“Understand? Understand that you let us burn your things?”
“I’ve already had this fight with him,” I assure her.
“Let us watch our mother become a shadow of herself?” she continues over me. “Let us watch our father’s heart give out because your death broke him?” Mira pushes off the wall, and I hold up my hand, palm outward, like I have even a prayer of stopping her if she decides to hit him again.
“Maybe I didn’t go quite that far.” Not that she isn’t speaking the truth, but damn, that’s harsh.
“Our father would understand what I’ve been doing.” Brennan’s voice turns nasal as he moves the blood dam.
“Would you please switch cloths?” I ask, water dripping from my fist to the stone floor.
“And as for our mother.” Brennan stands. “I hope my death haunts her every damned day. She was so willing to sacrifice my life for a lie.”
“That’s not fair!” Mira snaps. “I may not agree with what she did, but I understand how she thought it was best to keep us safe.”
“Us safe?” Brennan’s eyes narrow. “You weren’t killed!”
They’re screaming at each other like I’m not even here. Yep, definitely morphed back into the little silent sister.
“Neither were you!” she yells. “You hid up here like a coward instead of coming home when we needed you!” She gestures at me. “You chose complete strangers over your sisters!”
“I chose the good of the Continent!”
“Oh for fuck’s sake! Stop it!” I shout, silencing them both. “Mira, he was a brand-new lieutenant, and what’s done is done.” Pivoting toward Brennan, I shove the ice into his hand. “Brennan, put the fucking ice on your face before you stain the floors, you stubborn ass!”
Brennan slowly lifts the ice to his nose, looking at me like he’s never seen me before.
“And to think, I used to wish I had siblings,” Xaden says from the doorway, leaned against the doorframe casually, like he’s been watching us for a hot minute.
All the fight within me transforms to pure relief, and I walk straight to him, careful not to slip on the blood Brennan has left splattered all over the place. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Xaden replies, wrapping his arm around my waist and tugging me against him.
My pulse skips like a rock thrown across a glassy pond as I soak in every detail of him. No new cuts or bruises on his face, but who knows what’s under his riding leathers. “You’re all right?”
“I am now.” His voice softens to that tone he only ever uses with me, weakening my knees as he lowers his mouth to mine, giving me all the time in the world to protest.
I don’t.
He kisses me slowly, gently, and I lean up on my toes to get closer, cupping his stubbled cheeks between my palms.
This right here makes everything worth it. The world could disintegrate around us and I’m not sure I’d notice—or care—as long as I have him in my arms.
“Seriously?” Brennan remarks. “Right in front of me?”
“Oh, this is tame for them,” Mira replies. “Wait until they decide to basically climb each other in a public place. You can’t burn that shit out of your head, trust me.”
I smile into Xaden’s kiss, and he deepens the pressure but keeps his tongue firmly behind his teeth—much to my chagrin. He pulls back reluctantly, but there’s more than enough promise in his eyes to make my blood heat.
“So what are the Sorrengail siblings going to do now that you’re all reunited?” Xaden asks, lifting his head to look at my family.
“We’re going to beat the shit out of our brother,” Mira answers with a smile.
“Survive,” Brennan chimes in.
I let my hands fall from Xaden’s face, then glance at my brother and sister.
Everything I really, truly love—everyone I can’t live without—is here, and for the first time in my life, I can protect them. “I need the blood of the six most powerful riders.”
Brennan’s brows fly upward, and Mira’s nose wrinkles like she’s just swallowed sour milk.
“Ever? Or living now?” Xaden asks without batting an eye.
“Why?” Brennan asks, water dripping from his fist.
“In residence, I think,” I reply to Xaden, then turn to face my siblings and take a steadying breath. “I know how to raise the wards.”
Nine of us—the Assembly, Bodhi, and myself—walk out the back door of Riorson House five hours later and start up a path cut into the ridgeline above, climbing the trail in pairs.
“You’re certain about this?” Ulices asks my brother as they walk in front of Xaden and me.
“My sister’s certain, and that’s good enough for me,” Brennan replies.
