He hums, yawning. “Sometime after we were texting the other night.”
That explains why he didn’t message me yesterday. If I know Alexios, and I like to pretend I know the only person left who considers me to be a real friend, he was having a breakdown.
“Are you well?” I ask, banishing my own feelings to the grave where they belong.
He frees a laborious breath, then—unexpectedly—rests his forehead against my shoulder.
I blink.
This man. He’s…touch averse. What is going on?
Have we attained a new level offriendship? Is henotaverse to being nearme?
My heart leaps as though he’s not a thief fae, known as ayamachichi, and attuned to absolutely everything around him. He is able to take anything from souls to emotions at his whim so long as the bearer is not stronger than he. No doubt, he can feel every hopeful, soaring emotion flooding off me, even if he would not be strong enough to take them.
He murmurs, “Zahra is so…overwhelming.” His words soften with the edge of a smile. “She lives to torture me, yet I welcome every moment like an addict.”
“I’m…happy for you.”
He chuckles. “I’m thrilled for you. When are you going to tell Pollux the truth?”
My chest tightens. “When am I going to make my case to Pollux, you mean?” I sneer. “When am I going to saylook, the universe has deemed me just as righteous as you, now forgive me for all I have done?” I scoff, but I don’t move; I am unwilling to lose the weight of Alexios’s forehead atop my shoulder. “No, my priority is her. Which means I must cure myself of this raging stupidity before I bother with anything liketelling Pollux.”
Alexios snorts. “Raging stupidity, huh? She’s fine. She has worse things than you to worry about, as far as I can tell.”
“If you’re trying to offend me, don’t be so sweet about it. She has worse things than a random man tossing her in a cage in his bedroom without a single explanation? Please. Don’t be so morbid.”
“You’re keeping her in a cage?” he murmurs, all openness, zero judgment.
Gracious.
I adore Alexios.
I sigh. “It’s a very nice, very large bird cage. I crafted every inch of it myself, enchanted it thoroughly. It will keep her comfortable and safe at night.”
“Safe from what?”
“You know fromwho, Xios.” I lift a hand, let my fingertips graze my blindfold. “Sometimes, when I wake up, I open my eyes. So, I’ve put multiple sets of bars and precautions between us. I am crippled with a terror that I will make a mistake and…lose her before she even wants to have me.”
“She doesn’t want anything, Castor. Her soul is a whisper of hollow emptiness. She’s given every inch of herself away in the name of survival. There is very little left for you to have at the moment.”
My fist clenches as my hand falls from my face. “I know. I can tell. My plan is to adore her into a sense of self, then maim those who have hurt her should she desire it and should it result in her peace.”
“Excellent plan.”
“I appreciat—”
“Not many specific steps to it, though, are there?”
I frown.
“And,” he begins, like an irritation, “you must remember that time isn’t on your side as long as you want Zahra and I to keep the secret of what Dani is to you from the others. My plea totrust youwon’t work on Cael for long, especially not while they think you’re mad at me.”
The louse snuggles—clearly missing the part where I am, actually, growing quite livid with him.
I roll my closed eyes. My recent elaborate scheme did not at all account for Danielle being my soulmate. Now that I know better, my having prodded the most powerful faerie found family in my vicinity is a disgraceful inconvenience.
I wanted them to know threat. I wanted them aware I held a power over one in their precious fold. I wanted them to doubt one another. I wanted them tohurt. I was oblivious to how little I’d care about continuing this vengeance plot once I brought my whole heart home.
