Chapter 20 Wrath
WRATH
Lily had given her orders to the blacksmiths and then ordered Hawk to prepare the ships for immediate departure.
I sat in the armchair in Hawk’s bedchambers and waited for him to return so I could speak with him alone.
Hours passed before the door flew open and he walked inside, dressed for battle with his sword over his back, wearing his armor every day even when he didn’t need so his body would always be used to the weight.
His fingers ran through his hair as he entered, issuing a deep sigh like the stress was eating away at him the same way it did his sister.
He walked across the sitting room and didn’t notice me in the armchair near the fireplace.
He headed to the mantel, where he had a stash of wine bottles and booze.
He uncorked something stronger than wine and took a swig before he cringed when he felt the burn slide down his throat.
He corked it once again then turned toward me, giving a jump that made him lose his grip on the bottle.
It toppled then landed on the soft rug, miraculously not breaking.
He didn’t give a scream or a whimper, but his dilated eyes showed his terror. He immediately stepped back, always facing me as he put distance between us. He stopped when the coffee table separated us.
As if that would stop me if I wished him harm.
I rose from the chair and faced him, taller than him by several inches.
He kept a straight face, but it was obvious he feared me. His eyes gave him away. “What do you want?”
“Since you continue to interrogate your sister about my motivations, let me tell you myself.”
His expression didn’t change, but he drew a deeper breath in anticipation.
“But this stays between you and me. Do you agree?”
He considered the question for a long time before he gave a nod.
He hadn’t told Lily about my first visit, so I assumed he wouldn’t tell her about this one either.
“I want the Barbarians to be defeated because Lily Lena Rothschild is the woman in my heart—and I will not stop until she prevails. I have granted her my strength as a god and given her the command of my army because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
As you’ve already suspected, I don’t care about the events of the mortal world because they don’t concern me.
But I care about every hint of sadness in your sister’s heart.
Every tear of grief she sheds. Every ounce of misery she carries on her shoulders.
My heart was dead before I looked upon her fair face—and now it burns hotter than the flames of the underworld.
I seek nothing in return for my aid other than witnessing her triumph against these fiends.
I do not want her soul. Even if she offered it to me, I would reject it.
My sole purpose in this matter is to protect her in any way I can because I won’t rest until she’s safe.
Even though we’re separated by life and death and I will never have her beyond this moment, I will part the seas to ensure her safe passage.
I will suffer the torturous consequences of my intervention when my superiors learn of my treachery, and even though one day she’ll marry someone else and have the children I wish were mine, I wouldn’t change my decision—because I love her. ”
Hawk didn’t blink once as he listened to my speech. His body remained rigid in alarm and he’d seemed to forget to breathe the last twenty seconds, but then his chest rose one time and started to move once more.
“Any questions?”
His eyes remained guarded as he continued his stare.
“Do not question her further on this matter. She has enough to deal with right now. I don’t expect you to trust me, but my intentions toward your sister and her family are entirely pure.”
“I believe you.”
My opinion of her brother constantly teetered on the edge of a knife.
His immature attitude annoyed me, but he also showed a loyalty to his sister that I respected.
He kept his word to me when he didn’t have to.
He was more like Talon Rothschild than I realized.
He just needed more time to grow into the role.
“Does she feel the same way?”
The question stung because of how layered and complicated the answer was. “She’s never shared all the things I just said to you, but I think she does.”