Page 5 of Speak No Evil
What’s wrong with her? Why is she breathing like that?
Thorne already tried stunning her back to her senses, but his slap had no effect.
“Ryker,dosomething,” I order, and he grabs her by the throat.
I growl at him, face twisting in disgust at the inopportune violence. “What are you—”
I catch Jade’s enraptured gaze, staring into Ryker’s eyes.
She never looks at me that way.
I suppose I don’t give her much reason to, but seeingmywitch so enamored with Ryker...
It stokes the flames of my lesser self.
The part of me who wants to lock Jade away, protected and safe. Away from other men’s eyes, from other demon’s tails.
Even my own brothers. Brothers who’ve fought by my side for eons. Who’d lay down their lives for me. Brothers who are only drawn to her because she’smymate and the three of us linked so many ages ago.
And the cycle of hating that she cares for them and guilt for feeling that way continues unending.
She’s mine.
But also ours.
I try not to let myself indulge in that particular circle of thoughts.
Ryker pulls her close, and I look away.
Like the coward I am, I don’t dare look at her face over his shoulder. The panic I can’t assuage. The sickly pallor I can’t mend.
This witch is my weakness, and I am helpless against her.
Jade finally draws in a full breath.
It’s a glorious sound.
And my knees give out from beneath me.
A cavalcade of laureates couldn’t describe how lovely a thing that wheezing gasp is to me. Or explain properly how that sound is the only thing in this entire realm that makes my heart slow and my fingers finally uncurl from my palms.
The only other sound that reaches me is the blood from my palms dripping off my fingers and slapping softly on the tile.
Her.
Always her.
Even if she had been a spy for another demon horde, it will always be Jade.
I’m about to ask if she’s OK when she asserts her innocence once more. “I didn’t do this. But I’m going to find out who did.”
And again, I’m struck with how utterly unworthy I am of her. I couldn’t bear to look at her while she suffered, and yet she’s standing here full of righteous indignation, that clockwork mind of hers ready to dazzle us with an absurd but logical plan of action.
She meets my gaze briefly, winces, and her eyes flutter closed.
Jade does what I saw her do at the morgue, connecting to an arcane sight she’s afforded with the help of my power. This time, it doesn’t take her nearly as long to wrangle the ability, and in moments, her eyes fly open.
“I’m sorry.”