Page 38 of Blood Oath
Finally, I rip the curtain down and glower at the nothingness left behind. No one lays in wait with a knife intended for my back. Still, I scan the rest of the room, pushing my fingers through my hair and trying to steady my rapid breathing.
It’s getting worse. The end of next semester, when my quintet will be bound together to break our curses…it won’t come fast enough. I wonder which is worse, losing your sanity without knowing or being fully aware as you slip away piece by piece, as I am now.
The sound of dripping draws my attention to my hand, and I finally loosen my hold on the crystal so it stops drawing my blood. After a shuddering breath, I make a split decision and tuck the crystal back into my pocket before leaving my dorm room.
It’s late. Past midnight. The “student curfew” at Everbound is eleven o’clock, but not a soul here pays attention to it, not even the instructors. Still, the dim hall I walk is empty as I eye my surroundings, hands still trembling in my pockets.
It’s just a shadow, Si, my mother’s voice echoes, but this time, it’s a memory, not a voice in my head. That’s what they’ll tell you. They think it’s silly to be afraid of the dark. But you and I both know that darkness is danger. After all, it’s easier to kill when they don’t see it coming.
My father’s voice is firm. That’s why we never turn out the lights in this house. We don’t want to find out what our curse will drive us to do to each other in the dark.
“There you are,” Everett’s voice cuts in, startling me.
I don’t realize I’ve moved until he inhales sharply. I have him pinned to the wall by the neck, my bloodied crystal poised above his carotid artery, pressing into his skin enough that he doesn’t even dare to swallow. Or rather, he can’t because I’ve cut off his oxygen. To his credit, he doesn’t overreact or struggle.
When Baelfire speaks, I realize he’s standing just beside us. “Silas. Relax.”
They just turned the corner and took me by surprise. Odd that they were looking for me together since they’ve been on terrible terms for years.
Not odd. They’re both waiting for the right moment to rip your heart out.
Everett makes a slight sound in his throat when my unsteady grip finally causes the crystal to prick his neck. When it does, frost blooms across his skin, traveling to coat my hand and seal his injury before it even has the chance to bleed. A small flurry starts in the hallway, a subtle warning that he’s not as calm as he’s acting.
“I don’t think Maven wants you choking the life out of her so-called favorite. Even if I do understand the sentiment behind it,” Bael grumbles.
Maven.
Right. I was coming to find her.
Gradually regaining control, I drop Everett and step back, warming my frozen hand in my pocket as Baelfire raises a brow.
“Judge all you like. Your curse comes with a balm to bear it easier. Mine has no such thing.”
Everett inhales several gulps of air and brushes himself off, shooting me a nasty look. “Dick.”
“You know better than to take me by surprise.”
Bael grunts in agreement but gestures at me. “We were going to finalize our wagers, but you look like shit. Maybe you need to take a beat.”
He shouldn’t say things like that out here in the open. Someone might overhear that I’m vulnerable. Instead of pointing that out, I lead them to a hallway that branches off the nearby library. I know voices don’t carry here, and this hall is often forgotten. Pricking my finger to lay a cloaking spell, I turn to face the two of them.
But I don’t let go of the crystal. If ever they were looking for a time to get me alone and finish me off, this would be it. They know I’m off balance right now, but that doesn’t make me less dangerous in a fight. Quite the opposite.
“I’m joining the wager,” Everett finally says.
Baelfire rolls his eyes. “No shit. I figured you would since my mate has taken an inexplicable liking to you. What’d you even say to her earlier, at lunch?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Anyway, it seems she’s already picked me first.”
I shake my head. “Not officially. This competition needs a clearer finishing line.”
“Fine. We’ll say whoever fucks her first wins.”
Baelfire’s snarl is fierce. “I swear on all six gods, if you try to pressure Maven into sleeping with you, I’m going to fucking?—“
“Ever the hypocrite,” I interrupt. “You’ve been panting after her like a bitch in heat. If anyone is going to push her limits before she’s ready, it will be you. And if that happens, you’ll be answering to me.”
Bael’s eyes connect with mine, and the feral edge of violence in them makes it clear he’s just as ready for a fight as I am right now. Perhaps he needs to go hunting again.
