Page 79 of This Violent Light
I’m off her before she can even think of wrapping those legs around me.
“Food first,” I tell her. “I’ll make it up to you after.”
“Sounds likeI’mthe one who should be making things up,” she mumbles.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I say. I pinch her chin, angling her head until she meets my gaze. “You don’t owe me—or anyone else—a single thing.”
I swallow the sudden knot in my throat. I’m being too honest, revealing too much.
“Is Cora angry?” she asks.
I hesitate. Before I can decide whether I want to tell her the full truth, Grace sits up straight.
“She’s furious, isn’t she?” she asks. “Is Milas going?—”
“I haven’t seen Cora since that night,” I admit. “I imagine she’s furious, but I’m not sure. The last time I saw her, she was unconscious at my feet.”
“You didn’t?—”
“I did,” I say, cutting her off with a growl. “She ignored my orders. She was going to let you die.”
“Maybe she knew I wouldn’t,” Grace whispered.
“Maybe,” I admit. Surprise flashes over Grace’s features. I hold my hand out to her and help her off the bed. “I wasn’t willing to find out.”
Grace blinks at me, eyebrows scrunching like she’s searching for a hidden meaning.
I stare right back, letting her find the same truth I already have.
“Come on, little witch,” I say finally. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
At Grace’s request,we’re in the courtyard. She’s eating a fragrant bowl of pasta, humming to herself between bites. I lean against the statue of myself, watching her without bothering to pretend otherwise. It’d be smart to use this time to feed, but I still don’t trust anyone else alone with her.
A soft knock sounds at the courtyard entryway, and I turn to find Oskar watching us. Damn him. All these years, and he’s still the only one to surprise me.
“Master,” he says.
We’ve only spoken twice since the failed ritual. First, when he updated me on Cora’s recovery—and fury—from my hit. Second, when he asked what plans I had to try again. I didn’t have an answer for him then, and I certainly don’t now.
“Oskar,” I finally reply. My attention flickers back to Grace. She has her electronic in front of her and a pair of headphones over her ears. She glances our way, offering a shy nod, before turning back to the movie.
“How is she?” he asks. He steps into the sunlight, breathing deeply as the warmth hits his face. He stands with relaxed posture and a soft smile, staring at me like a father would his son.
“Better,” I say, even though that much is obvious. Thelast time he saw her, she looked like a bloodied corpse. “The food should help.”
“Looks like food might help you too,” he says. “When’s the last time you fed?”
“I’m fine.” I look at Grace again. Not long ago, I stared up at the sun, hating its violent light. For so long, I believed it was the only force strong enough to contain my kind.
Now, I realize Grace is far more powerful. Her violent light is the only thing capable of containingme, and if I’m not careful, she’ll consume every last piece.
Oskar claps a hand on my shoulder, and I force my gaze back to him.
“She would have died,” he says. His expression is soft, with something unrecognizable just beneath the surface. “You could have broken the curse, but you chose her life instead.”
“We don’t know it would have worked,” I say. “It might have failed. And if she was dead, we would have been fucked.”
“Perhaps,” he says.
