The brother crossed his arms and leaned against the table. “You think we should only kill to preserve life, human dignity, or justice. I think I should kill because I swore a blood oath to our dead father, and I’m going to honor it or die trying.”
The solange-eyed one leaned across the table and reached toward a large fruit bowl. He took a moment, inspecting the fruit, then plucked free a bright red apple.
He threw it in the air and caught it, then he tossed it to his brother. “Careful. Revenge is a poisoned fruit.”
The brother smiled and took a bite, chewing loudly. “So they say. But it’s also delicious.”
He took another bite of the apple, the juice spraying over the wind. It sniffed the bright, late-summer smell. Orchard. Bees. Clover. Sun. The brother was right. It was delicious.
“I’m going to kill the Ward,” he said, musing over the white flesh and red-speckled skin of the apple. He turned it in his hand, eyeing the flesh, then took another bite.
The wind tapped the solange-eyed one’s nose. He wrinkled it and wiped its bridge. The wind tapped it again.
The solange-eyed one widened his eyes, then he whispered under his breath, “I know.”
“What?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
The brother shrugged. “And I’d rather you didn’t obsess over Mari. She was a decent body—I’ll give you that. She made a good sandwich. But she’s a creature. She likes being a creature. She’ll try to kill you again, and I’ll kill her in return?—”
“Darin.”
The brother dropped the apple to the table and wiped his hands on his pants. Finally, he looked at the solange-eyed one. “Yeah. Got it. I won’t touch her. She’s yours to kill or not kill. You know, that’s one way you’re not like Dad. She’s a liability, and he never let liabilities live.”
The solange-eyed one frowned. “He let at least one live.”
“The Ward?”
The wind moaned.
Both of the men stayed quiet.
“They hit, you hit back,” the brother finally said. “Hell Gate bombed the Night Den. Your home. What are you going to do about it?”
The solange-eyed one shook his head. “It’s a distraction. I won’t be baited.”
The brother’s jaw tightened.
The wind swirled between them, taking in their similarities and measuring their differences.
The brother was fairer-skinned, lighter-haired, shorter but bulkier. He reminded the wind of the Smiths who’d lived a thousand years ago. They’d sustained themselves on the bread of battles and the wine of blood oaths. He was like an iron arrow passed from village to village, shooting men toward war. There were only two states for this kind of man: war, and the peace that preceded war. He wasn’t power-hungry. He didn’t seem to care that his brother wore the crown. He only wanted to fight, preferably with his brother by his side.
“I know you don’t have any good memories of Dad,” the brother said, nudging the apple so it rolled across the table. “Not like me.” He gave a short half-smile. “I had the best childhood. The best father. I got everything, and you got nothing. I got his love. His attention. His approval. I got to know him. I’m not going to claim he loved you. Or even cared about you. What do I know? But he loved me, and I loved him. I’m not going to resent him for lying to me my whole childhood. I’m not going to be angry that you’re the principal and wearing the crown. I won’t turn on you. I won’t undermine you. I’ll always be loyal. You’re my brother. Dad knew exactly what he was saying when he asked if I’d serve the crown. I thought he meant when I wore it, but he meant when you wore it. I will. I do. But Finn, I’m going to go after the Ward. If Mari tries to hurt you again, I’ll stop her. If Hell Gate needs a lesson, I’ll give it. I’ll listen to you in everything, but not when it comes to my blood oath, and not when it comes to keeping you alive.”
The wind poked the solange-eyed one, whispering its question again. Didn’t he hear it?
The solange-eyed one nodded. “As long as you know you might be standing on the wrong end of my sword. The Ward was enough to satisfy the oath. I don’t want you killing Jacob.”
“Tough.”
“You won’t harm Mari.”
“Depends on what she does.”
“You’ll leave Hell Gate alone.”
“Maybe.”
