Page 113 of Flame and Sparrow

“Of course not, I—”

“Because it sounds like maybe you’ve already started to do exactly that.”

I tried for more deep breaths, but they hitched in my throat, making my words come out as little more than a whisper. “That isn’t fair. And it isn’t true.”

He let out a soft, incredulous little laugh. I thought we were finished; he seemed ready to turn and storm away from me, and I was more than ready to turn and storm away in the opposite direction.

Instead he went very still, his eyes locking on mine, as he said, “After everything we’ve been through together, and everything I’ve done for you…”

“I’m not throwing any of that away.”

He didn’t reply.

We stood in uncomfortable silence for a long moment. I clenched my fists—guarding against my claws trying to unleash themselves—but otherwise, I didn’t dare move, afraid that so much as a wrong breath would escalate this beyond the point of no return.

“I just thought I was clear before you left, that’s all,” he said calmly.

“Clear?”

“I told you not to come back until you’d destroyed them, to not lose your anger over what they’ve done to us.”

“I’mstillangry, I just—”

He took a deliberate step toward me.

I stumbled back, warnings buzzing across my skin. “If you aren’t going to listen to anything I’m trying to say, then this conversation is over,” I snapped, starting once more for the house.

Just as before, I felt his gaze digging into my back.

Then he was following me, catching me by the arm and pulling me to a stop. The violence of the motion startled me, sending my pulse racing so fast it left me feeling faint.

“Let go of me,” I demanded.

“I think we need to finish our conversation first.”

“I told you—I’m alreadyfinishedwith you at the moment.”

His fingers dug more deeply into my skin. “I can’t let you go inside and tell all our potential allies about the apparent affection you’ve gained for our enemies.”

I tried to twist out of his grasp, but his cursed strength rose up and quickly overwhelmed me. Our brief struggle ended with him pushing me toward the manor, slamming my wrist into the wall with what felt like every ounce of that cursed power of his.

I heard the sound of bone snapping.

Pain blinded me.

It was a long moment before my surroundings came back into focus, before I looked down and saw bits of red glass scattered like drops of blood over the ground—the bracelet Dravyn had given me, shattered into too many pieces to count.

Sharp pain shot through my forearm, diffusing into a tingling ache that reached into my shoulders and neck. Head spinning, I lifted my gaze and tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Andrel’s eyes were wide with the same shock I felt. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Before he could find his voice, both of our eyes were drawn to the lanterns by the door, and then to the ones lining the path leading to that door; the flames in them had started to dance as though caught in a violent wind storm, even though no breeze stirred anywhere else.

One after the other, the lanterns went out.

Darkness overtook our surroundings—a swift, supernatural darkness that swallowed up the moon and stars along with everything else. The flame-shaped mark on my skin began to itch, to glisten as though coated in wet blood. I slumped against the wall, closing my eyes against the pain radiating through my arm, trying to find solace in the dark.

Light exploded into that solace seconds later, forcing my eyes open again. I half-expected to see the sun somehow blazing in the night sky.

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