. “You guys go ahead. I think I want to shower first.”
Chapter Twelve
On my way downstairs (I decided to take the stairs to give myself some time alone) I ran into someone I would have rather avoided. Someone whom I'd also been discussing recently.
“Heard from Death lately?” a low voice asked as I crossed the fourth-floor landing.
I flinched, glanced over, confirmed it was Jathalion, and kept going. Fourth floor—Taroc's room was on this level too.
“Hey!” Jathalion stormed after me, wings lifting. “I'm speaking to you.”
“Well, I don't want to speak to you. Especially when you're like this.”
Damn it, it's almost as if he knew.
Jathalion grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop. “I have a right to know if you're using Death Magic. We all do.”
“I'm not. I said I would only use it in an emergency.”
He let go of me, but his expression twisted. “As if we can trust your word.”
“Then why even ask me?” I spun to face him. “And you're the one who hunted me down and fucked me, knowing full well that I couldn't be wasting time on men who weren't going to commit to me!” I shoved his chest. “Who exactly is the untrustworthy one between us?”
Jathalion grimaced. “You drove me to that.”
“Oh, yes. It was all my fault that you couldn't control yourself.” I snorted. “You sound like a rapist.”
“What the fuck?!” he roared and grabbed me again. “I am not a rapist. You consented.”
“I didn't say you were one. I said yousoundedlike one, blaming your lust on the person you took it out on.”
He let go of me. “That's not a word you should fling about casually.”
“Why? It's just a word. It doesn't mean anything unless you feel guilty about something. Do you, Jathalion? Do you feel guilty? Because I don't. Not anymore. I'm overyourguilt.”
Jathalion's face twitched.
Lifting my chin, I said, “I am not responsible for the deaths of your trainees.”
“I know that,” he whispered.
“No, you don't. So, I'm going to be an asshole right now and say something really harsh but truthful to you. If the Goddess wanted to, she could have saved them.”
Jathalion went pale. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me. The Goddess rejected them. They weren't good enough to be Wraith Lords.”
