Page 63 of It Starts With A No

“She needed adoration. When she felt we weren’t fawning at her feet and worshipping her like the goddess she was, she’d manipulate us into doing so. It always started with bribes, then lectures, then eventually tears. When whatever we did to please her wasn’t enough—and it never was—she’d play her cruel games and pit us against one another.”

“You and your brothers?”

He nodded. “She always tried to get us to hurt each other. Whoever did it would escape punishment.”

Clary closed her eyes, and Seth took the chance to brush the pad of his thumb across her cheek.

When her eyes opened, the question was clear.

“No. We never did.” Seth and Zane had always had each other’s back, and he supposed that became the norm when his other brothers got adopted. “She’d lock us in our rooms and leave the house for an entire week.”

Clary’s eyes widened.

“Which really helped when we were out on our own. We’re used to going without food every now and then.”

She closed her eyes again as her jaw dropped. She closed her mouth the next moment, and the muscles along her cheeks twitched.

Seth waited, because he didn’t know what was going through her mind.

“Did Mr. E know?” she asked after a moment.

“I don’t know.” He’d never spoken much to Edward Eolenfeld. When he and his brothers did, it was under the watchful eyes of Holly, so they never said anything. “We complained to the school nurse and the teachers. I don’t know if it ever came to his ears.”

She sighed softly. “Why are you averse to touch?”

“Because once she hugged or even reached out to us physically—when she was off her meds, and she was off them very often—that was usually the signal that things were going downhill.” He traced his thumb down her jaw, then down her neck.

Only when Clary grabbed his hand did he realize what he was doing.

“You’re distracting me,” she said.

Distracting her from what? What were they talking about?

“Is everything okay?”

Clary let go of his hand and took a long step back as she looked toward the door and her assistant. It seemed the assistant had finally decided to check in on Clary. If it had been anything serious, Clary would have been dead by now.

“Yes,” Clary said with a smile.

Seth shook his head when the assistant closed the door. “She was right there with me when she heard you scream.”

Clary’s brows flicked up, but she didn’t seem surprised.

“This isn’t the first time she’s left you when something went wrong.”

She blew out a breath.

That was when Seth realized how far they’d deviated from his question. “What happened?”

She turned her attention to the box again. “That.”

“You said it’s been a rough day.”

She waved it off, and he wrapped his hand around her elbow.

“I’m not Jesus, but I promise I can listen. I won’t send fire down from heaven either.”

She laughed softly and nudged her shoulder against his arm. “I wish you could.” She reached for the box.

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