Shane growled back. “You report tome. As did he.”
Blood roared in Luka’s ears. “And when he died, even then, you couldn’t have told me the truth?”
“You would have gone after them, and I needed you here, focused on protecting the castle.” Shane’s jaw clenched. “Rayan died for this. He died for me. The least I could do was honor his last wish.”
Izzy’s words came back to him, her suspicion that Rayan had wanted them both kept out of it. Her hinted idea that Rayan thought Luka was close to choosing her. That Rayan had expected them to be together. Gods.
He glared at Shane. “Is this why you’ve pushed me at Izabel? So I could play nursemaid like Rayan wanted?”
Play nursemaid? What stupidity is this? Holy God of Chaos. Are you mad? Izzy can hear you!
His beast flung itself at his mind, his skin, his belly, trying to break free. But he wasn’t listening. This wasn’t about his feelings for Izzy; he would have given anything to be with her. It was about trust. It was about having decisions made for him like he was a child. And not one of the people he trusted had evenbothered to tell him. In his heart, he was still standing alone, clutching a battered trunk.
They didn’t tell her either,his beast snapped, but it was too late.
“Nursemaid?” Izzy repeated quietly, breaking through the rage screaming in his head, and he spun to meet her stricken gaze.
For the first time, his beast’s warning penetrated, and his chest ached. “That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Shane, not you.”
Izzy nodded slowly. The scales on her throat glittered as she took a shaky breath and then looked meaningfully at each of them, finishing with Luka. “Fuck you all,” she said quietly, and then she turned and walked away.
Gods. No. This is wrong! Stop her!
Luka turned to follow, already striding toward the door, when Cori flung herself in front of him and grabbed his arm. “How dare you? Haven’t you hurt her enough?”
He had, so many times, but he could fix this. Hewouldfix it. But first, he had to reach Izzy. It took every last remaining fragment of his self-control not to throw Cori off him. “Get out of my way!”
Shane stood, his chair scraping roughly on the stone. “Cori, stand back. His beast will lose it if he doesn’t go to her.”
“No. I won’t let him?—”
“Cori!” Shane spat. “That was an order!”
Cori lifted her hand, two fingers up in the air, bent at the knuckles. The broken sword. The rudest insult a soldier could give.
“Please, Cori,” Luka pleaded, ignoring Shane.
They stayed locked together, both their beasts roaring and spitting until Cori slowly stepped back, whispering, “Don’t hurt her again.”
Luka pulled his arm back, flung open the door, and strode into the corridor. But he was too late. Izzy was gone.
Chapter
Seventeen
Izabel slungher bag over her shoulder and strode through corridors, down stairs, and past guards and messengers, toward the clinic. She barely looked at where she was going, barely noticed anyone else. She hiccupped, swallowing the sob of hurt and outrage that wanted to rise.
He’ll come.
Izzy swiped at her stinging eyes and growled, “I don’t care.”
How would you feel if he doesn’t come?
That was just mean, and she didn’t want to think about it. “I don’t care!” she muttered again, as if that would make it true. And it didn’t matter anyway; she’d reached the clinic without him stopping her. Or following her. And that was a good thing.
Her beast huffed, unimpressed.
Izabel wiped her face, smoothed back her hair, and tugged her bodice straight. If there was one thing a healer knew, it was how to get their emotions locked down.
