“Kimber.”
I didn’t turn around. “No. I’m not talking to you right now.”
Rilen leaned in close. “It’s been nearly six weeks since you’ve done more than sleep in our bed.”
“That’s inaccurate.” I snapped the book shut, and turned in the chair. “Eighteen of those days were breaking the Spine. Five of them I was in the infirmary. Another week was spent recuperating, at your insistence. That’s a full month. My celibacy has only lasted for two weeks.”
“But why… you know we want you there. I thought you wanted to be there.” Rilen truly looked confused and contrite.
I stood up, forcing him back. “I do. I do want to be there. But I will not lay with those who won’t tell me the truth or confide in me. I’m just as much a part of this group—both the bed and the dais—as you three are, and yet you keep secrets.”
Sidestepping him, I headed out to the garden to see if I could do some reading there.
Naturally, Rilen followed. “Kimber, I don’t understand. We all have secrets. Dorian most of all. We—”
I halted and shoved a finger into his face. “That is not what I mean, and you know it. Youknowit.”
He blinked. Once, twice. “This is about the shield.”
“And the raid. And the robes. And how I am not given the information I need. I’m the Breaker! But the way you three have been treating me for the past four weeks, you’d think I was a babe in diapers! I may be young, Rilen, and maybe I am naïve, but I amnotstupid.”
“No one said you were,” Roran said, striding up to his twin.
“Fuck off. Both of you. All three of you!”
Whirling on my heel, I marched back into the dorm and up the stairs.
The twins were there in the stairwell with me in just a heartbeat, showing off their newly revealed power in speed.
“That’s exactly what I mean!” I snapped as they caged me against the wall. “I had no idea you two could run like demons from hell were on your ass! How many other secrets do you plan on keeping from me?”
“You kept Drez and Jallina from us,” Roran said.
“That’s not the same thing! They were spies!”
“There will always be secrets,” Rilen whispered.
“Oh, for fuck’s—” I shoved them both away with a hit of power. “I know there are secrets! Dorian is ancient. You two aren’t much better off. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about you three not talking to me about the fact that you think my magic is weak.”
Instead of heading up, I headed back down, and this time, to the front door of the dorm. I crunched angrily down the pebble-strewn walk, just trying to get away from the two of them. I headed for the gardens, only for the two of them to cut me off again with their inhuman speed.
I let out a frustrated scream. “Stop it! Stop it! Both of you. Can’t you see I need time away from you?”
“Two weeks is too long for the Breaker to go without being granted power,” Rilen said.
“And it’s too long for her mates to go without pleasuring her,” Roran added with a wink.
“Bad move, brother.” Rilen’s voice was quiet.
My finger again landed in Roran’s face. “Don’t you dare bring up thatmateshit right now. I’m not mating anyone who lies by omission! I almost tied myself to someone who would have seen me dead—you think I’ll allow anything like that in the middle of-of-of thiscatastrophe?”
Roran stepped into me and wrapped his hand around my waist. “Ilati—”
“No,” I snapped and yanked his hand off me. “Don’t try to talk your way out of this, you silver-tongued demon! I don’t care if you have skeletons in your closet. We share a horrible one! But if you think the three of you can talk about me behind my back, about things you think are wrong with me, and don’t come to me with that, you can all just sleep in a cold bed and jack each other off for satisfaction.”
One more time, I started walking away from them. A moment later, I heard their feet on the pebbles, and they flanked me.
It waskillingme not to give this up and just let them pin me against a tree in the garden and have their way. I wanted them in the worst way.
