My gaze flicks up to his. I get lost in his mismatched eyes that are calm and unswirling. The level of sincerity in their depths right now has warmth filling my chest.
“I’ll hold on to it for now. You got something from the second sexiest brother as well.”
He moves the statue from between us and sets it a few feet behind him. Nerves crawl right back up my throat when he gives me another nod toward Creed.
My grumpiest of men is as anxious as I am.
Tension spreads across every muscle and I swear if I focus hard enough, I can see the vein in his neck throbbing.
He doesn’t say anything as he turns from me and picks up a black box off the floor. He exhales harshly as he stares down at it and I inhale sharply.
“I couldn’t embed a sword to an extent that pleased me, but these…” My eyes widen as he opens the lid and I gawk at the shining silver. “I know how deadly you can be up close and personal.”
My hands shake as I grip the handles of both daggers.
They’re mini replicas of his swords.
The light from the fire glares off the blades as I turn my wrist and get a feel for them.
“The past two days we’ve been practicing with tiny sticks,” I whisper.
“We have been.”
“You wanted to make sure I could use them.”
“I did. Although I knew you wouldn’t have a problem.”
He says it with such a straight face, yet the truth and pride in his words blaze across my soul like a wildfire.
“What’s…what’s the difference between these and your swords?”
“These weren’t made by Beginning Gods. My swords were and that gives them that extra boost of power that makes even a small cut kill. I couldn’t achieve that on a sword, nor on these to that extent, but a good stab will snatch their soul.”
I shouldn’t snort, but I do, and his mouth twitches.
“Which gods made yours?”
“The God of Obliteration and Goddess of Creation.”
I nod.
“These are better, just so you know.”
His stony face fully fractures and I match the smile he gives me.
“They are. They were made just for you. I’ll also know if you’ve used them.”
I arch my brow.
“Trying to keep track of the trail of bodies I might leave behind?”
He shrugs, but his face falls the smallest bit.
“Just in case you were to only cut and not stab, I’ll know the soul that was touched by them. Then I’d go finish them for you.”
Valories.
I realize that talk of murder shouldn’t be so endearing, but it is.
