Page 92 of Priest and his Anarchist

“Stay on the clock, Luna. It reminds you that you’re still here.”

“I’m doing that,” I grumble, images of last night still fresh on my mind. Why’d he leave me there anyway? And if he didn’t care, why’d he fucking butterfly-stitch me up in my sleep? A storm of confusion is all he ever is.

“How long?” the voice asks, and my focus moves from the boring clock.

He’s aged since I last saw him, which wasn’t often. Being a Brother of Kiznitch, Killian Cornelii was the mastermind behind all mind trickery in Midnight Mayhem. Not as good as my mother, which is why it always confused me why he was here and why he stared at me with the same kind of hatred I’d seen from his wife.

“How long, what?” I keep my tone level, but my fingers flex in my palm.

“What was the last thing you remember?”

Is he insane? Actually, I already know he is.

I push up from my sofa. “I shouldn’t have called you.” I turn to look over my shoulder to where my mom stands with both of my fathers. “I was annoyed with myself for slipping again.”

“This is not good…” Killian murmurs from behind me. “We shouldn’t have her here. It’s too dangerous.”

“Shut up, Cornelii.” Dad turns to Mom, and I see the silent argument between them. “Why the fuck did you bring him? He can’t do anything that you can’t do, and he’s too close.”

“Close?” Killian’s voice is louder now. He clucks his tongue. “That’s one way of putting it. She needs to be away from this place, and all of them. None of it, or us, can help her.”

Darkness forms around Father when he draws in close, burying his hand in his pocket. “Leave, Killian. We won’t make this mistake again.” He doesn’t answer when he leaves, the door slamming behind him.

“What the fuck was that?” My eyes bounce off all three of them, my throat swelling. “No, seriously, what was that? I’d not seen him since—I can’t even remember!” My hands are flailing around the room. “I call Mom for girl advice, and I open the door to all of you, plus the psycho Cornelii!” I finally blink, a single tear escaping.

“Luna,” Dad whispers, his hand coming to my arm. He catches the tear with his thumb, and my legs shake beneath me.

“I’ve always done as I was told. I belong here, with all of them. Because I fucked the Devil incarnate out of pure stupidity doesn’t warrant this!”

“Look, baby, we need to talk.” Mom’s steps are careful, but it’s too late, I don’t want to hear whatever they all have to say.

I step out of Dad’s touch, the betrayal too raw. “No. I don’t want to hear it. You’ve never been honest with me. I never needed much from any of you growing up but being kept in the dark made me who I am today.” I straighten my shoulders, swiping at the tears. “I shouldn’t have called. I’m sorry.”

“Luna,” my mom snaps. “We are your parents and there is not a single person walking this earth who loves you more than us.”

“Lilith, that’s not fucking helping,” Father says, stepping between us. With the mountain of him in front of me, the same darkness that has always trailed him caresses me in ways none of them physically could.

He levels his eyes on mine, his hands warm on my cheeks. “You do whatever you’ve got to do, baby. No one, nothing, none of that shit matters. If it’s chaos that feeds you,” his pupils dilate. “Then eat.”

“—Kyrin!” Mom snaps at him, but he doesn’t shift.

Straightening back, he smirks a little. “Your mother seems to have forgotten how it is.”

“She needs us now, Kyrin!”

The faint sound of my door opening behind me forces through the tears strolling down my cheeks.

“She’s not needed us in a long time, Lilith. Wake up. This—you—are making her worse.” Father’s eyes snap to Dad. “And you shouldn’t have allowed her to interfere the way she has.”

“Well, if it isn’t exactly what I thought.”

Nate?

Spinning around to find him, arms catch my waist. The pounding of my heart races through my ears, tears streaming down my face when my eyes finally land on Nate.

Ignoring the heated argument behind me, his brows pull together as worry lines carve into his face. “You’re all right, Lulu. Remember who you are.”

His shoulders straighten. The softness in his eyes evaporates when they slide above my shoulder, landing on the person behind me. I never knew there was tension between both families.

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