Page 32 of Reign By Wrath

Crash!

She snatched up the knife. Glass and porcelain shattered at our feet. “Argh!”

“Nooo!” Twisting around, I hauled ass—screaming my head off.

“You evil bitch! You ruined my life!” I felt Saylor on my tail like the breath of Hades scorching my neck hairs. “Did you come here to rub it in? Big mistake!”

“Alistair! Alistair!” Lucien was teaching me self-defense. Unfortunately, we hadn’t gotten to the lessons on how to evade a knife-wielding lunatic. “Dad!”

Alistair shot through the door. Snatching me off my feet, he threw me behind him and swung up, blocking Saylor’s wild jab.

I tripped over my feet, clutching my chest and gasping.Holy fuck, she swung. She really tried to stab me.

“Let go of me! Let go!”

Alistair wrestled the knife from her grip, then restrained her when she dove for it again.

“You don’t know who that is,” she shrieked, “or what she’s done. Let me go!”

“I know who she is. She’s my daughter and your cousin.”

I don’t think anything could’ve stopped her from trying to kill me... except those words.

Saylor went limp, her eyes huge. “Excuse me?”

“Luna is your cousin.” Alistair set her on her feet, tossed the knife in the room, and shut the door. “I thank you for bringing this up so quickly. The war between you two stops now. I’m sure you’ll find you’re on the same side.”

Saylor looked from me to him, back to me, and then to him. “No.”

“I had the same reaction,” I snapped, stepping out from behind him. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but—”

Saylor pounced—seizing the chance I stupidly gave her. We went down in a screeching flail of punches, kicks, and scratches.

***

“LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN.”

Saylor and I glared at each other from opposite sides of the room. She nursed a fat lip while I held an ice pack to the lump on the back of my head.

Alistair sat beside me on the couch. He didn’t have to be my human shield. Dario Burkhardt claimed the spot next to Saylor, ready to hold her back.

I was less than dazzled by being in the room with a sitting senator. Don’t get me wrong, I had nothing against the guy. I was simply distracted by the fact his devil spawn was still looking around for a weapon.

“Fresh start,” Dario said, flashing me a smile. It was wild how much he looked like my father. Same auburn hair. Same whiff of mischief in his grin. “That’s exactly what all of us”—he placed a hand on Saylor’s arm—“my family and I are hoping for. A fresh start with my brother and with you, Luna. We’re glad you’re here.”

“No, we’re not,” Saylor barked. “That bitch isn’t my cousin. I don’t care what either of you say.”

“Now, now.” Dario’s tone was mild, even fond, as he addressed his daughter. Seemed I’d found the only person on the planet who liked this monster. “No need for that kind of language. I’m aware this is an adjustment for both of you. I’ve come to understand your relationship has been antagonistic up to this point.”

“Understatement of the century,” I said. “That hellbeast started this war. She’s just mad I won.”

“You—!”

“It stops now,” Dario sliced in, giving us stern frowns apiece. “Today is cause for celebration. My brother has returned home. I have a chance to get to know my niece. No more fighting. No morewars. We’re family.”

Cause for celebration? Didn’t his precious brother blackmail him to get through the door? And seeing as he ignored me for eighteen years, that didn’t sound like someone hurting to know his niece.

Had to hand it to the senator. You didn’t get where he was without knowing how to spin bullshit.

---