“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Joel asks.
“You really should hush,” Toshi says.
“Good kitty,” I say with a grin.
“You’re treading on thin ice right now,” Toshi asks. “Be careful.”
“Or what? You’ll purr me to death?” I ask.
“No. But I will lure you into a trap, decapitate your head, and roll it over to our enemy to put on a stake.”
“Enough!” Theo bellows.
The entire cottage shakes, and things begin to f
all off the walls. Bowls crash to the floor and I can hear Josie scrambling from her room. She comes into the kitchen and takes a look at the pot stewing on the stove before shooting all of us a look.
“Sorry,” Theo says. “The children were bickering.”
“Duly noted. But can we try to keep the yelling down until after dinner? If that pot spills over, you guys are going hungry tonight,” she says.
“We’ll keep it down,” Theo says. “And thank you. For always feeding us. We really appreciate it.”
“It’s not a problem,” Josie says. “Just try not to bring down the roof, please? I worked hard to fix it a few months ago.”
We all watch as Josie comes over to stir the pot. She lifts the lid off the bubbling liquid. I can see it spilling over as she stirs. Filled with meat and potatoes and vegetables that are simmering in their juices. The smell of fresh bread from the oven begins to fill the space as she opens the door to check on it. My mouth is salivating. My stomach is growling. If there’s one thing I will miss, it’s Josie’s cooking. She’s a fantastic cook and uses herbs I’ve never heard of before.
I lick my lips before my attention turns back to her brother.
“We won’t bring the Council to the village, but that means you're responsible for whatever happens to Clarissa.”
“We can protect her. I know we can,” Joel says.
“Then mark my words. If she’s even scratched, I will find it. And when I do, I will slaughter someone from your village to atone for the hands laid on her.”
“You will touch no one in the village,” he says.
“We’ll make sure of it,” Theo bites.
He casts me a glare, and I sit back on my haunches. Theo thinks he can contain me, but he won’t. He can’t. If Clarissa is harmed, I will count every injury on her body. I will take stock of every scratch and every bruise and every drop of blood. I will avenge every mark on her body left in anger or retribution, and hell help him if he tries to stop me.
His head will be the first I tear from his body if Clarissa’s hurt in all this.
“Can I address the elephant in the room?” Toshi asks.
“What?” I ask.
“Can we talk about what we’ll do if Clarissa finds us scheming behind her back?”
Chapter 16
Toshi
It’s a good question and one that needs a decent answer. None of us have ever been good at hiding things from her, so I’m not sure what makes any of them think they can do it now. Joel is understandable. He doesn’t know Clarissa like we do. But I do feel a kindred spirit with him. I know he wants her. I can see it in his eyes whenever he looks at her. But he also knows he will never have her. He’s stuck longing for her from a distance because of the choices she’s made along the way.
Like me.
“She won’t find out,” Sebastian says. “All right?”