"Look what you've done to my boots," he says coolly. He glances toward me. "Do you think they're ruined?"
“Almost certainly.” I shake my head disappointedly.
“You shouldn’t gone and done that,” the man roars, his eyes growing watery.
I'm on my feet in an instant, the man's shirt bunched in my fist. I pull him in close until I'm breathing his rank breath. His nose is red and dirty; veins burst in it and hairs poking out from his nostrils. His eyes are rimmed with red, veins bulging. I inhale deeply, scenting his death. It won't be long now before his organs fail him. The man sputters in my grip, trying to wrestle my hand off of him but I hold fast.
“See that woman?” I ask, voice rough and angry. He glances towards her and I shake him. “Don’t look at her, look at me. That’s better. If you ever speak to her again, speak of her again, look in her direction, or even think about her, I will know. And I won’t be happy. Would you like to know what I do to people who make me unhappy?”
The man shakes his head, eyes wide and crazed. “No,” he whimpers.
“I flay them alive and pour honey over their innards. And then I place them in the fields, honey dripping all over them, attracting all sorts of insects. How does that sound?” My voice is little more than a murmur, but I put the force of my dark magic behind it.
He pales, shaking in my grip. A cruel smile splits my lips, and I release him. He's too frightened to catch himself, and he topples onto the dirty floor. The inn is quiet, jovial music gone. I rub my hands together and turn towards the villagers as the man scrambles backward. They stare at us in oppressive silence, their eyes filled with quiet anger. I cock a brow, almost hoping they charge. I could use a good fight.
“So much for going unnoticed,” Aiden mutters, pushing his plate away.
“Go upstairs, Briar,” I say over my shoulder without taking my eyes off the villagers. I toss her a key and I hear her chair scrape over the floor.
“Kane,” she starts, sounding nervous.
“It’s for your own good.” I send a shadow from the corner to push her towards the stairs.
The only sound in the room is of her quick retreat. When I hear a door slam overhead, I open the soulbond to sense her. She's in the room, sitting, and breathing quickly. Briar considers if attackers can get through the locked door. I smile. She's safe.
“Gentlemen,” Willem purrs as he and Aiden rise. “Surely this isn’t necessary.”
“I got this one.” Aiden pats my shoulder. “God of strife and all that.”
“Minor,” I remind him, frowning. “And I was looking forward to a bit of fun.”
“Attention, remember?” He taps his nose. “As much as I love it when you lose control of that temper of yours, it’s for the best.”
Willem and I fall back as the room erupts in chaos. Chairs are thrown to the side, and villagers surge around the tables towards us. Feet stampede, the building practically shaking with the force of it. The anger in the air is palpable. I only wish it were fear. But the villagers are brazen, and they outnumber us ten to one. They have no fear. I cross my arms over my chest when Aiden lifts his arms. Suddenly, the charge stops. The villagers falter, glancing between one another with confusion. The very air changes. What was once filled with anger now feels empty. The air around Aiden shimmers as he drinks in the strife and anger and conflict that once energized the room.
Slowly, the villagers stumble away, picking up fallen furniture as they go. They won’t remember the way the air glowed around Aiden, or even that they wanted to fight us at all in the morning. Aiden took it all, and he’s stronger for it. He rolls his neck and shoulders as he drops his arms. “It’s been a while,” he says, grinning. “Usually I’m giving strife, not taking it.”
“That was quick,” I muse. “You’re getting better.”
Aiden’s chest puffs out slightly. “Thanks.”
When we were young, before I was taken away to become Death, Aiden and I used to practice our skills together. He was sloppy and never quite got the hang of it. Even in the few times I’ve seen him since, I never witnessed his powers. Clapping him on the back once, I take the stairs two at a time to my room. I pause outside Briar’s door, listening to her heartbeat. She’s pacing. I rap on her door lightly and hear her stop beside the door.
“It’s over,” I say, pressing a hand to the wood. “We’re fine. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Her voice is muffled through the door.
I slip into my room and toss my cloak and boots into the corner. Night, I’m tired. I pause beside the wall, listening to Briar’s bed creak as she climbs in. I wait for her breathing to slow before slipping into my own bed. The bed is comfortable and clean, and I close my eyes. I can’t remember the last time I slept, but tonight it proves surprisingly easy.
Chapter 6
Briar
The grandfather clock at the end of the long hall ticks loudly; the merciless, endless rhythm echoing in my ears. I switch my dagger to my left hand to wipe the sweaty palm of my right hand on my pant leg. Fingers trembling, I take my dagger in my dominant hand again and swallow hard. I stare at the dark wood door in front of me, eyes impossibly wide and refusing to blink. I feel as if I've been frozen for
