Page 45 of Bound By Darkness

He must have been from Astoria, the northern lyricism heavy as he spoke.

“One night, Fin. We’ll be out tomorrow.”

Fin crossed his arms overhis chest.

“One night,” Ivan pleaded.

It was the first time I’d seen the man grovel at anyone other than himself.

“Fine.” His arms flung in the air. “One night, but you better be gone by first light.”

“With pleasure,” Ivan said as he motioned for me to follow him into the house held by three rusted studs.

The dust was not better inside as I crossed through the threshold. It tickled my nose and throat as I walked into the foyer.

Ivan coughed once before plopping onto the couch. A cloud billowed from underneath him. “Do you ever clean?”

Fin sat in the armchair across from the muted-gray couch. “It’s not like I ever have company.”

My frame sunk into the plush cushion as I inched closer to the couch’s crevices. I could only imagine the potential spiders hiding inside it. My skin crawled as I tried to scratch the feeling away.

“What are you doing here?” Fin asked. “And with company, might I add?”

“Resting.” His arms folded behind his head. “Something I’m sure you’re not familiar with.”

Fin scoffed as his body leaned forward in the chair. “I’m sure you’re not familiar with it either.” His lips curled into a smirk. “You were always too busy drowning yourself in ale and women.” His gaze raked over me. “No offense, of course.”

“None taken,” I muttered, picking at the unraveling threads.

“Watch it,” Ivan snarled.

Fin grinned. “What? Too sore of a subjectfor you?”

“If you say one more word out of line?—”

“You’ll what? Abandon me like you did on that battlefield all those years ago?”

Ivan froze on the couch. “Take it back.” His eyes blazed pure fire.

“You can’t take back what the land already claimed. All those deaths were for nothing.”

The room grew eerily silent as Ivan leaned forward, his hands dropping to his sides.

He could have cleaved the world in half at the raw anger he spewed from his lips as he spoke, “You leftthem on the battlefield. You’re the coward who abandoned all those men and women. You watchedthempaint the land in red as you hiked the mountainside. Do their screams not haunt you at night?” Ivan spat. “What of Mersa and Dion? Did you enjoy their screams as you ran toward the mountain?”

“Shut up!” Lifting a finger, he pointed it at me. “Does your new companion know who she’s dealing with? Who your father is?” he corrected. “Does she at least know—” But Fin’s mouth shut quickly as if someone had clamped it shut.

Fin rose from his chair. “I change my mind. Get out.”

Ivan stood an inch from him. “Afraid to face your mistakes?”

“If I recall, you were too busy whoring yourself away.” His eyes flicked to me. “I guess old habits are hard to quit.”

“She’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, but she does.” Fin turned to me, his voice a bit softer than before. “You should be careful following the words of a bastard’s son.”

“At least my words are true. A coward’swords mean nothing.”

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