“I thought you were human,” he spat, hands balling into fists at his side. “You need to leave. Now.”
“We don’t go around broadcasting what the hell we are! Not when there are people that will literally murder babies for not being completely human. Can you fucking blame me for hiding that one small detail?” She knew she was pushing her luck by staying, but she doubted she would be much safer if she left. “What’s to stop you from having me tracked down and butchered the moment I fucking leave?”
It had been a long time since he’d dated anyone who even had family members around to make threats like that, so it was a bit jarring to hear it from her, but he nodded. “Understood. But I have no plans to be another person who has bailed on her and I’m not sure there’s anything she could do to change that.”
The eyes shifted back to a more neutral brown, but anything close to warmth took longer to return. “See to it that you don’t. There’s a thing for the holiday at her daughter’s on the 31rst. We expect you to be there as well.”
He’d heard that one before. “And what makes you think I wouldn’t?” he snapped. “Have you asked yourself why I know so many hunting families yet?”
“Guess I was just figuring you would have hurt me already if you had intended to. I mean, shit, it’s only been how long now?” she shot back, trying to hold on to the anger over the fear. “I didn’t know you knew any! I wouldn’t have been hanging around if I had.”
“I try not to bring it up too often.” He didn’t want to upset her, but he did want her to know that he cared. It was easy to forget that sort of thing if someone didn’t remind you.
“She’s already made it hard and I don’t expect it to get any easier. I’m… as ready as I can be.” He had more patience than most people and he knew that helped.
She let her eyes go for a moment, all emotion draining from her face. He was telling the truth, as far as she could tell, but that didn’t mean a whole lot. If he believed something hard enough, it could come off as truth.
“If you break her further, there is nothing in this world or the next that can save you. If you think Konis can be bad, you haven’t seen what I used to do when I was younger and I am not above going back to old habits.”
“Magic is fucking manipulative and it’s dangerous and it gets people killed. Fuck all of that.” He stepped back, away from her, suddenly aware of just how nervous it made him to have someone supernatural around. It always made him meaner, but that was a reflex response because there was little he could do to defend himself against it.
It pained her to watch him move away from her. After far too many times waking up near him, it made her ache in a way she didn’t know how to put into words. “Would you stop? Fucking Christ, Wilder, I would never hurt you unless you tried to hurt me first.”
“I do.” He frowned slightly. “But I don’t think she likes to think about that.” She only ever seemed to get more upset when she realized how deeply he cared.
“I’ve gathered. She’s… mentioned enough.” He knew she’d done awful things to Illyria and that it was a miracle her daughter didn’t hate her. He thought, though, that he rather liked Illyria for that. “But I am determined to stay, so long as she even slightly wants me around.”
“She doesn’t.” There was no point in arguing that. Konis did not do well with people saying things to her that had only broken her heart in the past.
There was a sincerity there and it relieved her a little. “If that’s your plan, you’re in for a fight. She’s not going to make it easy on you and you damn sure better not believe her when she says she doesn’t want you around because that’s when she needs someone the most.”
“You have magic,” he snarled. “How am I supposed to trust you with anything knowing that?” He had barely trusted her before, but it had still been more than he had anyone else in years.
“Not by choice!” she argued, wishing like hell that she was just normal. “What the hell is that even supposed to mean? I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone!”
“So I’ve noticed.” Which was mainly why he didn’t have a solid response either, but he didn’t really mind. He’d known enough people like that over the years to learn how to handle it.
“I don’t… tend to leave people. Which isn’t always wise, but well…. I likely wouldn’t even be a reaper if wise choices were my default. Konis has already tried to stab me. I’ve seen her mean and I’ve seen her sad and I don’t plan to leave because of either of those things. If I go, it will be because I’m not physically capable of coming back, either by magic or a more permanent death.”
“Do you love her?” She didn’t have to ask, not really. He wouldn’t be staying around if he didn’t. Most people couldn’t handle Konis on a good day after all.
There was a hardness in her gaze as she studied him. He had never seen the depths of her damage, Avalon was certain of that. She had seen her sister shred people with her talons when she was having a meltdown, had cleaned up those messes. Until he really saw her at her absolute worst, he couldn’t say for sure. “Stabbing is nice for her.”
“I’m not sure it’s extreme enough,” he answered flatly. “Could call a Mahlendorf.” But even he wasn’t sure he was desperate enough for that sort of situation. He’d sell to the family when they were around, but he didn’t like interacting with them. Maybe he didn’t mess with that shit anymore, but he’d poked at enough magic that they made even him nervous.
“I have never done anything warrant that!” Her eyes were burning with the threat of tears as she stared at him. The most she had ever done to him was make sure his hangovers weren’t absolute hell. The hardest part of hearing him make that comment was the fact that he had been the closest thing to a friend she actually had.
