Page 49 of Clash of Kingdoms
Kingsnake glared at Cobra across the table. “So she can tell you it’s inaccurate.”
“I prefer the first option,” Cobra said.
“It was never an option,” Kingsnake snapped.
“Okay.” If I didn’t intervene, this would go on all night. “We can’t bicker like kids right now. We have matters to discuss.”
“Such as?” Cobra turned to me.
“We need to make detonators to destroy the crystal,” I said. “Either one of you know how to do that?”
“That’s more of Viper’s thing,” Cobra said. “All he thinks about is war because he’s not getting laid.”
“I know the components,” Kingsnake said. “I can figure it out. But the problem is, does this land have what we need?”
“What do you need?” I asked.
“Charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur,” Kingsnake said. “And I’ll need a lot of it, based on your description of the crystal.”
“If we have it back at home, I’m sure we have it here,” I said. “I’ll ask Huntley to dispatch some of his soldiers to find whatever quantity we need.”
Cobra placed his feet on the table, crossing his ankles, getting comfortable. “Excellent.”
“Cobra,” I warned. “We aren’t at home.”
He rolled his eyes before he took his boots off the table.
I felt terrible for asking my brothers for anything when they’d already sacrificed so much, but I didn’t know who else to ask. “Vine seemed to lose his temper when he realized I was a vampire and not one of the Teeth. That means he must regard our kind as an enemy, meaning?—”
“We’re a threat to them,” Cobra said. “Good. He should feel threatened.”
I continued. “Since Father isn’t here…and I’m not sure if he’s coming at all, I need company when I go back down there.”
Kingsnake stared at me. “You don’t need to ask us.”
“We assumed we were coming,” Cobra said.
“You think we’d let you risk your neck with nothing but humans to watch your back?” Kingsnake asked incredulously.
“I know you’re hard for King Rolfe, but he’s still an unremarkable human?—”
“Cobra.”
“Just saying…” He grinned.
“We’re with you on this,” Kingsnake said. “Always.”
My eyes shifted away, and I was unsure what to say. “This isn’t your responsibility. I’m the one who decided to help these people, and it feels wrong to ask you guys to risk your lives…especially when we haven’t been close these last few years.”
Cobra dropped his smirk and turned serious. “It doesn’t matter if we haven’t been close. We’re brothers.”
“Brothers,” Kingsnake repeated. “And you aren’t helping these people. You’re protecting the woman you love. And if you love her, then we love her.”
A wave of shame rushed over me. “I wasn’t very accepting of Larisa…” Not at all. Not remotely. I called her a bitch. It was only when she saved my life that I gave her a chance. “And we all know I don’t care for Clara.”
Neither of them said anything for a while.
The silence made me feel worse.