Page 50 of Phantom Flower

“Yes,” I said simply. “Because now they know. Now they understand. If anyone so much as looks at him wrong, they know exactly who they’re dealing with. And they know what will happen.”

Ilya pushed off the ring and walked closer.

“You think that’s protection?” he asked. “That’s not protection, Dima. That’s painting a target on his back. And on yours. Your father is already paranoid about you getting distracted. This is going to confirm every single fear he has.”

“You’re going too far with this boy,” Alexei said. “You’re not thinking about the consequences. You’re not thinking about what happens when your father finds out. And he will find out. Ivan always finds out.”

“I know he will,” I said with a shrug. “And when he does, I’ll deal with it. But I’m not giving Rei up.”

Alexei shook his head, looking disappointed.

“You’re being fucking stupid,” he said. “How good is his hole that it’s worth all of this?”

My eyes snapped to Alexei.

“Watch your fucking mouth.”

“I’m not trying to piss you off,” he said. “I’m trying to make you see what’s actually happening. You’ve always been reckless, but this is different. You’re forcing his hand. And I don’t think you’ve thought about what happens if he decides you’re no longer fit to take over.”

I looked between the two of them. Alexei was the brother I never asked for but ended up with anyway. Ilya was the crazy angel who was far more sensitive than he let be seen.

They were worried.

And maybe they had a reason to be.

But I did not care.

“I’m not stepping down,” I said. “And I’m not giving him up. So if you’re both done lecturing me like I’m a child, I have somewhere to be.”

Ilya raised an eyebrow.

“Where?”

I smiled.

“To collect flowers for my fairy.”

***

I tried not to think about what Alexei and Ilya had said.

It was true, all of it. I had made sure everyone at school would keep quiet, so I knew Rei’s parents would not find out. But my father was a different situation. Ivan Morozov did not raise me to be sloppy, and he certainly did not raise me to make public declarations about boys I had on their knees in the middle of the woods. He had people watching me constantly. I knew that. I had known that for years. But right now, I did not give a single fuck.

My priority was elsewhere.

During Rei’s panic attack, I had noticed something.

Every few seconds, his hand would fly up to the side of his head. Like he was looking for something that was not there anymore.

The flower.

He kept reaching for it like it was oxygen, like if he could just find it again, he would be able to breathe.

I understood that kind of thing.

Ilya had his knife. The silver one he spun between his fingers. Without it, he started to unravel. I had seen it happen more times than I could count. The second that knife left his person, his entire body language changed.

Rei’s flowers were the same.