I skid around a corner, almost falling to the damp cobblestones at the sharpness of my turn. In the darkness of the tight street, I can see a stooped shadow. My chest burns, and I summon my dark power, ready to fight. At the sound of my footsteps, the shadowed figure glances up, and I recognize the light glow behind the grey eyes.
“Briar.” I drop to my knees beside her, casting a wide net of magic around us to alert me to any more dangers. “Briar, are you alright? I felt you – what happened?”
Her eyes dart between the cobblestones and my face. “It’s nothing, I twisted my ankle.”
"What else? Where's Aiden?" I reach for her, but she flinches back. Guilt hits me like a cold, vicious storm, but I don't retreat. "Let me see it."
"It's fine, I just need to let it rest," Briar protests as I reach for her ankle. She doesn't pull away, her hand resting above it. I'm careful not to brush her hand as I prod at her swelling ankle. "We found the Nephilim, he killed a woman just a few blocks from here. We were chasing it, but I got hurt, and Aiden kept going."
At the thought of Aiden alone with a creature of the Underworld, I send a shadow in search of Willem. “Does this hurt?” I ask quietly, rotating her ankle with a soft touch.
“Yes,” she hisses, brows pinched.
“And you weren’t hurt otherwise?” I finally meet her gaze.
“No.” She shakes her head. Her eyes flash with something like guilt. “I’m fine, you should go after Aiden.”
“Willem can handle Aiden,” I say smoothly, summoning my magic to my palms. I will the shadows to chill her inflamed muscles.
I hear the soft sound of Willem’s approaching footsteps. “You called?”
“Aiden is pursuing the Nephilim, go after him,” I say, looking up to meet Willem’s bored stare.
“I love playing babysitter,” Willem drawls.
I smirk as my Second slips into the darkness, trailing Aiden. I turn back to Briar, focusing my magic on Briar’s ankle. “I’m not suited to healing magic,” I murmur. “But I’ll do my best.”
“I’m sure.” Briar inhales sharply as my magic seeps into her muscles. “All you know is death and violence.”
“What happened to the timid girl I met a month ago?” I ask, ignoring the way her words cut through me.
“She was tortured by a man who was supposed to love her,” Briar whispers.
My heart clenches, and for an instant I can't breathe. "I'm sorry," I say, voice tight. "Truly, I am."
“That changes nothing,” Briar says, her voice gaining strength. “When we’re done, I will go back to Ryrn. You’ll have to kill me if you want me to stay.”
“Briar.” I feel a flash of irritation, but I stamp it down. “Will you give me another chance?”
Briar is quiet for a moment, but then her eyes harden. “No.”
She shifts as the magic completes its labored healing. “I see,” I murmur. “How does that feel?”
“Better,” Briar says, climbing to her feet. She refuses my outstretched hand and stares resolutely at the end of the narrow street, avoiding my gaze. Briar takes a tentative step, testing the strength of her ankle. Satisfied, she heads towards the end of the street. “I just don’t understand what kind of a person could be as cruel as you. Hours before I met you, I was convinced my sisters were wrong about you. But I was naïve.”
“You were naïve, Briar,” I say. She pauses at the end of the street. “You surprised me with your innocence. When you came to me that morning and asked to get to know me, you surprised me.”
Briar pauses, looking at me over her shoulder. “I’m sure that was amusing.”
“It was endearing,” I say, a smile pulling at my lips.
“Don’t,” Briar snaps. “You have no right to say such things.”
I slip through the shadows and appear beside her. She jumps, inhaling sharply with surprise. “I know,” I whisper, closing the distance between us. “But I was wrong. About everything. It isn’t my nature to be kind.”
"That's no excuse." Briar steps back nervously until she can move no further, blocked by the rough wall of a brick building.
“That’s why I would ask for your patience,” I say.
Tears prick at Briar’s eyes. “I can’t,” she says hoarsely.
Suddenly, I feel the cold tip of a dagger against my belly. I freeze, hand outstretched towards her. Briar holds a dagger against my belly, the one she keeps with her to protect herself. “Briar, I’m not going to hurt you,” I say evenly.
"How can I trust you?" She presses the dagger in a little deeper, and I wince.
The blade feels too cold for a natural dagger and I narrow my eyes suspiciously. “What is this?”
“The only weapon that can hurt you,” she says, a tear streaming down her cheek.
“From your mother?” I feel hope spark in my chest.
“Yes.” Briar’s voice wavers. “How did you know?”
“A lucky guess.” I shrug. It’s true. Briar’s mother knew what powers her daughter would have. “Please, Briar, I swear, I mean you no harm.”
Briar’s breath hitches in her throat. “But I -,”
I lean forward, careful, twist my body so the blade passes harmlessly through the air. My lips are on hers before she can react. Briar is stiff, fear and guilt coursing through her like a drug. I breathe in her fear, tasting its sweetness. The dagger clatters to the wet cobblestones and Briar's hands clutch at my tunic. Her lips soften, welcoming the kiss. I feel a rush of her power again, like
