I took slow steps back with Henry, watching the flames spread across every surface that had once held my childhood captive, the heat growing stronger, the smoke curling thick in the air. The bed broke inward with a loud crack, sparks flying as the structure finally gave way, and I knew that in time the fire would crawl down the hall as well, that it would find Viktor’s room, then every locked door that had kept me trapped, and that all of it would be swallowed whole by the same rage that had burned inside me for years.
The house wasn’t winning anymore. For once, it demanded nothing of us anymore.
Henry dragged his gaze away from the flames, his eyes glistening. The fire reflected there, catching in his tears and turning them luminous, was fierce instead of broken. I felt his grip tighten instinctively, his body leaning into mine as if he needed reassurance that destruction could be chosen instead of endured. Snot dribbled from his nose, and I wiped it away with my thumb before using my knuckle to brush away his tears. Then he grinned a little before reaching up and doing the same to me.
Five. He was onlyfive years old, and he understood. Viktor had him for just three weeks, and—He. Understood.
The Buyers that were still standing from Kane’s rampage had fled. When Henry and I worked our way downstairs, smoke curling at our backs and following us down as I dragged my lighter along the wallpaper, Kane was waiting despite my order to leave. He took one look at Henry and let a wide smile unfurl, the first genuine one I’d seen him manage in years. Unfortunately, Kane was covered in blood and surrounded by dead Buyers.
“Quit smiling,” I hissed, clicking shut my lighter. “You’re going to give him nightmares.”
“Nah.” Kane trailed behind us, his smile still bright as Henry watched him from over my shoulder. “Kid knows good monstersfrom bad, don’t you?” I couldn’t see Henry, but I felt his small hands clutch my jacket tighter. He patted my shoulder twice, and I blew out a breath.
“Seems he likes you,” I threw over my shoulder. We jogged down the steps into the courtyard, Rafe standing at the edge of the garden, kids peering out from behind him.
“Like calls to like, Arden,” Kane said, but his expression fell when he saw Henry’s throat. “Shit.”
“Yeah,” I said. I moved to set Henry down, but he just held on tighter. “Okay. That’s okay. I got you,” I murmured, pressing my hand against the back of his head and walked to Rafe. I adjusted Henry on my hip, Rafe taking us in with a curious gleam in his eyes. I tapped Henry’s back. “Hey buddy, this is my friend I told you about that can talk with his hands. His name is Rafe."
Rafe read my lips, my hands too full to sign. His brow furrowed before he saw Henry’s throat. His face paled, and he jolted back a step as if he’d been struck.
“He can hear, but his throat hurts too much to talk. I taught him the taps,” I said.
Rafe’s stricken expression fell away, his features softening.Of course you did, beautiful, he signed despite the pain in his hands, his eyes glistening. Beautiful. He’d finally called me beautiful again.
“Rafe?” I asked, and he closed the distance. He wrapped an arm around me, tugging both Henry and me close. Kane leaned his shoulder into Rafe’s, all of us turning toward the estate. The kids crowded around us, a little girl grabbing hold of Kane’s middle finger. He lifted her up, tucking her curls behind an ear, and settled her on his hip.
He pointed at the burning monument of our past. “Look, it’s a wildfire,” he said, the little girl beaming.
I held Henry tighter. “Yeah,” I said hoarsely, Rafe rubbing circles against my back with one hand and on Henry’s with the other. “It is, isn’t it?”
We drove back toward New York after contacting Mickey and delivered the kids to a Raven orphanage. It took hours before I got Henry to let me go, and honestly, I needed that time too. Eventually, I pried his grip from my jacket and sat him down in the playroom with the other kids. He grabbed my face when I did, his fingers pressing into my cheeks. He gave me a hard look, so serious that I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I can’t stay,” I told him, and his eyes watered. “No. No crying,” I whispered and gently took his hands from my face, cupping them between mine. “Just look around Henry. You’re safe here. There’s toys, and you’ll have your own bed. There’s even a backyard with a play set. The Ravens will take really good care of you. I promise.”
He wrenched his hands out of mine and tapped my chin once.No.
“What if I told you I’m leaving because I have to hunt Viktor? The man who did this to you,” I asked and gently touched his scar.
Henry folded his arms, his bottom lip pushing out.
“Okay, you’re just cute and you know it. That’s so not fair,” I complained. He grinned a little, and I gasped. “You little devil!” I exclaimed and tugged him toward me, tickling his sides. I stopped though as soon as a sharp cry of pain left him. I hadn’tthought about how tickling would make him laugh and how much that would hurt his throat. I hugged him tight. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s okay.”
A shadow fell over us, and I glanced up to find Kane. He studied the two of us before signing,If we wait too long, Viktor will make himself invisible.
He…won’t let me go, I explained.
Kane crouched next to me and gave Henry a small smile, ruffling the kid’s dark hair. When my lips stretched wide, Kane studied me again.
What?I asked.
He won’t let you go or you won’t, Arden?he asked.
I hesitated.
It’s okay to be done and want to stay with him, he said sincerely.
I bit my lip and looked at Henry before I shook my head.I can’t. I need to know Viktor’s dead or I’ll never live peacefully.
Then we have to go,Kane said.
