Her brows crinkle with confusion as she looks from my lap to her chair, and then me. “What—”
Without looking, I grip Silver by the collar, and he leans over, his palm sliding along London’s cheek. When a shiver runs through her, my eyes narrow, and I start to tug her back. To push him away.
My fingers ache, ready to sharpen and tear away what’s mine.
To play with, I mean.
No.
I love to share.
I’m sharing.
Her eyes meet Silver’s, and his swirl as his mouth hooks up, body pressing closer to hers as he shifts beside me.
Her long white hair teases the skin of my arm, so I wrap my fist around it, forcing myself to stare as my best friend’s mouth meets hers.
Her chest lifts, gaze secretly seeking mine from the side as if to make sure this is okay. That this is what I want.
Does she want it?
Anger floods my veins.
Fuck what she wants.
I am in charge here. Fuck do I care what this Giftless girl wants?
I don’t.
Her lips meet his, their mouths opening and Silver’s tongue slides—
A loud explosion shakes the foundation we stand on and flames ignite around the space.
I fall to the ground and move through the broken glass and smoke, crawling to where London landed near my feet. I find her ankles through the smoke and shove her down onto the floor as balls of fire fly through the space. Yelling and sounds of a dragon’s screaming pierce my ears as London’s eyes come to mine when I get her to the ground. She coughs, and seconds pass. None of the bullshit going on around us matters. I hear Creed yelling, Legend trying to pull me up from the ground, and Helena’s screams, but I don’t fucking care. Trapped in a trance with the girl below me, I ignore the chaos around us and the heavy scent of magic.
“Am I dead?” she whispers, snapping me out of my daze.
“Come on.” I pull her up by her arm while keeping us low. The smoke is thick enough for us to cut ninety-five percent of our vision, but I click my fingers in a circle and a portal materializes. Without thinking twice, I step through with her before closing it instantly. The same happens again, only now she knows what to expect. Her little arms and legs wrap around my body. Almost like she trusts me. But she fucking shouldn’t. The white light pops up, and this time, I grip her tightly around her back, holding her up with one hand and landing on my feet in her room. As soon as I’ve shut the portal, the chaos of whatever has erupted on our side is gone and the peace of mundane humanity takes its place. London’s body is limp in my hands, but I can feel her organ that beats within her pulsing against my chest.
My own heart squeezes in my chest as I slowly lower her down onto her bed, pulling her covers back. She looks like shit, pale and freckled with soot. I drag the sheets up and cover her body, calling on Hydro to clean her and her clothes from the night before. She’ll wake up and think it was all a dream. That’s what I wanted, right?
I step backward, watching as the blanket rises and falls as she takes every breath. The back of my legs hit a dresser and I turn, my eyes coming to a small jewelry box. The symbol engraved on the top catches me off guard. A triangle and a single line running vertically through it. What? Where have I seen this? Who—I flip it open, holding my breath. Nothing. It’s empty.
Turning back around, I lower myself onto the chair pushed into the corner of the room, hidden in the shadows. I know I should leave, that my brothers could be hurt. Everyone could be hurt. But I can’t move. Frozen in place, I can’t move past this.
Her.
In this moment, nothing and no one else fucking matters.
Thirteen
London
I can’t breathe. My hands fly to my throat. I need to tear it open, puncture it. I try to suck in another deep breath, but the air is thick. My eyes pop open and I’m back on that same bridge, staring up at the dark night sky. This time feels different. This time I’m sure I’m going to die.
My eyes flutter closed, finally at peace. I’m ready to go… just take me… the hooded man can take me. I’ll even wait for him right here, on my back, at his mercy. I squeeze my eyes closed, praying to the gods. Praying to whom? What gods? Frustrated, I open my eyes again, and this time snow falls from the sky, a flake touching the tip of my nose.
I push myself up from the ground, ignoring the gravel that punctures my palms. “What?”
Laughter cackles out from behind me, and I quickly spin around to find it, only being met with nothing but the thick green bush hidden behind the snowy paddock. Curls are twisted in the snow, so I force myself back up to shaky feet, ignoring the way the cold weather leaves a dusting of frost down my spine.
There, staring back at me, are a triangle and line, scribbled through the snow. I knew that—did I? I think…
Dark smoke puffs from the trees, and a loud scream tears from my throat as the hooded figure flies straight to me, his arms wide like a bat.
I shoot up from my bed, sweat rolling off my temples as I finally suck down oxygen I so desperately needed moments ago. “Jesus fucking Christ.” I reach for the bedside drawer, finding my phone on the charger . Well, at least through my drunken stupor, I managed to do that . It’s ten a.m. I never sleep past six, and if I was as wasted as I’m almost certain I was last night, why do I not feel hungover?
I open the first text from Ben.
Ben: I left to get breakfast without you since you didn’t wake. Tell me… how’d the dick down with Knight go?
I groan, falling back down. I remember everything from last night—up until we were leaving for the party. Wait. No.
I shoot up from my bed again. Yes. I try to search my memories. I remember the party and the fun, cosplay Fae shit…coke maybe, and Molly…and whatever else I took. I was popping and drinking and inhaling shit left and right, anything to wash away the boredom of day-to-day and offer me something new.
Massaging my temples, I start to pray. “God. I promise I will never drink again if you just tell me all the stupid things I did last night.” Kicking off my bed sheets, I quickly use the restroom, grab my shower caddy, and I hit dial on Ben’s contact.
“You did good, princess.” He answers on the first ring.
“Shut up.” I drag my feet, refusing to look at anyone as I make my way to the showers. “What happened with you last night? What was her name?”
“Cassandra, and I’m just fine, thank you.”
“Just fine as in you got your dick wet, or just fine you got your dick wet and got her number?”
“Option one. I’m not in need of a number at the moment.”
“Atta boy.” I chuckle, pushing into the girls’ shower, my shoulders falling in relief when the only other person inside is packing up as I’m setting my things down. “So you never did say what happened with you and the Barbie girl you went there to meet that led you to this Cassandra…or did you, and I was just too fucked up to remember?” I strip out of…what the hell am I wearing? I wedge the phone between my ear and my shoulder, pulling on the bottom of the black T-shirt to get a better view.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, confused by the foreign design on the front.
“I said she went for a drink and I lost her.”
Oh, right, Ben was talking. “Lost and then found Cassandra?”