Page 126 of Priest and his Anarchist

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…. “The invasion of her in this conversation tightens the already unstable atmosphere. “That’s always the question, isn’t it? Why is that the times I visit…” She slides up onto the boardroom table, popping a cigarette between her lips and crossing her legs. “People always want to know the timeline of when I arrived?”

Lilith’s hands balls into fists as she pushes up from her chair. “Luna, baby, let’s go. I should have taken you to Uncle Killian.”

I pause. Lilith’s words caving in around me.Check-fucking-mate.

Luna’s head snaps in the direction of her mother. “I don’t like you much.”

Vaden’s gaze burns the side of my face. He’s thinking the same as me. It’s no surprise, since he’s the only one in this room who knows as much as I do when it comes to her.

The pain of—her—words spread over Lilith’s face. From that of a concerned mother to confusion.

“Luna, sit…” Dad doesn’t so much as look at her when he gestures to the empty chairs around the table.

She ignores him, her eyes zeroed onto her mother.

“Luna.” One simple name. One that wasn’t hers, but enough to make her feel important.

She turns to me and the finger that’s playing with my upper lip pauses.

I hold her stare. “Sit.”

She steps backward, falling onto the first empty chair.

Silence.

Dad’s mouth twitches, but he hides his smile behind the glass he’s holding before his attention is back on her. “Nice work on the entrance.” He tilts his head. “Do you make a habit of being so unhinged?”

“Can’t help it.” She shrugs, and my fingers flex beneath the table. I’d been lost in my thoughts very few times, mainly because I don’t like it there. They’re too cluttered. An array of portraits of her.

“Continue with your story of Luna, Lilith.” I don’t care who she is or was, or how terrifyingly unhinged she had been in her day. Not a single person at this table scares me.

Only the one who answers to Madness.

Her and Eli share a silent conversation, before she shakes her head. “Not with Luna here.”

Whiskey burns its way down my throat. “Aw, I’m sure she won’t mind.” I hold her stare. “Go on.”

“Well, I don’t remember much. To be truthful?—”

“—if you’re anything but truthful, I’m sure I don’t have to warn you…”

She grinds her teeth. Working Lilith up isn’t half as fun as working up her daughter. Shame. I’ll miss that.

“I don’t remember much.” Lilith sinks back into the high-winged chair, and Eli turns his focus onto me. No one sees my answers or questions as any form of disrespect but Lilith.“There was an issue with my sister. She took me, locked me up until I was at term.”

“Were you conscious throughout the birth?” Vaden shifts his weight forward, resting his forearms on the table.

My eyes land on Dad, only to find him already staring right at me. He bounces between Vaden and I, as if wondering where we’re going with this.

He won’t have to wonder long because unlike everyone else in this room, Dad’s brain ticks the same way mine does, only with a moral compass.

“Yes, but they filled me with enough drugs to kill a horse. What’s your point?”

I shrug. “None.”

A new waiter comes through carrying a tray of hot food as everyone sits in silence.

Lilith’s face softens when checks on Luna every two seconds, but it’s almost like she’s reminded of the monster she is when she stares too long.

---