Page 89 of This Blood that Bonds Us
“Do not worry. It’s only a precaution. Someone will need to take over his archives and carry on his work. Hopefully, it won’t be needed. The council wants to ensure preservation of his life’s work is in order.”
There was a gentle calm about the way she said it that made me feel like she wouldn’t care in the slightest if Kilian did meet that fate or if we all did, but maybe that’s how The Legion was. An old organization filled with people whose only real goal in life was to take down The Family, so friends and family came second. It wasn’t personal. Just strictly business.
Kimberly came up beside me. Her proximity allowed me to put my arm over her shoulder and hold her to me.
“Kimberly, it’s a pleasure.” Anzola opened her mouth like there was more to say. “Looking forward to speaking with you later about your endeavors with the dagger.”
“Oh . . . okay.” Kimberly shifted.
“Are you going to help fight?” I asked, partly joking.
“I came to stay for the foreseeable future, not just for cataloging old relics . . .”
With graceful elegance, Anzola removed her jacket, revealing tight overlapping leather underneath. The only thing I could equate it to was a video game character.
Kimberly and I shared a wide-eyed look. I wished Presley were here to break the silence. Kilian did the same but revealed his bare chest and lean and sharply carved muscle.
In my head, Kilian was a fragile older man. The only time I’d seen him move quickly was the night he pinned me up against the door in OBA. I reeled as my perception I’d built up over the months shifted in a matter of seconds.
“Kilian needs a sparring partner that can keep up.” Anzola’s eyes glistened as she stalked forward to face him.
The rest of us stepped out of the center mat, giving them room.
“So, you’re definitely fighting too, then?” I called to Kilian.
He smiled. “Did you think I was too old?”
I bit my cheek, saying nothing.Definitely.
I expected it to be quick. For Kilian to be slow and sloppy, but he wasn’t. Anzola was a great challenge. They first sparred clean at full power. Their full strength split the mats and cracked the concrete floor underneath. I couldn’t stop staring. Kilian wasn’t just good, he was great. It had to be the years of training, but all I’d ever seen him do was sit down and read.No wonder Akira left us that day in the forest.
If I had to guess, they were closely matched.
“Take your jaw off the floor, Calem.” Dom stood beside me.
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
The air in the room grew heavier when Anzola got a bite in on Kilian’s arm and blood littered the ground. There was something sinister about it and brutal in a way that made my stomach churn. I rubbed my chest thinking of Zach and Luke, and hoped they weren’t doing that very thing.
We had strong fighters, and that meant we were finally a match for The Guard.
Thirty-Eight
Kimberly
Halina and I took a break from sparring after a few hours. I enjoyed the distraction. We settled into the living room that held an electric fireplace, and various large and small plants litteredthe space along the floor-to-ceiling windows. The remaining light of the day bathed the leaves in sunlight.
“He kept all of Will’s old plants.” Halina reached for one of the leaves and rubbed it between her fingers. “We take good care of them . . . He was so particular. I remember all the instructions.”
“You miss him . . .”
“Will was—is a large part of what held us together. I don’t think he knew that though. And if he comes back, I won’t tell him. And Thane was a friend. One of the only people I had to talk to. Not sure if you’ve picked up on it, but my brother isn’t very talkative, so it gets lonely. And Skylar, well, Skylar and I butted heads, but it was nice to have another girl in the group.”
“Do you want me to help with them?” I motioned to the plants on the floor and windowsill.
“Sure. You can water and I’ll prune some.”
