Kat grinned. “Skel saved us both. He lunged for me, grabbed me when I was mid-air, and jumped out the kitchen window while our neighbor was still swinging his broom around like a lunatic.”
Skel exhaled sharply. “I had bruises for an entire day, and I’m a demon!”
“Don’t forget that the dog bit you so hard, it ripped a piece of flesh off your ass,” she giggled.
“Oh, I’m not forgetting that.” Skel pinned her with an older-brother look.
I stifled a giggle.
Kat grinned and patted his arm. “But you saved me. That’s what brothers do.”
“Usuallyolderbrothers. You’re my big sister, you know? You constantly had to rely on your little brother to save you.” Skel chuckled, and it was a genuine laugh that lit up his face in a way I hadn’t seen before.
But, just as quickly as it had come, it faded. His smile disappeared, and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His gaze flickered to the floor as he cleared his throat.
Kat noticed it, too.
We all saw the way his jaw tightened, the way his fingers curled subtly into the fabric of his pants, and I felt his pain in our bond.
He missed his sister.
And hehatedthat she had been out of his life when he’d needed her the most.
Kat’s smile wavered, and for a second, I thought she might reach for him, but she didn’t. Instead, she cleared her throat. “You were always looking out for me back then.” Her voice was softer now, like she was scared of his reaction. “Even when I was being a terror.”
Skel inhaled deeply but didn’t look at her. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I had to.”
Nelson reached out and placed a steady hand on Skel’s shoulder. “It’s okay to voice your feelings, Skel.”
Skel hesitated, but he finally shook his head.
Kat pressed her lips together, nodding as if she understood. Because she did, I could sense that much in her soul.
Dinner was fun, filled with stories and laughter, but I saw the way Kat and Skel stole glances at each other. There was so much unsaid between them. Their sibling bond needed mending, and I wanted them to take the steps to do that.
After dinner, I nudged Skel. “Go talk to your sister.”
He tensed, biting down on his lip ring. “I don’t?—”
“Not just talk. Sense her soul again.” I held his gaze, raising a brow. “You need to do the work to repair the relationship. I know you miss your sister.”
Something in his gaze shifted, and he deflated. “Only because you asked.” He nodded once and made his way over to Kat.
I couldn’t help but listen in a little with my demonic hearing. I could feel the weight of the moment in our bond as he’d told her it hurt to pretend the past didn’t happen. She listened, really listened, and then she apologized. She hadn’t meant to abandon him—she’d been trying to move forward without reopening old wounds.
Skel’s green eyes widened as he sensed the pain in her soul, and he told her he understood, but he wanted her to acknowledge what had happened, too. So, she did. She acknowledged her part in their past and apologized again.
It was an enormous step for them both, and I loved that they could work through their pain together like this.
It was so obvious that they shared a special sibling bond.
I turned my head and found myself next to Durge.
“They needed that,” he told me, staring lovingly over at Kat. “I think they both did.”
I nodded. “They absolutely did.”
“Thank you, Pandora.” Nelson smiled at me. “Skel doesn’t open up well, but with you, he's been getting better at it. It’s good to see.”
