himself down. “What’s his hold on you? Why don’t you just leave?”
“Why don’t you?” I snapped back. He ground his teeth. “I can’t leave,” I hissed. Why was I even arguing with him? “I get it; I do. I know, okay. I know what she’s doing to you.” At least I had a pretty good idea, given Allard’s twisted affection for me.
He glared, but the sharp glint of green in his eyes had dulled. When he realized I wasn’t about to agree, he sighed and bowed his head. A shudder ran through him, rinsing his element away. “Damn it. I can’t—” He stopped the words, even choked on them a little. “You ever been trapped in every possible way?”
Trapped, with no choices and no way out. “Yes.” For years, for as long as I can remember. Whatever Vanessa held over him, it was crushing the life out of him. He didn’t have a brother to hold on to. “There might be another way.” His eyes lit up. “But I don’t know if it will work or just switch the problem elsewhere.” My ice-cold heart skipped an unusual beat. This was a bad idea.
“Allard,” I said. “He will help you. But then he’ll own you in return, so I’m not sure how that’s helping.”
“He wants the coronam ,” Torrent murmured, not so much to me but to confirm something. His distant, unfocused gaze reminded me of the one I’d often give my reflection, and my treacherous human heart squeezed again. “You think he’d help me?”
“Yeah, but… What’s the difference? You’ll still be owned.”
His shining eyes locked on my face. “I’m already living a hell. What could be worse?”
Did he really believe that? Was he so desperate to get away from Vanessa that joining Allard’s stock was a reasonable alternative? I’d been where he stood now, but the streets had been my death sentence. Maybe it was Allard or death for him too?
“Alright.” I nodded. “I’ll take you to him.” That hope still shone in Torrent’s gaze, and I wondered if I’d saved him or condemned him. I wondered why the hell I cared.
Chapter 11
T he demons were prowling the beach. From the pier, they looked like roaches scurrying across the silvery moonlit sand. The pier creaked and groaned around us as we wove with purpose through the abandoned amusement park. The Ferris wheel stood tall, its skeleton black against the star-speckled sky. Trash had caught in its trusses, and over time, the wind had whipped it to shreds. The fluttering reminded me of the prince’s burned wings. I shuddered. I hadn’t mentioned the Prince of Pride to Torrent. Oh, by the way, there’s a demon the size of a family car in the elevator and a Prince of Hell in the basement. Welcome to Fairhaven.
Torrent hung back, a few steps behind me. He had his crossbow under his coat and carried enough power circling around him to deter any opportunistic demon that thought they could have themselves a half-blood snack. He hadn’t said much since we’d left his house. I’d warned that Allard might not let him leave Fairhaven, but he hadn’t collected any personal items and had taken on that confused look when I’d suggested it. I’d assumed the house was his, but he’d let it go without batting an eye, so perhaps I’d been wrong.
I’d tossed a few warnings at Torrent on the walk over, and he’d absorbed them without a word. Basically, don’t do anything to irritate Allard. Make sure he didn’t let any other demon get the jump on him, and it should be enough to at least get him in the front door. Once he was in, he was on his own.
Allard might kill him. I’d been rolling that thought around my head more and more the closer we’d gotten. And now we were here, and I’d managed to convince myself I was walking Torrent to his death.
As we neared the hut at the end of the pier, Joseph flared to my left. He wore fire like Torrent wore his jacket. He rolled his shoulders, and his leather wings bled through his human disguise. He deliberately half changed, muddying
“Why don’t you?” I snapped back. He ground his teeth. “I can’t leave,” I hissed. Why was I even arguing with him? “I get it; I do. I know, okay. I know what she’s doing to you.” At least I had a pretty good idea, given Allard’s twisted affection for me.
He glared, but the sharp glint of green in his eyes had dulled. When he realized I wasn’t about to agree, he sighed and bowed his head. A shudder ran through him, rinsing his element away. “Damn it. I can’t—” He stopped the words, even choked on them a little. “You ever been trapped in every possible way?”
Trapped, with no choices and no way out. “Yes.” For years, for as long as I can remember. Whatever Vanessa held over him, it was crushing the life out of him. He didn’t have a brother to hold on to. “There might be another way.” His eyes lit up. “But I don’t know if it will work or just switch the problem elsewhere.” My ice-cold heart skipped an unusual beat. This was a bad idea.
“Allard,” I said. “He will help you. But then he’ll own you in return, so I’m not sure how that’s helping.”
“He wants the coronam ,” Torrent murmured, not so much to me but to confirm something. His distant, unfocused gaze reminded me of the one I’d often give my reflection, and my treacherous human heart squeezed again. “You think he’d help me?”
“Yeah, but… What’s the difference? You’ll still be owned.”
His shining eyes locked on my face. “I’m already living a hell. What could be worse?”
Did he really believe that? Was he so desperate to get away from Vanessa that joining Allard’s stock was a reasonable alternative? I’d been where he stood now, but the streets had been my death sentence. Maybe it was Allard or death for him too?
“Alright.” I nodded. “I’ll take you to him.” That hope still shone in Torrent’s gaze, and I wondered if I’d saved him or condemned him. I wondered why the hell I cared.
Chapter 11
T he demons were prowling the beach. From the pier, they looked like roaches scurrying across the silvery moonlit sand. The pier creaked and groaned around us as we wove with purpose through the abandoned amusement park. The Ferris wheel stood tall, its skeleton black against the star-speckled sky. Trash had caught in its trusses, and over time, the wind had whipped it to shreds. The fluttering reminded me of the prince’s burned wings. I shuddered. I hadn’t mentioned the Prince of Pride to Torrent. Oh, by the way, there’s a demon the size of a family car in the elevator and a Prince of Hell in the basement. Welcome to Fairhaven.
Torrent hung back, a few steps behind me. He had his crossbow under his coat and carried enough power circling around him to deter any opportunistic demon that thought they could have themselves a half-blood snack. He hadn’t said much since we’d left his house. I’d warned that Allard might not let him leave Fairhaven, but he hadn’t collected any personal items and had taken on that confused look when I’d suggested it. I’d assumed the house was his, but he’d let it go without batting an eye, so perhaps I’d been wrong.
I’d tossed a few warnings at Torrent on the walk over, and he’d absorbed them without a word. Basically, don’t do anything to irritate Allard. Make sure he didn’t let any other demon get the jump on him, and it should be enough to at least get him in the front door. Once he was in, he was on his own.
Allard might kill him. I’d been rolling that thought around my head more and more the closer we’d gotten. And now we were here, and I’d managed to convince myself I was walking Torrent to his death.
As we neared the hut at the end of the pier, Joseph flared to my left. He wore fire like Torrent wore his jacket. He rolled his shoulders, and his leather wings bled through his human disguise. He deliberately half changed, muddying
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