Page 60 of Martyr
Saint’s shoulders hike up. “Sorry, Artemis. I came down here to see what else Kade could fill in for me.”
My gaze bounces from Saint to Kade. The latter seems unsurprised by my entrance, and he scoots to the side, then pats the empty space next to him.
“You shouldn’t manipulate him,” I tell Kade. “You can’t just twist his head up into knots.”
Neither of them has a reply, and Saint makes no move to leave. So… I take the bait and sit next to Kade.
Like this, his height is much more apparent. His shoulder is even with my forehead, and I have to crane back just to see his face. I pivot to face him and bring my leg up on the bed.
“I wasn’t trying to manipulate him.” Kade examines his fingernails on one hand. “He came to me. I’m the one locked down here.”
“Which means you’d have motivetomanipulate,” I argue. “What were you saying?”
“I wanted to understand how we met,” Saint says. “Up until a few days ago, I was certain I was straight. And now…”
“I was in the process of telling him about my naked ocean swims,” Kade adds. “And how you two interrupted me. That’s how you knew about my piercings, by the way. You saw it with your own eyes.”
“And turned a lovely shade of red,” I murmur.
Kade cracks a smile.
“So did you, Tem.”
Great.
“Well.” I clear my throat. “That answers that.”
“I have another question,” Saint says. He scratches at his jaw. “You care for your sister. It seems clear that you care, at least in part, for Artemis and me.”
Kade nods slowly. “I do.”
“So what loyalty do you owe Ouranos? Why continue to help him when he’s hurting our city? And us, by extension?”
That’s a good question, Saint.
The conversation from the cabin comes back to me. Kade picked Atlas because, on some level, he thinks he deserves punishment for taking up this war against the Olympians. And, presumably, Sterling Falls in general.
Kade already feels remorse. He’s been trying to protect us from the start, hasn’t he? The Cyclops sweatshirt he thoughtwould send a message to keep me safe on the streets, his warning to Saint to get Antonio out when Ouranos arrived…
Not that Saintremembers. Maybe fragments. Feelings. There’s got to be something there, right?
He’s locked in on Kade, and he steps closer when Kade remains silent. His expression is something fierce. “Ouranos wants to extinguish everything that gives this town its charm. The small businesses are burning. Who do you think those belong to? Gang members and criminals? No. Innocent Sterling Falls folks who have been through enough war. What about my tattoo shop? Antonio’s restaurant? Tem’s club? All the work we put into making this placegood, Ouranos waves his hand and his guys destroy it. I may have forgotten how we met, Kade, but I still know and love Sterling Falls. Ouranos wants to burn it to the ground—and you’re complicit in that.”
I rise. Kade’s attention drops to the floor and stays there, and the muscle in his jaw jumps. Whatever the answers are, they seem locked in his head. More punishment? Self-inflicted, this time.
I hold my hand out to Saint. “Come on. He’ll answer in his own time.”
Saint sighs, but he doesn’t protest. He comes forward and takes my hand, and my heart skips. His skin is cool and rough against my hot palm, and it takes everything in me to not squeeze tighter.
Willing contact has to be a step in the right direction…
I don’t waste time lingering. I pull Saint out of the room, only pausing to let him close the door and lock it behind us.
26GABRIEL
“You cannot go.”
I burst out laughing. The sentence is so funny—so unusual and unexpected—my stomach cramps. I double over, still howling. Tears leak from the corners of my eyes.
