“I think it’s safe to say that’s where they’re keeping the mother and the crone,” Fenrir agreed, but Shem interrupted.
“No,” he barked. We all glanced at him in surprise, and the second he realized how sharply he’d spoken, he smoothed himself back into his fake-ass relaxed posture. I narrowed my eyes on him, but still, he ignored me. “I just mean, if theyarekeeping the mother and the crone there, we can’t bring them the maiden on a silver platter. That’s just what they want.”
“I’ll go,” I offered, andfinally,Shemhazai looked at me. If his cat ears had been out, they would have flattened against his head.
My lip twitched.
Finally. Got his attention.
“Problem?” I asked him. He kept that infuriating smirk plastered on his face but shook his head.
“No problem. If you want to go, by all means,” he lied, and I forced down the growl that built in my throat.
“Why don’t we all go?” Sköll offered, his gaze dancing back and forth between Shemhazai and me. He was clearly catching onto the tension between us, and I had a feeling he was intentionally playing into it.
“Sköll, Fenrir, Shemhazai, and I will check out the church while Hecate and Luna focus on gathering a coven strong enough to take them out if we need them to.”
“I love that idea!” Hecate squealed, clapping her hands together. I watched Shemhazai carefully to see how he would react. I knew he didn’t want to go to the church. His fear was a living thing. It coated my tongue in a thick film of ash, and I waited for him to make up another excuse.
However, I should have known better. Shemhazai wouldn’t out himself like that. Instead, he just leveled Sköll with a glare that promised violence, but he nodded.
“Sounds like a fucking plan,” he snapped before tossing back the rest of his drink and dropping his empty glass on the table.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to go find something to keep me busy until we need to visit that shit hole.”
“Fuck yeah!” Hecate agreed, either ignorant or completely unbothered by the fact that Shemhazai was clearly pissed that his hand had been forced.
“Luna, let’s dance,” Hecate beamed at her friend, and I watched as the two witches followed Shemhazai out onto the dance floor.
Before I could stop myself, I was following them too. I brushed past the giggling witches and grabbed Shemhazai by the arm, jerking him around to face me.
I was met with the coldest green eyes I’d ever seen. I’d witnessed this expression on his face before, just never directed at me. This was the look he’d had at Samhain when he’d condemned Art for telling Lilith that Mike had died.
Resisting the urge to reel back from the pain of having that look directed atme, I doubled down.
“Are you going to tell me what has you so fucked up?” I hissed, jerking him closer to me.
He looked down at my hand, which was gripping his arm so hard I knew I would leave bruises. But I didn’t let go.
“Take your hand off me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
“Shemhazai—”
He raised his gaze to meet mine, and the fury in them made my breath catch in my throat.
“Take. Your. Hand. Off. Me.” His voice was nearly a whisper, and after another long beat, I conceded, releasing him as he’d asked.
He straightened his crisp black shirt and gave me a disgusted look.
“Go home, Gabriel. Your incessant need to make everything into something more than it is has grown tiresome.”
“Shemhazai. Enough. You need to talk to me,” I snarled.
He narrowed his eyes.
“What Ineedis to find someone who knows when to back the fuck off. This game you keep insisting on playing isboring.”
My heart cracked in my chest at his words, but I refused to let him see how much they hurt me. He already had enough power over me. I didn’t need to give him more.
