Chapter Fifty-Three
Fuck that.
As the Brotherhood made all kinds of plans, Denne excused herself to go to the bathroom, and because no one expected her to leave without them, none of the males went with her.
And what do you know, she just ghosted out and away, heading back to the clearing on the river’s shore, back to where it all started.
Looking across at the glass house, she thought of the twin falling stars.
She didn’t need a chart of the heavens, or some interpretation thereof, to tell her what that rare phenomenon had been about.
One star had been her. One star had been Allhan.
And their destinies had crossed, forever.
The fate they shared was about all the things he had done, and all the ways she had been ignoring her calling, their paths of overt and covert destruction different sides of the same bad coin, him flaming out, her never kindling.
And now she knew the facts without knowing the details yet.
Her chart had been doctored. The Tretary had lied about his true role in everything. And unless she dealt with him right now, her parents were going to die and the s’Hisbe would be destroyed.
It was all up to her.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
Denne traveled across the sluggish winter river as a rolling shadow, and when she re-formed, it was off to the side of the house. t’On wasn’t stupid. He had pulled the drapes of the living room so she wasn’t sure how to infiltrate—
“Really,” a dry voice said behind her. “You didn’t think we were going to notice you snuck out the back.”
She turned around and glared at Vishous, even though he was a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. “This is my business. I will handle it—”
“That’s a lesser—”
“No, that’s my mother’s Tretary. I don’t know what t’On has been pretending to be, what sleights of hand he’s been fucking with, but if that’s who Allhan has been dealing with, this is not in the purview of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
This is Shadow business, and I will handle it or you will start a war between your kind and mine. ”
As the Brother’s hard face was bathed in green light, she knew a calming purpose unlike any she had ever felt before.
But no surprise, he was not prepared to back down.
“That’s a member of our aristocracy being held prisoner in there,” Vishous growled. “So no, it’s not just about you—”
“And she’s my sister.”
As Al appeared beside Vishous, the Brother grabbed the male by the front of the hoodie. “I told you to stay—”
“This is all my fault—”
“So don’t make it worse, asshole.”
Abruptly, Al looked at her. “And you need to go home—”
“Fuck the both of you,” Denne announced. “Try to make me leave.”
Then everybody went quiet as more of the Brotherhood and fighters arrived on scene, the males and females coming out of the tree line, ghosts who were heavily weaponized.
“Get me into the house,” Denne said as she reached out and yanked one of Vishous’s black daggers from his chest holster. “He is mine to kill.”
For once, the Brother seemed flabbergasted. “I can sentence you to death for handling that blade.”
“So kill me now, if you’re going to.” She leaned into him. “Or get me the fuck into that house.”
Vishous loomed over her, his lip peeling off his fangs. “Don’t make me do this to you—”
A tall, broad-shouldered male with a military haircut that had a white streak in front stepped into the conflict.
“Stop.” He put his hand up to silence everyone. “Dennesha, your parents have been gravely injured—”
As the world started to spin, Al put his arm around her and kept her on her feet.
“—but your uncle is with them. He called Doc Jane in for help. She’s already on scene and doing what she can to stabilize them. Manny’s on his way, and the Shadow healers have been summoned. You can go now, and be with them—”
Blindly, she grabbed for Al’s hand and squeezed so hard, she felt his bones merge with her own. “What. Wait… who…”
“Your mother said it was the Tretary.”
She released her breath in a long, slow exhale of vengeance.
“I’m not leaving here,” she growled as she tried to control her emotions. “I am supposed to kill him. I am supposed to be here. This is what my destiny has always been. I am going to kill him myself.”
There was only a moment’s hesitation.
And then Vishous shoved his arm into his jacket and came out with a gun. “Take this as well. It’s fully loaded. And I’ll get you into the fucking house.”
As the words rippled through the assembled Brothers and fighters, Denne accepted the weapon and looked into Al’s eyes.
“I’m going in, too,” he said grimly. “That’s still my sister.”