its finest.”
“Oh, I have no doubts about his alchemical talents,” she said.
I sighed. Why did Ian seem to collect so much ill will?
“Let me show you upstairs. James can join us when he’s decent.”
I led her up the stairs to my newly renovated apartment. Having a steady income made life a lot easier. Though it wasn’t the money so much as lack of interest that caused me to take so long to fix the place up. I would probably still be sleeping on a cot with a cardboard box for a nightstand if Era hadn’t gotten involved. Now, I had a guest room with a bed and everything.
“Make yourself at home,” I told Elysia after showing her the room. “And you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you.” She stopped a few feet into the room and looked around. “I’m not sure how long that will be.” She kept her back to me, running one finger along the edge of the dresser.
“At least until we stop Gavin,” I said.
“That’s part of it.” She pushed her thick blonde hair from her face. The girl had some seriously beautiful hair, but then, so did Ian. She glanced over as James stepped through the doorway. Stunted or not, she clearly sensed him.
He dropped the green backpack on the bed, then leaned against the footboard, watching us.
Elysia turned back to me. “I’m at a bit of a crossroads. I told my grandmother that I would return home and embrace my destiny.”
“Your destiny?” That sounded like a line from a fantasy novel.
“I told her I would fight for the Family, stand up to the Deacon.”
“Xander?” I smiled, an idea surfacing. This could be the break I needed.
“Addie, what are you planning?” James asked, his tone suspicious.
“What makes you think I’m planning something?”
“You’re breathing.”
I arched a brow and turned to the hall. “I need to get busy on Colby’s potion. You’re welcome to anything in the fridge, but you’ll probably want to order a pizza.”
“Thank you,” Elysia called after me.
I waved a hand and left them there, walking downstairs to the lab. Ian still wasn’t in attendance, so I began to gather the equipment.
“Seriously, what are you planning?” James said from directly behind me.
I jumped, as always, and whirled to face him. “I swear, between you and Ian always…appearing out of nowhere, I’m going to die of a heart attack.” I pressed a hand to my chest.
James lifted his dark brows.
“I was thinking that if Elysia is going to confront the Deacon, then our goals might align. There might an opportunity.”
James sighed. “That’s what I figured.”
“Then why ask?”
He frowned. “Maybe I’ll go soul rip the bastard and be done with it.”
“What I need is what he knows, so that wouldn’t be helpful.”
He crossed his arms, but he looked more frustrated than angry.
“Besides, you’re not an assassin.” I glanced toward the stairs. Elysia hadn’t followed him down. “So, talk to me. Are you as happy with this arrangement as you appear?”
“This arrangement?”
“Being bound to Elysia.”
“She’s a good person, and she was willing to stunt herself to try to free me.”
“I got that, but the two of you seem…close.” I twitched an eyebrow. “Era said she caught you and her in bed together.”
He frowned. “I was unconscious. Neil took a lot of blood when he resurrected Gavin.”
After he forced James to kill his own brother. I reached out and gripped James’s forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
He uncrossed his arms and took my hand in both of his. “I’m okay.”
“Brian was your brother.”
“Maybe it says something about me, but I feel no remorse.”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
“He wasn’t a good person, none of my brothers are, but I did discover that Gavin was right. I felt Brian’s death. And I felt the power redistribute. I suspect George and Henry felt it, too.”
“And if they die?”
“I cease to be.”
I stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. His
“Oh, I have no doubts about his alchemical talents,” she said.
I sighed. Why did Ian seem to collect so much ill will?
“Let me show you upstairs. James can join us when he’s decent.”
I led her up the stairs to my newly renovated apartment. Having a steady income made life a lot easier. Though it wasn’t the money so much as lack of interest that caused me to take so long to fix the place up. I would probably still be sleeping on a cot with a cardboard box for a nightstand if Era hadn’t gotten involved. Now, I had a guest room with a bed and everything.
“Make yourself at home,” I told Elysia after showing her the room. “And you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you.” She stopped a few feet into the room and looked around. “I’m not sure how long that will be.” She kept her back to me, running one finger along the edge of the dresser.
“At least until we stop Gavin,” I said.
“That’s part of it.” She pushed her thick blonde hair from her face. The girl had some seriously beautiful hair, but then, so did Ian. She glanced over as James stepped through the doorway. Stunted or not, she clearly sensed him.
He dropped the green backpack on the bed, then leaned against the footboard, watching us.
Elysia turned back to me. “I’m at a bit of a crossroads. I told my grandmother that I would return home and embrace my destiny.”
“Your destiny?” That sounded like a line from a fantasy novel.
“I told her I would fight for the Family, stand up to the Deacon.”
“Xander?” I smiled, an idea surfacing. This could be the break I needed.
“Addie, what are you planning?” James asked, his tone suspicious.
“What makes you think I’m planning something?”
“You’re breathing.”
I arched a brow and turned to the hall. “I need to get busy on Colby’s potion. You’re welcome to anything in the fridge, but you’ll probably want to order a pizza.”
“Thank you,” Elysia called after me.
I waved a hand and left them there, walking downstairs to the lab. Ian still wasn’t in attendance, so I began to gather the equipment.
“Seriously, what are you planning?” James said from directly behind me.
I jumped, as always, and whirled to face him. “I swear, between you and Ian always…appearing out of nowhere, I’m going to die of a heart attack.” I pressed a hand to my chest.
James lifted his dark brows.
“I was thinking that if Elysia is going to confront the Deacon, then our goals might align. There might an opportunity.”
James sighed. “That’s what I figured.”
“Then why ask?”
He frowned. “Maybe I’ll go soul rip the bastard and be done with it.”
“What I need is what he knows, so that wouldn’t be helpful.”
He crossed his arms, but he looked more frustrated than angry.
“Besides, you’re not an assassin.” I glanced toward the stairs. Elysia hadn’t followed him down. “So, talk to me. Are you as happy with this arrangement as you appear?”
“This arrangement?”
“Being bound to Elysia.”
“She’s a good person, and she was willing to stunt herself to try to free me.”
“I got that, but the two of you seem…close.” I twitched an eyebrow. “Era said she caught you and her in bed together.”
He frowned. “I was unconscious. Neil took a lot of blood when he resurrected Gavin.”
After he forced James to kill his own brother. I reached out and gripped James’s forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
He uncrossed his arms and took my hand in both of his. “I’m okay.”
“Brian was your brother.”
“Maybe it says something about me, but I feel no remorse.”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
“He wasn’t a good person, none of my brothers are, but I did discover that Gavin was right. I felt Brian’s death. And I felt the power redistribute. I suspect George and Henry felt it, too.”
“And if they die?”
“I cease to be.”
I stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. His
Similar Books
