All the times they’d disappeared played in my mind like a movie. They always came back covered in blood and trembling with rage.
Each time I’d woken up from one of my nightmares, I’d found them missing.
Malum had said something in the enchanted truth journals about killing people for me. He’d been serious.
The hearth blazed, and my face was feverish.
I was uncomfortably hot.
“We hated leaving you,” Orion whispered as he stared down at me with wide, pleading eyes. “But we didn’t want to distract you with your past, during the war.”
I grimaced.
Luka continued to play lazily with my hair, and John yawned as he rested his head on my shoulder.
Malum rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “We really thought you would be excited to see them dead. We just wanted to show you the project that we’d been working on for months.”
“The project was—murdering people?” I asked, not believing what I was hearing.
Scorpius smirked. “No, the project was—murdering people who hurt you. There’s an important distinction.”
I grimaced. “Is there really?”
“Yes,” Malum snapped. “Now obviously this is not the surprise you wanted.” His expression fell. “We can figure out something else to show you—”
“I didn’t say that,” I interrupted him.
Hope flared across his face.
I chose my words carefully. “I don’t want to see any more dead bodies for a long time. However, I also kept a mental list of their names and faces and planned on hunting them down eventually—so technically, you saved me a lot of time and effort.”
Scorpius beamed and threw himself onto the leather couch behind me. “I told you both. I knew she’d love it.” Malum and Orion sat down with more grace.
The kings looked relieved.
“Love is a strong word,” I said dryly. “In the future, try clothes first. I also like expensive champagne. And diamonds.”
“Anything you want,” Malum said quickly.
It was hard to stay mad at him when he sounded so earnest and eager to please.
I yawned as I leaned back against Luka. “What was the other surprise you wanted to show me? If it’s also going to be traumatizing, do it quickly. I want to take a nap.”
The twins stiffened and sat up straight.
My stomach plummeted.
“Oh sun god, it’s also traumatizing isn’t it?” I whispered. The twins’ silence answered the question.
I picked up my pipe and inhaled.
Longing for Horse pierced me sharply. One day, you were a child with hopes and dreams, and the next day, you were a woman who needed her emotional support bird.
Life comes at you fast.
“It’s not bad,” John said nervously as he and Luka stood up in front of me.
I was not convinced. “If it’s not bad, then why are you so nervous?” I asked him suspiciously.
“It’s good.” John paused. “But it might be a little shocking, so just promise me you won’t freak out.”
I pointed my pipe at him. “Too late. I’m already freaking out.”
“It is a great thing,” Luka said stoically, a fierce expression on his face. Since he was the same man who usually ignored everyone, I wasn’t sure I trusted his judgment.
“I just want to be clear,” I said slowly, “if you’re going to produce a carcass. Don’t.”
“It’s not a dead body,” John said with exasperation.
Scorpius muttered behind me on the couch, “It was a forest of dead bodies.”
“Not helping,” I said, and the room went silent.
“So—” John chewed on his lower lip “—you know how your back hurts every time you get turned on?”
“No,” I said dryly. “I forgot.”
John glared. “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this presentation, and you’re making it very difficult right now.”
“Oh darn,” I said sarcastically.
John swallowed audibly. “Like I was saying.” He paused and squinted like he was trying to remember memorized lines.
My eyes grew heavy.
“Oh my sun god,” Malum groaned. “Just spit it out.”
“Right. Because your method really worked well?” John snapped back. “Let me do my thing. I have performance anxiety, and you’re not helping.”
“Why is this a performance?” I asked with confusion.
I felt delirious.
I’d started the day in a war camp. Now John was struggling to put on some type of theatrical performance.