Page 35 of Blood that Burns
“Perhaps you should lead with your reasoning,” he nearly growls.
“Christ, Julian. I’m not asking out of some perverted need to know your sex life. I’m trying to understand why the hell my own connection with Maggie is suddenly stronger.”
This stops him short. His scowl drops and he looks contemplative. “How is it stronger?”
“Now who’s asking personal questions, brother?” I offer a lazy smirk, which results in yet another one of Julian’s infamous scowls. “It’s just stronger. I don’t know how to explain it other than it’s intense. I feeleverything. Stuff I’ve learned over lifetimes to shut out, I’m struggling to keep at bay. Since she came back, it’s like the floodgates have opened, and I can’t shut them.”
“What does that even mean? Youfeeleverything?” he mocks, and I throw a book at his head.
He ducks, the leather-bound novel sailing past, just narrowly missing his temple.
“Idiot,” he barks, and I laugh at his horrified face.
“Don’t mock me and I won’t assault you.” I shrug.
“Attempted assault. As usual, your aim needs work.” He grins and I can’t help but smile back.
We both know that if I truly wanted to hit his dumb ass, I would’ve. I have excellent aim. I’m a far superior athlete to my broody brother.
“What I mean is that I feelheremotions. I can’t hear her thoughts, but I can sense her when she’s near. If she’s scared, I feel it. If she’s angry, I feel it,” I say through clenched teeth.
“And you suspect that my sharing Marina’s blood has something to do with it?” His eyes narrow in confusion.
I huff in frustration. “I don’t know, Julian. I question if the four of us being together and having shared blood might be the reason. Or maybe it has something to do with this.” I gesture toward the paper, my eyes catching on that phrase I can’t stop thinking about.
Third Triplet Is Alive.
“The legend,” Julian muses. “You think that with every pairing of the three that comes together, we gain more powers.” He grunts. “Now you’re starting to sound like our father.”
I growl, low and threatening. I’ll take a lot of shit from Julian, but comparing me to that piece of shit is something I won’t tolerate. Not even from him.
He may be the Crown, but to me, Julian is simply my brother. Older only by a mere couple of minutes. I will kick his ass if he has it coming to him.
“Calm down, Law. I think you might be on to something.”
He grabs the small paper and slides into the chair next to me.
“So... you and Maggie have shared blood?” He’s smirking. The son of a bitch thinks this is hysterical.
“Blood. Yes.”
Julian’s brow quirks and I groan.
“That’s it, Jude. Blood and only blood. She’s a fucking child.”
He snorts. “She’s far from a child, Law. She’sallwoman.”
He’s goading me. He wants me to react. To show my hand and admit that my feelings for Maggie are more than a need to protect her because of our connection. Well, I won’t let him win.
“You saw her back at Marc’s. She’s a child.”
He shrugs. “She might be dressed like a child, but you and I both know she isn’t one.”
“Tell yourself whatever you need to justify your shacking up with Marina. All I see is pigtails and yellow frilly dresses. K-I-D.”
“Dick,” he murmurs under his breath, but doesn’t say anything else.
In all fairness, Marina has always appeared more mature. Maggie played the part of unraveling twin better than any Oscar nominee. Right down to the frilly dresses and childlike demeanor. If doctors were focused on her delusions, they weren’t watching Marina as closely.