Ever’s so tense beside me, I’m afraid to ask where her head’s at. My father killed her parents. What if… what if she can’t stand to look at me anymore? Blames me in part for what happened to her?
Bellamy frowns. “Why the hell have you stayed here all these years, then? He killed yourson.”
Oscar glowers at the town in the distance. “Exactly. And that monster was willing to murder my granddaughter, too. Ababy.She was safe so long as I didn’t lead him to her, so I had to stay put. And in the meantime, I could help some of the other children in town escape. My shop was one of the only safe places in this horrible town.” He catches my eye. “Wouldyouhave been able to leave as soon as you did without my help?”
It feels like someone kicked me in the chest. He’s sacrificed so much, day after day, while I just… moved on. Put this place behind me and tried to forget about it.
Ever’s soft voice breaks the awkward tension. “Mercy Ridge is set up for this type of scenario, though; to get people back on their feet if they show up with nothing. They even set newcomers up with a house and some food, and offer to help them find a job if needed. You could have taken me there and raised me yourself instead of abandoning me.”
Oscar’s eyes flare in surprise. “I had no idea they had programs for that sort of thing, but regardless, if I’d run there with you, he would have followed. Hunted us down and killed me for defying him, and either killed you as well, or dragged you back here to make an example of.”
Ever’s brow furrows in frustration. “But the barrier-”
Myles gently interrupts to point out, “The barrier didn’t exist until I moved there a few years back. He’s right; it was too close to here to take the risk back then.”
Closing the distance between them, Oscar cups Ever’s cheek, eyes shining. “If there was any way possible for us to stay together, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. But I couldn’t gamble with your safety when I’d already failed to protect my son and your mother.” His thumb tenderly strokes the burn on her wrist and his lips press into a thin line. “More threats wouldhave come for you, and I just wasn’t strong enough to fight them all. Being around me put you inmoredanger, especially as you grew up and people realized what you were. The best place for you was away from mysts completely. But never think for a single moment that you weren’t wanted or loved.”
She swipes at her teary eyes. Mouth opening and closing as she searches for words, she gives up the futile effort and settles for throwing her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest as she crushes him in a hug to hide her face until she can pull herself together again.
Letting them have a few moments first, I eventually clasp his shoulder. “It’s time to put yourself first for a change. Come to Mercy Ridge with us.”
Oscar releases a cynical chuckle, gesturing at the fire. “Not like I have anything else left to lose. I lost the house years ago and have been living in my office. Doubt anything’s surviving that blaze.”
Bellamy glances around nervously. “Uh, guys? Hate to break up the sentimental moment and all but... we need to go.”
I glance around for any other of my father’s men crawling out of the woodwork, but there’s no one around. “Why?”
“Because we're at agas station,and that fire is spreading fast.”
Realization dawns just as Arson loops his shadows around all of us and pulls us back into the safety of the shadow realm, waiting until the first explosion rocks the earth before taking us home.
Chapter 14
Ever
From the corner of my eye, I glance over at Oscar. Mygrandfather.I’m not sure how to even begin processing that yet, it still feels so surreal.
Just gotta get home. A hot bath, a good night’s sleep, and thenmaybeI’ll crack open that can of worms. Or more likely, a bottle of rum.
We land outside of the city’s secondary ward, preparing to hike several miles through the woods to get home when Arson suddenly stills. Before I can ask him what’s wrong, he jerks his head to the left in the nick of time, snapping out a hand to catch the hilt of a blade where his eye was mere seconds before.
“Civilian life has made you soft,” a deep voice chuckles, stepping out from between the trees up ahead.
Talk about a silver fox, hot damn. Might get murdered, might thank him for the attention.
I may be tapped out on mates, but I’m not blind. Dark hair that fades to a silvery blue is slightly overgrown, ruffled in the breeze. His facial hair is freshly trimmed, looking like a mafia don that decided to get his hands dirty. A black t-shirt molds to his torso, matching a pair of combat pants that’s eerily similarto the default outfit Arson prefers. Tattoos crawl up his wrists and disappear beneath his shirt, but the biggest sense of danger comes from the wicked scar across one of his piercing teal eyes, so bright that there isn’t a doubt in my mind that this man is a myst. One powerful enough that it dominates the air around him into submission.
Arson whips the dagger back at him, embedding it in the tree a few inches above the guy’s head. “And old age has made you slow.”
Ledger, Bellamy, and Myles close in around me and Kiara, a low rumble starting in Ledger’s chest, but he fights off the desire to shift. With us toeing the line of the barrier’s border, one wrong step lunging for the guy could mean a death sentence, suddenly being forced to shift back to human and giving the stranger an opportunity to attack.
The man reaches up and yanks his blade out of the tree without breaking eye contact, rolling it between his fingers in a move that’s vaguely familiar.
“I’m not paying you to toy with your prey, just do your damn job!” a voice I never wanted to hear again snaps, and I grimace.
MotherfuckingAdam.
Wait… job? What the fuck?
