“Destiny?”
I blinked, but the image of the blood and bone and brain matter seeping down the wall remained frozen in my thoughts, and suddenly I was shaking in cold and horror.
A hand grabbed mine and pried the coffee cup from my fingers. Then his arms engulfed me, pulling me close. And it felt good, safe, and gradually the shaking and the image subsided.
“What just happened?” he said, after a while.
I took a deep, shuddery breath, then said, “You remember asking me when we first met if I’d killed someone?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I have.”
“We both have, Destiny. But with good reasons, I’m sure.”
“You mean you’ve killed someone other than those men at the house?” I pulled back, and let my gaze search his. Darkness lay below the brightness. Darkness and old anger. “I thought you said that you hadn’t?”
“I never actually answered the question.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to scare you off.”
I laughed. “After almost running me over?”
He raised a hand and placed it over his heart. “I swear, the only reason that almost happened was your beauty. It had me entranced.”
I snorted. “This from the man who called me less than appealing?”
“Well, that was true at the time, too.”
“You have such a charming way with compliments.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip. My hands were still a little shaky, but nowhere near as bad as they had been. “Tell me about the other person you killed.”
The amusement died from his eyes. “Egan and I went after the men my father contracted to kill Sila.”
“So he didn’t actually do the deed himself?”
“No. But the intent was there, which was why Egan arranged for the ring to be stolen.”
“And that was the last time you saw him?”
He nodded. “He knew he had to disappear for a while, because our father would not stop until the ring was found and the thief was caught and killed.”
“So your father didn’t know Egan was behind the ring’s theft?”
“No. He thought he was pissed off and sulking. He’d been away from the clique for over a week when it was snatched.”
“Who did Egan hire to snatch the ring?”
“A will-o’-the-wisp.”
I blinked. “He hired a malevolent spirit?”
“They aren’t spirits, and they certainly aren’t malevolent. More mischievous. They’ve gotten something of a bad rap over the years.”
“The habit of leading travelers to their doom will do that.”
He laughed. The warm sound sent delicious shivers down my spine. “Just like air dragons consuming virgins and sea dragons attacking boats have given us a bad name?”
He had a point. “So how did he go about hiring this will-o’-the-wisp?”
“I’ve actually known her for a while—we protected each other’s backs while learning the trade together, and she owed me a favor.” He shrugged. “She made sure she was briefly seen, so that no suspicion could fall on Egan or me.”