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“Without a second’s hesitation if she figures it out. She’s a fury. Her sense of justice is amplified.”
“Do you know her relationship with the Fates?”
“They let her leave instead of killing her, which means they must have ended on decent terms.”
“I thought they weren’t capable of decency.”
“Me neither.” Which was the reason I took the hard way out. “Penny was relatively new and suffered a serious injury at the hands of another fury. My guess is the Fates decided to cut ties with Penny now, before they invested too much in her.”
Vale ran a worried hand through his hair. “What are your options?”
“Hope Penny never learns the truth.”
“You’d rather live in a state of constant fear?”
“Of course not, but the whole point of Evermore is the preservation of life. I intend to honor that.”
It wasn’t Penny’s fault she’d been molded into a weapon, just like it wasn’t mine. The Fates brainwashed and enslaved children. That was why they only accepted young girls—because they wanted to mold their minds and bodies. Older women were beyond their influence. The Fates were predators and they recognized the right prey when they saw them.
“I suppose your role at Evermore isn’t wildly different from your function as a fury.”
“It’s not as dangerous—usually.” And I was using my skills for good rather than their brand of justice. The longer I was out of the Fates’ orbit, the more I recognized their version greatly differed from my own.
“You tracked down criminals, handed out punishments?”
“When I left, I was responsible for finding the worst of the worst. Other furies were responsible for carrying out curses. There’s an entire division that lives in the underworld where their sole purpose is to punish sinners.”
“Why did you decide to give it up, if you were rounding up the worst of the worst?”
“Because I wasn’t. The Fates lied. They were abusing their power. They don’t care about punishing crime to protect the innocent. Their primary concern is keeping a tight grip on the power they have, whatever the cost. They resented the gods for the very behavior they exhibit.”
He eyed me closely. “Something must’ve happened to force your hand.”
My jaw clenched. “It built up over time. When I saw the chance to leave, I took it.”
Vale cupped my face in his hand. “I appreciate everything you’ve told me. You don’t need to tell me the rest if you’re not ready.”
I wasn’t ready to talk about the Pinto girl. My stomach was already roiling from everything I’d shared so far. The rest would have to wait.
“Now that I’ve spilled my beans, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you,” I said.
“I’m an open book.”
“It’s about your brother, the seventh son. You said you claimed the family sword from him in Marrakesh. That Mesharu turned against him because he broke an oath.”
“That’s right.”
“Did you kill your brother with the sword?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he deserved it. Anything else you’d like to know?”
“Not right now.”
My questions about Mesharu would have to wait, too. I didn’t want him to think the sword was the reason I gave him the time of day. My feelings were complicated.
