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Another kick had Drake skidding across the floor, slamming into the far wall hard enough to crack the stone. He groaned and spat blood onto the ground.
“Also,” I snickered, stepping forward, “you want to know what’s so funny? I honestly believed it was another fucking illusion. How stupid is that?”
I picked him up by the front of his shirt. One punch and his cheek split open. “Imagine how I felt when that blood deal broke.”
Another punch.
“The searing pain as I watched her fall to the floor.”
Another punch
“And my stupid self, realizing that the one person I thought was my friend had betrayed me.”
Blood dribbled from the corner of Drake’s split lip as it slowly healed, but the cut on his cheek tried and failed to seal.
“We didn’t know he was going to kill Gabby,” Drake said, his voice choked and filled with pain as he tried to right himself in my grip. “We were only told to bring her to him. That’s it. I swear.”
“You don’t get to say her name. You don’t ever get to say her name.” I hissed the words from between gritted teeth and kneed him in the gut. He crumpled forward, not even fighting back, not like before. “Can you believe I risked everything to hide your family from him while you sold out mine?”
“I’m sorry. I really am, Dianna.” Drake winced.
“Yeah?” I wrenched his head back, forcing him to look at me. “I’m sorry too. Sorry I ever trusted you, believed you, helped you. I’m sorry I ever followed you in that damn desert. I am sorry for my gullibility in thinking you were an angel sent to save us. Most of all, I’m sorry I ever thought I had a real friend.”
My voice slipped, emotion nearly overcoming me. My eyes burned, and my vision blurred, tears threatening to spill over. It was the same every time I talked to Samkiel. I closed my eyes, imagining another lock on a chain on a door in a faraway house. I swallowed and opened my eyes to glare at Drake, shoving those emotions away. Relief flooded me when the new lock formed and snapped closed, leaving only cold hard hate.
“You betrayed me in the worst way imaginable. I hope when I reduce you to ash, you don’t get to see your family in the afterlife, the same way I will never see her again.”
Drake only nodded, defeat settling over him. “Do it.”
I gripped the back of his head, pulling until his neck was exposed. He didn’t fight, didn’t move. My gaze danced across his throat. “I will, but first, I want to see how it happened.”
The muscles in his neck flexed, the vein below his jaw pounding. I lowered my mouth to the rapid pulse. My fangs slowly extended, piercing his flesh. Blood poured into my mouth, sending me away from this room.
I stood at the large framed window of the mansion, watching Samkiel and Dianna walk further into the garden. Dinner was less of a disaster than I’d thought it would be. Which was great, considering Ethan hadn’t exactly played nice like we’d agreed he would.
Ethan sighed behind me. “You really think what Camilla saw is true?”
“Camilla’s ancestors go too far back for us to even date. If some magical force suddenly gives her visions, then yes, I do.”
I snorted. “Some magical force? You sound like Father. What, do you think fate is intervening?”
Ethan took another long draw from his cigar. “I don’t believe in fate.”
“Why antagonize him so much?” I turned away from the window as they disappeared into the garden.
“Says the antagonizer.” Ethan took a pull from his cigar, the orange ember flaring at the end.
“I thought the dress was a good idea. I just wanted to see if he looks at her like Kaden does?”
“And how is that?”
“Like a prize to be won, a slab of meat.”
Ethan exhaled a stream of smoke before tapping his cigar on the ashtray in front of him. “And how does the World Ender look at her, Brother?”
“Like I looked at Seraphine all those years ago, and how you look at Naomi.” Ethan met my stare. “As if the world doesn’t exist without her.”
Ethan’s eyes darted from mine. “I hope for the sake of the world you are right.”
