40. Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter forty
I walk the perimeter of the courtyard again, my boots crunching on the gravel with every step. This is where I like to come when my mind is troubled and I don't want to go all the way to the beach.
My thoughts keep looping back to the image of those rotting corpses, flesh sloughing off bone in a grotesque parody of humanity.
Mass graves. A shiver runs down my spine.
Brick approaches, brows furrowed. "You've been pacing for hours. Talk to me."
Taking a leaf from Aidan's book, I rake a hand through my hair and sigh. "Those fucking mass graves on the other island. I can't stop thinking about them."
"You've seen worse." His tone is gentle but matter-of-fact.
"Not like that." My fists clench at my sides. "Tane's always kept the real ugliness at a distance. But the graves?" I gesture vaguely, even though they’re many miles away. "They’re a reminder that he sees the people of these islands as nothing more than obstacles to exploit or remove. And if he can do that to them..." I trail off, unwilling to voice the fears churning in my gut.
Brick's hand lands on my shoulder, warm and solid. "You’re wondering where it will end?"
"Yeah…” My voice comes out rough. "You've seen what he's capable of. What if—?"
"Stop." Brick gives me a little shake. "We're ready for him. Always have been. He'll get what's coming to him, but not before we're good and ready. You know I’d attack him today if I thought it would be beneficial, but we have to plan this just right."
His confidence is reassuring, but it does little to quiet the unease whispering at the back of my mind. I know Tane won't stop until he's eliminated any threat to his control.
And we're the biggest threat of all.
Brick squeezes my shoulder. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."
My stomach rumbles in response and I realize I haven't eaten all day. Still, I hesitate. "I'm not really hungry."
"Wasn't a suggestion." He steers me toward the kitchen. "When's the last time you took a break? You'll run yourself into the ground at this rate."
I open my mouth to argue but decide against it. Maybe a distraction is exactly what I need right now. And if anyone can take my mind off things, it's Brick.
"Fine," I concede. "But if I'm eating, you are too."
Brick grins. "Wouldn't dream of letting you suffer through a meal alone."
As we walk, some of the tension eases from my shoulders. Our enemies may be gathering at the gates, but my family is here. Ready to face whatever comes.
Together.
The kitchen is empty when we arrive, the counter bare except for a few stray crumbs. Brick rummages through the cabinets, emerging with a triumphant "aha!" as he produces a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, and a jar of olives.
"It's no five-course meal, but it'll do." He slices the bread and cheese, arranging them on two plates along with a handful of olives. “Just don’t tell Slade we’re messing with his stuff.”
I smirk. Slade is rather particular about people touching his things, and the kitchen is his official domain. Although I've noticed he's finally started letting Angel make herself at home in there.
We take a seat across from each other, the empty room echoing with each bite.
I study Brick as he eats, noticing the shadows beneath his eyes and the tense set of his jaw. He's just as on edge as the rest of us, though he does his best to hide it.
"You don't have to put on an act for me, you know." I meet his gaze. " It's okay if you're worried too."
He sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Is it that obvious?"
I nod. "We've known each other too long for you to hide it."
"I just—" He hesitates, frowning at his plate. "What if it's not enough? What if we can't beat him? I feel like I’m reassuring everyone else, but I’m human. I have my own doubts, too."
"We will beat him." I speak with a conviction I don't entirely feel, hoping to reassure him as much as myself. "Tane has no idea what he's up against. We're smarter, we're faster, and we've got way more to fight for. And we’re just as strong as he is."
Brick looks up at me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And you always know just what to say."
"It's a gift." I lift my glass in a mocking toast. "And don't you forget it."
The tension in the room breaks as Brick laughs, the sound ringing out through the empty hall. I join in, the two of us chuckling like idiots over our makeshift dinner.
In this moment, Tane feels far away.
I wake with a start, my heart pounding as wisps of a nightmare fade from memory. Beside me, Angel stirs but doesn't wake.
The room is dim, shadows flickering in the corners. Moonlight streams through the window, pale and milky. I turn onto my side, studying Angel’s profile in the darkness. Her chest rises and falls with the steady rhythm of sleep, her lips slightly parted. God, she’s gorgeous.
My pulse slows as I watch her. There's something calming about her presence, as if the chaos and violence that surrounds her in waking hours can't touch her here. I reach out, brushing a stray lock of hair off her forehead. She leans into my touch with a soft sigh.
The mass graves flash behind my eyes, and I squeeze them shut against the memory. I can't escape the knowledge of what's waiting outside these walls. The war isn't over, and more bodies will pile up before the end.
"Hey." Angel’s voice is thick with sleep. "You okay?"
I open my eyes to find her gazing at me, concern etched into her features. There's no hiding from my Angel.
"Just thinking about the graves again." I lace my fingers through hers, holding on like she's the only thing tethering me to shore. "I can't get the images out of my head."
"I know." Her thumb rubs slow circles over my knuckles. "But we'll make him pay for every single one. For now, try not to dwell on it."
"Easier said than done." I stare up at the ceiling, watching shadows dance in the dark. "I keep seeing their faces. Wondering who they were, how they ended up there. What kind of lives they might've lived if—"
"Shh." Angel pulls me against her, wrapping her arms around me. She’s warm and cozy. "You'll drive yourself crazy thinking like that. What's done is done. But we can still avenge them, bring their killers to justice. Focus on that."
I exhale, relaxing into her embrace. The steady beat of her heart drowns out the whispers in my mind, at least for now.
"You're right." I tilt my head up, finding her mouth in the dark.
The kiss is slow and deep, a tangle of lips and tongues that leaves me breathless.
When we break apart, her eyes gleam down at me. "Feeling better?"
"Getting there." I smile, the shadows in my mind receding to make way for her. "Keep going."
Angel chuckles, rolling me onto my back to hover over me. "With pleasure."
The nightmare slips further away with each kiss, each caress. In the shelter of Angel’s arms, the darkness holds no power.
The mass graves can’t get me. Here, I'm safe.
Here, I'm home.