Suyin took a breath, fighting back her rising temper. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
“Why on earth would you think that? Valefor is still out there. Or have you forgotten that there’s a deranged Duke of Hell trying to kill you and your twin and steal your power for himself? Maybe you have, since you haven’t been to the coven to help me maintain your cloaking spell in weeks.”
Iris flinched visibly. “I’m sorry.”
Further chastisement was on the tip of Suyin’s tongue, but it died at that apology. Iris never apologized. Yet she just had. She really had changed.
“I should be there more, I know,” Iris continued. “I know how much work it is keeping that spell going, and I know it’s not fair of me to expect you and the coven to keep doing it when I’m not even around to help. But …” She took a breath and her gaze dropped to her hands, twisting together on the table’s surface. “What if he’s given up?”
“Who? Valefor?”
Iris nodded.
Suyin almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Your parentsdiedbecause of him. Because he killed them trying to get to you. He’s an immortal fucking demon. He doesn’t give up.”
“Maybe he’s got other shit going on.”
Suyin stared at her. It was a weak excuse and they both knew it.
“We’re safe, Su. Me and Lily are safe. I can’t say how, but Iknowwe’re safe.”
Suyin’s eyes narrowed, and she felt that distinct prickling at the back of her neck again.
Blood-born witch twins were extremely rare, and a prophecy had long ago been written that Iris and Lily would have great power. Valefor had found out and wanted to steal it for himself. The twins’ mother had created a powerful cloaking spell to hide her daughters, and she and their father had died defending it.
After their deaths, when Iris and Lily first moved to Montreal, Iris was filled with rage, obsessed with protecting her sister and studying hard enough to one day get revenge. Suyin and Iris’s entire friendship had been founded on Iris’s hatred of demons and her desire to protect her twin. For Iris to be telling Suyin now that she felt safe and there was nothing to worry about anymore?
It was absurd. It made no sense.
“Regardless of your feelings,” Suyin began coolly, “I know what I experienced, and I refuse to doubt myself.”
There was a pause as the two of them stared at each other. Iris’s eyes were sad again, and Suyin … Hers were probably flat. Like her mother, she wasn’t one for emotional displays. She’d been told by ex-partners—men and women—that she was cold. That she had no heart.
It made it easy to disguise the hurt she felt now.
“Su …”
She stood once more. “I’m going back inside.”
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like I don’t believe you.” Iris didn’t stand. “I’m just trying to explain howIfeel.”
“I understand.” And she did. But she also knew Iris was keeping secrets, and until she understood why, there was no way to close the rift between them.
“I’m sorry you’ve been going through this lately. I should have reached out. I didn’t realize—”
“It’s not your fault.” She meant that. “We’ve both been busy.”
“I know, but—”
“Seriously. It’s okay.”
Suddenly, Suyin couldn’t summon the will to be angry anymore. So they were drifting apart. It happened to a lot of friendships. She regretted it, but until either of them was willing to open up, nothing was going to change.
“I’m going inside,” she said again, and then she picked up her drink and climbed off the picnic table.
Iris followed, but Suyin didn’t wait for her. By the exit to the patio, the crowd was substantially thinner. The dance floor was set into the ground by two steps, giving people at the back a good view of the stage.
Suyin strode toward those steps, ready to get lost in the crowd, only to stop so suddenly that Iris bumped into her back.
