His grunt drew my attention his way. Bro studied each person in the room, and if I hadn’t been watching closely, I would’ve missed the scowl he sent Vexxion.
Brodinecouldn’tbe betraying me.
Could he?
Turning back to the sideboard, he tugged the bottle from his pocket again and tipped more liquid into each glass, passingacross all but one until there was none left to add. His sigh bled out, but the slick grin that followed made suspicion coil around me like a suffocating shroud.
No, please, no.
Brodine.
Why?
“That’ll do,” he whispered. “It’s past time to end this.”
He lifted two of the glasses and pivoted.
I flashed back to my body and took in the bland expression on his face. He handed Reyla a glass before extending his arm to give Airia the other. Her, he had to nudge with his knee to wake up. “Drink, Airia. You look peaked, little one.” He sucked down his smile, smoothing his face. “Are you getting sick? That’s the last thing we need.”
“No, I, um . . .” Her brow scrunched. “No, I’m fine.” Her attention landed on the glass, and she took it from him.
“Don’t drink yet,” Brodine said. “I want all of us to raise our glasses and drain them at the same time in a toast.”
Drask’s wings flapped harder, smacking against my head. His shrill caw rang out.
“Shut up,” Bro hissed under his breath, sending a sweet smile my way. “Perhaps Drask needs to go outside?”
“Yes . . .” I kept my voice dull, controlled by a new version of Ivenrail’s collars.
“Outside, Drask,” Brodine said.
The bird hopped off my shoulder, but he didn’t leave me. Perched on the back of the sofa, his gaze met mine.
Everything’s fine,I sent his way.I’ve finally figured this out.
I swore he nodded.
His sleepiness gone, Brodine sashayed back over to the sideboard and brought glasses to my aunt, Vexxion, Layla, and Zayde, before he grabbed full glasses for me and himself, the latter the one he hadn’t added liquid to.
After carefully placing my glass on the table, I gathered magic and poured it through my body, washing away whatever this man, this fiend, this betrayer had already given me.
He . . .
His betrayal tasted as bitter as the ashes of a scorched corpse.
Cleansed by my magic, I sucked in a breath as sharp as knives gouging down my throat. My heartbeat drummed louder and louder until it drowned out everything else in the room.
When he handed Vexxion a glass, he touched my love’s arm, and I swore I felt the spell sink into his skin.
A forget spell didn’t last long. It had to be reinforced often or it would slip away. Touch added to the spell’s power.
I thought back to each time Vexxion had started to remember only to be yanked away from me once more. Brodine’s hugs and the way he’d slap Vexxion’s arm in false, insidious comradery. The support and sympathy he’d offered while knowing—knowing—that he was controlling our moves, directing our actions as if he was a true Wraithweave master.
No longer.
Agony’s icy blade sliced through my chest, leaving behind searing emptiness. Revulsion clawed up my throat, but I swallowed it down. The warmth and love that once filled me for this man drained away, replaced by a cold, fuming void that left every part of me shaking. I refilled that space with a storm thatgrew in volume until it lashed the sea and churned its way up onto the shore.
It was time to let it loose.
