nodded with Khalil’s words. Some took aggressive stances toward him. No one seemed that opposed to Djembe and Elder Yun. If this devolved into a brawl, Justin had the sinking feeling he’d be on the losing side.
To make matters worse, Justin noticed Avery’s hands shaking. The detective needed to get out of here before he flew apart. Taking a deep breath, Justin relaxed. He still wanted to rip Djembe’s head off, but he could contain that so long as no one provoked him.
“I suppose.” Elder Yun waved in dismissal. “But I’ll be watching you. All three of you.”
“I need some fresh air,” Justin grumbled. He yanked his arms away from the two men restraining him and shoved his way through the crowd. Avery followed. At the bottom of the stairs, he noticed Khalil chasing after them. “The show’s over,” he snapped.
“May I speak to you both in private?” Khalil asked.
“I have to get out of here now,” Avery spat.
With a sigh, Khalil held up his hands in surrender. “You hear the dissonance, don’t you?”
Justin whirled and grabbed a fistful of Khalil’s shirt. He couldn’t explain why he still wanted to beat someone. “What do you know about that?”
Khalil flicked his gaze at the open archway. “This isn’t a subject for the stairwell. We should talk. All three of us.”
“Fine. My room is closer than Avery’s.” Justin restrained himself from shoving Khalil as he released the man and ran up the steps. Khalil deserved none of this wrath. This urge to do violence bothered Justin a great deal. The Phasm’s influence had inspired this kind of thing in him. When Claire killed it, he thought he’d gone back to normal, but maybe it opened some kind of horrific door inside him that he couldn’t shut.
Inside his room, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Khalil watched Avery punch the wall again and return to frantic pacing.
“You were both tainted. Him for longer?” Khalil nodded toward Avery.
“Yes. What’s happening to us?”
“I don’t have an explanation.” Khalil rubbed his temples. “About a year ago, my mentor’s Phasm tainted me for a few weeks. I was lucky. A witch interfered and saved me. Since then, I’ve had this problem.”
“Great,” Avery snapped. “It doesn’t go away.”
“It does eventually,” Khalil said. “Five past Knights preserved their accounts of being tainted in the library. After reading all five, I’ve come to the conclusion it takes staying at the Palace nonstop for a long time to get over this. That’s why I spend so much time here. To soothe it away. At this point, though, I’m nearly ready to give up. My new wife wants to spend more time with me now that we have a child on the way, and I’m having a hard time justifying a need to return here frequently.”
Justin rubbed his face and tried to think. His anger still simmered, waiting for an excuse to boil over. When it came to Claire, Djembe knew how to rile him up. He couldn’t remember doing anything to Djembe, so he had no idea why the other man insisted upon prodding him. If Claire was the entirety of their dispute, he had no idea how to deal with it, other than advising that she stay away from the Palace. Somehow, he suspected she’d reach that conclusion on her own.
“Being tainted does leave a permanent mark,” Justin said with a sigh. “It’s just not one anybody else can see.”
Khalil nodded. “I’ve kept this to myself. It’s hard enough talking about it with my wife, and she was the witch. When I imagine some of our colleagues’ reactions… I’m not ready to handle public shaming for something out of my control. Even if it would help other Knights come forward.”
Picturing Djembe’ s reaction made Justin nod. He rubbed his face again, still working to keep himself under control. “I need to get out of here, but I want to be there for Claire when she gets out of that stupid Ordeal.”
“I remember what it was like when I first returned. Go.
To make matters worse, Justin noticed Avery’s hands shaking. The detective needed to get out of here before he flew apart. Taking a deep breath, Justin relaxed. He still wanted to rip Djembe’s head off, but he could contain that so long as no one provoked him.
“I suppose.” Elder Yun waved in dismissal. “But I’ll be watching you. All three of you.”
“I need some fresh air,” Justin grumbled. He yanked his arms away from the two men restraining him and shoved his way through the crowd. Avery followed. At the bottom of the stairs, he noticed Khalil chasing after them. “The show’s over,” he snapped.
“May I speak to you both in private?” Khalil asked.
“I have to get out of here now,” Avery spat.
With a sigh, Khalil held up his hands in surrender. “You hear the dissonance, don’t you?”
Justin whirled and grabbed a fistful of Khalil’s shirt. He couldn’t explain why he still wanted to beat someone. “What do you know about that?”
Khalil flicked his gaze at the open archway. “This isn’t a subject for the stairwell. We should talk. All three of us.”
“Fine. My room is closer than Avery’s.” Justin restrained himself from shoving Khalil as he released the man and ran up the steps. Khalil deserved none of this wrath. This urge to do violence bothered Justin a great deal. The Phasm’s influence had inspired this kind of thing in him. When Claire killed it, he thought he’d gone back to normal, but maybe it opened some kind of horrific door inside him that he couldn’t shut.
Inside his room, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Khalil watched Avery punch the wall again and return to frantic pacing.
“You were both tainted. Him for longer?” Khalil nodded toward Avery.
“Yes. What’s happening to us?”
“I don’t have an explanation.” Khalil rubbed his temples. “About a year ago, my mentor’s Phasm tainted me for a few weeks. I was lucky. A witch interfered and saved me. Since then, I’ve had this problem.”
“Great,” Avery snapped. “It doesn’t go away.”
“It does eventually,” Khalil said. “Five past Knights preserved their accounts of being tainted in the library. After reading all five, I’ve come to the conclusion it takes staying at the Palace nonstop for a long time to get over this. That’s why I spend so much time here. To soothe it away. At this point, though, I’m nearly ready to give up. My new wife wants to spend more time with me now that we have a child on the way, and I’m having a hard time justifying a need to return here frequently.”
Justin rubbed his face and tried to think. His anger still simmered, waiting for an excuse to boil over. When it came to Claire, Djembe knew how to rile him up. He couldn’t remember doing anything to Djembe, so he had no idea why the other man insisted upon prodding him. If Claire was the entirety of their dispute, he had no idea how to deal with it, other than advising that she stay away from the Palace. Somehow, he suspected she’d reach that conclusion on her own.
“Being tainted does leave a permanent mark,” Justin said with a sigh. “It’s just not one anybody else can see.”
Khalil nodded. “I’ve kept this to myself. It’s hard enough talking about it with my wife, and she was the witch. When I imagine some of our colleagues’ reactions… I’m not ready to handle public shaming for something out of my control. Even if it would help other Knights come forward.”
Picturing Djembe’ s reaction made Justin nod. He rubbed his face again, still working to keep himself under control. “I need to get out of here, but I want to be there for Claire when she gets out of that stupid Ordeal.”
“I remember what it was like when I first returned. Go.
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