“I don’tneedanyone to come with me. I’m not a child, and this isn’t about Dad. I'm going because we don't know what could happen if this object ends up in the wrong hands. Besides, I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling like something's been carved out of me."
“And you believe everything King said?” Dagon asked.
I turned to him and answered honestly. "No. I don't believe half of it, because at least one part was a lie, and I can't verify the rest."
Dagon looked momentarily surprised, but quickly recovered.
“What was the lie?” Andras asked.
I turned to Andras. “You didn’t pick up on it?”
“If I had, would I be asking?” he snapped, irritated.
"'Because you're my sons,'" I repeated King's exact words. "When we asked why he needed us specifically, he answered that he couldn't trust anyone else, only us. Because we were his sons."
The first one to speak was Bren. "Why do you think that's a lie?"
"I said I don't know that it's a lie," I clarified. "I'm saying I'm not trusting his words blindly. But it doesn't change anything… I'm bound to this object, and I am going to find it."
“What if you get hurt?” Luc’s question hit like a knife, not because of what it asked, but because of the worry behind it.
“Don’t worry, little brother, I can take care of myself.”
“That’s why I’m going with you,” Dagon said.
“Since when did we become best brothers, Dagon? Since when did we become close enough for that? I must have missed that chapter of our lives."
I couldn't stop the edge bleeding into my voice. He was the last person I had thought would choose to come with me.
“Take it or take it. There’s no other choice. I’m going with you. End of discussion. Be ready at 7 a.m.”
He looked around the room and stormed out. Just like that.
“I want to come too. There is no way I’m leaving you alone with Dagon.”
“Wilder, you have your job and you'll probably want to look after everyone here. You’re staying. Nobody else is coming with me. Honestly, I don’t even want Dagon there.”
A quiet part of me knew that was a lie. I could do this alone. I knew better than most what it was like to fight by myself. But the truth was I wanted him next to me.
A small voice reminded me of how things had once been between us, and hope flickered inside, fragile and stubborn.Hope I had slowly, painfully smothered over the years. But apparently it was still alive, just barely.
Could I have it all back?
Could I havehimback?
Just maybe… could we find our way to what we used to be?
Chapter eleven
Dagon
Icouldn’t sleep. After leaving Di and the others downstairs, I went to my room. Pacing from one side to the other, I tried to settle the rising hurricane of emotions. The ridiculous question was, how could I do that when all I could see was the moment our father sliced Di’s hand? It was like my heart stopped right then. His scream. The blood. The pain written on his face.
The memory played on a loop in my mind.
I screamed and punched the wall again and again until my knuckles split open. I didn’t stop until the image finally left my vision.
I couldn’t protect him.
