Jericho says nothing, but his silence is loud enough for me. I reach for him, lacing our fingers together.
Forest shifts. “I must warn you, even if this is the phoenix gift, you can still be killed in other ways. So I encourage you to heed caution. We’d hate to lose you.”
Jericho seems surprised by his tone of affection.
As Forest walks away to make some phone calls, the conversation drifts back to Justice. The entire pack is as tired as I am, their grief palpable. Even the bright lights of the room seem dimmer somehow. I hadn’t known Justice well at all, but his death still weighs heavy on me. He was so young, so innocent.
Jericho keeps his attention on the floor. I know he’s blaming himself for their pain. Wishing he could have done more. I want to ease some of the burden.
“Hey. You want to know what I just thought of?” I say quietly.
He turns to look at me.
“I have a smokin’ hot boyfriend. Literally. Smokin’ hot!”
Jericho gives a low, rumbling laugh as he pulls me against his chest. I wrap my arms around his back, feeling his muscles flex. As his warm lips press against my temple, I sense some of the tension leave his body.
“This is good, though,” Rowen says finally after a long moment of silence. “We finally know your gift. We know what Foxx is after. Maybe you can use that fire on the club.”
Ivy snorts, like she thinks her brother is kidding.
“I’m serious,” he tries again. “With Jer’s gift, we can end this once and for all.”
Sage sits up. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“No.” Jasmine points a finger. “No one is burning anything!”
Jericho shrugs. “I will if I need to. I refuse to let anyone else be hurt by those monsters.”
I don’t say it, but I agree. If burning the club is the quickest and easiest way to kill the coven, then by all means, let’s do it. Maybe then we can all find a little peace.
Especially Jericho. He deserves it most of all.
After everything that has happened, I just want to be alone with him. Like, truly alone. Far, far away from everything. But of course we can’t leave, and even going to the van isn’t safe anymore, now that the coven knows where we are. Instead, I pull Jericho toward the stairs.
“Come on.”
Jericho follows me quietly, never letting go of my hand. The silence of our room is welcoming. I collapse on the bed, lying on my back with one knee bent toward the ceiling.
Jericho lies down next to me, propped on an elbow. His dark eyes study me. “You okay?”
“Are you?” I counter. Jericho hates being reminded of his family, and his expression when I told the others about his family saddened me.
After a long moment, he says, “I don’t know. It just seems cruel.”
“What does?”
“My gift.”
“How do you mean?”
He looks at his hand, dark brows pulled together in a grim line. “Think about it. My family dies in a house fire and now I have the ability to kill others with it? Seems a bit… I don’t know. Cruel.”
“You can’t look at it like that.”
“How else am I supposed to look at it, Evan?”
I roll to my side and prop myself up, facing him. “You have the ability to help others. This gift is a good thing. It’s literally what Foxx has been chasing you for, and now you can use it against him. Stop him from hurting other people. It’s what we needed, Jer.”
