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“Juniper.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
Her chin trembled as her eyes flooded with unshed tears. She breathed in and slowly exhaled.
“Good. Now tell me—calmly—why you would consider going back there to do this.” She held up a finger before Dane could interrupt. “And we’ll hear you out.”
“As long as Jonas is sick, they’ll hold me accountable.”
“The only reason they would come after you now,” Dane snapped, “is if you provoke them. Do not hurt Jonas.”
“It could be painless.”
“Not for you.”
“Enough!” Adriel snapped. “I will not tolerate this bickering. You’ve been arguing since we got back. I don’t understand this animosity between you. There is no need for the two of you to go to war when real danger is afoot.”
“Give me your word that you won’t hurt Jonas,” Dane demanded.
Juniper held his stare, her grief palpable.
“That’s it for now.” Adriel pulled her into a protective hug. The poor girl shook like a leaf. “Dane, clean up those papers. I need to speak to Juniper alone.”
He scoffed. “Clean them up yourself.”
The back door slammed as he stormed out of the kitchen. That was fine. They needed a minute of privacy.
Adriel poured two cups of tea and straightened up the papers as it steeped. Once she hadthe room tidied, she waved her to the table so they could both sit.
“You know, Juniper, Dane’s been through a lot, too.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “They accepted him. They gave him a home and freedom. That’s nothing like how they treated me.”
“Is that it then?”
“No.” She blew out a breath. “I’m not trying to diminish his suffering, but how could he not understand what happened to me? If not for Jonas, my aunts would still be alive and I wouldn’t be here.”
Adriel squeezed her hand. “But this is where we are. And no amount of revenge can undo what’s been done. Tragedy does not excuse us to treat others cruelly. The moment you give in to your anger, a bottomless sorrow opens inside you. Some days, that sorrow is enough to swallow you whole. We cannot lose ourselves in such a way. If we do, they win.”
An aura formed around the kitchen table. Adriel looked at Juniper in confusion.
“For protection,” Juniper explained. “You’re thinking about him.”
“Thank you. That’s wise.”
She sighed. “I wish I could get over this anger. It eats away at me. I just want to get it out and get my life back.”
“Justice is a natural desire. But the moment we forgo decency, we become no better than themonsters. Ending a life does not necessarily end the pain.”
“But there has to be some level of satisfaction, some sense of restored order.”
“Retaliation can go on forever when you’re dealing with immortals.”
“Nothing is completely immortal.”
Adriel sighed. “I suppose that’s true enough.”
