I turned on the news, hoping and yet despairing I would hear something that would explain why I had to stay locked up. I’m not sure how long I stood there, in the middle of Jarod’s bedroom staring at the television screen, but I was pretty certain I’d heard all the national happenings at leasttwice.
The door snicked open, and I pirouetted. “What in the world is . . .” My voice trailed off when I saw it was Tristan and notJarod.
His face was rife with a tension that echoed throughout his entirebody.
Terror seized me. “Is Jarodokay?”
Tristan shut the door behind him, and my heart leaped intooverdrive.
“Tristan, you’re scaring me. Is heokay?”
“No,Plume.” He flung my nickname at me as though it were a filthy word. “He’snot.”
My hand climbed up to my neck as the noose of fear tightened around it.Ninety-six.If he’d— My stomach heaved. I couldn’t even think theword.
“He’s completely lost it!” Tristan snapped, his long strides eating up the oriental rug, carrying him to where I stood. He poked me in the chest so hard I stumbledbackward.
Lost it?“So, he’salive?”
“No thanks to you.” He palmed his silvering strands. “Everything was fine before you showed up. More than fine. Fucking perfect. And then you come in here with your big ideas and big eyes and fill Jarod’s head with ideas, and now we’re all going to be fucked.” He poked meagain.
“Stop touching me,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm, hoping it would calmhim.
Although the Ophanim taught us basic self-defense in the guilds, they urged us to find peaceful ways to resolve conflict, insisting words were more dignified and beneficial thanfists.
An ugly smile sprouted over Tristan’s reedy lips, injecting a crazed gleam into his eyes. Jarod was convinced his walls could protect me from evil. He’d failed to see evil had already breachedthem.
“Get out of this room before I call for one of the guards,” Iwarned.
“Those guards answer tome, not to you, you little whore.” His hand lurched to my neck and cinched it, and my heart damn near exploded. “But go ahead, Feather.” His manic smile grew and grew. “Scream.”
I tried to say his name, tried to saystop, but only threads of air slid through my parted lips. I clawed at his wrist. I mouthedStop,again.
“Did you saysomething?”
Tears pricked my eyelids as his fingers reawakened an ache I’d thought had healed. I realized then that mended wounds were like hidden wings—invisible but ever-present. The thought made my feathers spill from myback.
If only I could flap them in hisface.
A creak made my gaze fly toward the door. Jarod’s home was old and often popped and groaned, but maybe . . . maybe someone wascoming.
“Jarod’s not done with the meeting he called to ruin our reputation.” Still, Tristan’s gaze flicked to the sealed doors. Had he locked them? I couldn’tremember. . .
Using his fleeting lapse of attention against him, I shook my head hard and gasped as his fingers snapped off my neck. I was so startled I barely had time to scramble two feet away before he was on me again, collaring me with hands that felt like metal claws. I batted at his arms, but my strength was dwindling along with my supply ofoxygen.
“Don’t worry, you’ll pass out beforedying.”
Dying?He wanted to killme?
“By the time he gets home, you’ll be gone. Without a trace. I’m good at making people vanish without a trace. One of my specialtalents.”
My fingers scrabbled uselessly around his wrist. Since I couldn’t speak, I implored him to release me with my wetgaze.
“Would’ve saved me a lot of trouble if you’d died back at the store, but I shouldn’t really be surprised you didn’t. Women are so fucking useless. You give them all the tools, put the fucking knife in their hands and the victim in their lap, and they still manage to botch thejob.”
Was he saying that . . . thathe’d. . .?
“It’s not like I told her to stab you in the heart. Ribs are fucking nuisances. No, I tell her to slit your throat.” His thumb and index finger hardened around my neck, denting my aching flesh. “I even demonstrate on a waste-of-space hobo, and she messesup.”
