Page 73 of Bound

“Not yet, sister.”

No. He did not see that at all. To the point that he did not pause before donning his boardroom scowl while maintaining his soldier stance. That he barreled on, breaking out the words she had not asked for and never wanted.

“You do not see it in him, Jayd—and by the Creator’s scepter, I hope you never have to. I hope that the man has chosen to put your happiness above his hunger, and to leave you with only good memories of all that you have shared.”

And there went her spine again. She was certain her discs were now dust. “His…hunger? For what?”

A similar chill seemed to take over Shiraz’s spine. It was not comforting to witness. “I wish I could say it is a rarity, to witness this kind of thing—but the reason I speak of it so boldly is because I have seen it too frequently.” He filled his lungs with even more weighted air. “There are men who fulfill their military service in darker places than the rest of us. Much darker. In shades of pitch black.”

As he uttered that part, Jayd gulped hard. In her mind, she also saw darkness. The shadows inside a Montmartre Cemetery crypt. In those black depths, she saw Brickham’s terror-stricken face. The place his mind had gone to, so far away from her…

“Go on,” she rasped at last.

“Those men have been to places, and done certain things, that have taken things from them,” he continued. “Stripped out certain parts of their souls. And when they return from those kinds of things…”

“They start looking for those things again,” she filled in.

“Not looking,” ’Raz countered. “Hunting. And then, when finding them, taking. Stripping like they were stripped. Obliterating, just as they were—”

“No.” Jayd flung up a hand. “Not taking,” she asserted. “Not if it is freely given.”

“But to what point?” Though he bit out every word, a strange sheen entered her brother’s eyes. He reached out to fervently cup her shoulder. “When you are depleted, will he stop taking? Will he be able to?”

Jayd breathed hard, not issuing an answer to that. Not because she had none. Because she had too many.

He will never take too much.

He will never deplete me.

Because he will never stop filling me up too.

Unlike anyone will again…

The certainty of it crashed in, sinking her like a cannonball in the sea. She stepped back from Shiraz, but her steps were clumsy and heavy…and flooded with dread.

“Jayd. Please, tupulai. We are just trying to make sure you do not get hurt from all this.”

Too late.

It was absolutely, definitely too damn late for that.

Because he had absolutely, definitely just confirmed the contents of Ev and Brickham’s chat.

Her stomach confirmed that by panging one awful message to her mind.

You need to get out of here. Right now.

But not overtly. Not if she did not want ’Raz ordering a full security detail for her.

“All right…fine,” she stammered out. “I—I understand.”

Thankfully, her brother bought the performance. “Good. Merderim.” He dipped an assuring nod, and even smiled a little. “I know it might not be so easy to do in the next few weeks, but if you need—”

“To use the facilities.”

She was unsure if his hiked brows were due to her rush or her randomness, but it was still the best option she had for an easy escape. She stubbornly stuck to it.

“Fine,” Shiraz said. “I will escort you.”