Page 121 of Tainted Souls
He hums thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. “Complicated can mean alive.”
“Maybe.” I glance at him, sensing a weight beneath his words. “Do you believe in true love?”
Saul scoffs, a frown etching onto his brows. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
I sigh, running a hand through my tangled hair. “Things just got complicated between me and Max. When he got turned, everything changed so fast. I don’t know what we are anymore. I don’t even know what we could be anymore. Was I selfish to ever start it?”
“Love usually is.” He shrugs. “Doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.”
I pick at a loose thread on the bedcover, unable to meet his eyes. The last thing I would’ve expected was to be vulnerablewith my brother. Talking about my love life with him. The little things you don’t tell just anyone. I suppose near-death experiences have that effect on you.
Saul shifts beside me, as if the topic itself makes him restless. “Look, whatever questions you have about love or human connection, I don’t have the answers. Just know that change has a way of revealing what we are truly made of.”
I simply nod, believing there’s a truth in what he’s saying.
More than I wish to find out.
Saul glances toward the window, where the moon has already begun its descent. “Get some rest, Sister.”
As he rises to leave, I catch his wrist. “Will you be back tomorrow?”
“I’ll try.” With that, he slips out, the door closing with a soft click behind him.
I hear the turn of a key—not quite a prisoner, not quite free.
Something in between, just like everything else in my life.
I go and wash myself to my best abilities with the limited facilities. The water is cold, but it feels heavenly against my skin, rinsing away the grime of confinement. I change into the clean clothes laid out for me, a simple pair of cotton pants and a loose shirt, then curl up on the bed.
As I drift toward sleep, I find myself wondering what tomorrow will bring. More perilous interrogations from Ace? Revelations about the pendant? The beginnings of a plan to confront Cain? Whatever comes, I’ve bought myself time.
And in this game of immortals and ancient grudges, time might be the most valuable currency of all.
Penn City feels a lifetime away now, though it’s been mere weeks since I was there, laughing with Evan over drinks at Lou’s bar, watching his ocean blue hair catch the neon lights as he tosses his head back in laughter. I can almost hear his voice,cutting through the silence with some inappropriate joke that would make even Haden roll his eyes.
He’s probably driving everyone crazy right now, organizing search parties for me, threatening anyone who might know something.
Haden would be the calm in Evan’s storm, making rational plans of action while checking in with his new mysterious lover, Marcus.
I wonder how that’s going. Could Marcus really be the one to have conquered Haden’s heart? If Evan could make me laugh until it hurt, and Haden could hold himself steady for someone else, then maybe I could find a way to keep standing through all this.
A pang of homesickness hits me as I think of Kyla, Beth, Jaxon, and Ivy. The fun times they bring.
My last conscious thought is of Max. I wonder if I’ll ever see him again, or if this tentative alliance with the Ravens will be the final wedge that drives us apart.
CHAPTER 25
WHEN I WAKE,I instinctively reach for weapons that aren’t there, having forgotten where I am for a disorienting moment. Reality comes crashing back as my gaze sweeps the unfamiliar room—my new cage, however comfortable it might be.
A knock at the door startles me fully awake.
I sit up, pulling the blanket around me defensively. “Yes?”
The door opens to reveal Irene, her expression carefully neutral as she enters carrying a tray. She sets it on the desk without looking at me, her movements stiff.
“Breakfast,” she says, already turning to leave.
“Irene,” I call after her, the name catching in my throat. “I’m sorry about Hanae.”
