Page 103 of Immortal Bastard

It was the first time Christian saw him with any sort of empathy. As a bastard, he knew what it was to be an outcast in this place. He took pity on the boy. “You do realize she’s not your sister anymore.”

His sorrow instantly transformed to fury and he shoved to his feet. “She’ll always be my sister.”

“Dane…” It was the first time he used his name and it felt…odd. “When a transition takes place outside of God’s command, there will always be consequences.”

“She’s my blood. She could also be yours. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Her blood is diseased. We’ll never know her true lineage. Look at the secrets your parents kept from you. She might not even be—”

“She’s my sister,” he snapped. “I’ll never see her as anything less.”

He shook his head. There was no recourse aside from letting her go. In Christian’s opinion, none of those misfits belonged in those cells, and they should all be destroyed, the witch included.

“You’re living in a world of ideals. It’s time you faced the reality. Brother Cain broke the laws of nature when he interfered. He broke the laws of God.”

“Then why is she still alive? If your all-powerful God wanted her dead, she’d be dead. She’s meant to be here.”

“He’s your God too.” His thoughts strayed to his mate. More than once she called herself a captive. Was he being merciful where Delilah was concerned? Or was she just another victim in a cell? He believed in God’s greater plan, but his faith had been shaken over the last few days.

Out of comforting words, he simply said, “God works in mysterious ways.”

Dane’s face pinched as he turned his glare to the distant trees blocking the view of the Safe House. “I would rather see her put down than let that monster sink his teeth into her again,” he rasped.

Taken aback by his confession, Christian frowned. “But you love her.” He could feel the boy’s affection for the girl as much as he could read it in his mind.

“Exactly. I love her, and it’s my responsibility to protect her. I want Isaiah dead. If that brings her survival back into question, so be it. I can’t stand by and let him do that to her again.”

He picked through the boy’s chaotic memories, seeing how much he thought this through and how resolute he was in his belief that Isaiah deserved to die.

Isaiah was once Christian’s dear friend. It pained him to lose him again, and his return to the farm had been a lot for the elders to process. Old wounds reopened and difficult decisions rested on their shoulders once more.

“His crimes are beyond comprehension, I know. But like your sister, the Isaiah who existed decades ago is lost. Gone, I’m afraid. I’ve mourned him for nearly a hundred years, and yet my grief remains. And those that have died, I grieve them the same. For immortals, death is sometimes more agonizing because we hold onto the relentless pain of loss for eternity.”

“You said you wanted Isaiah to die.”

“No, I said he needs to die. None of this is what anyone wants. You must understand, he was once our friend. Isaiah was an elder on The Council. He was with us when we founded The Order. Just as your heart tells you to protect your sister, our instincts push us to protect him.”

“My sister was innocent. What Isaiah did…” His words choked him. “My mom… Those other women…”

Again, Christian found himself taking pity on the boy. “It’s incomprehensible.”

“If The Council doesn’t kill him, I will.”

He stiffened. “Do not act hastily. Even contained, Isaiah has great strength. Not only that, acting without The Council’s consent will carry consequences.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should care,” Christian snapped. “This is your life now. We’ve offered you protection and sanctuary when you had none. If you wish to stay here, you will obey The Council’s decree.”

“Then do something! I’m trying to play by the rules. The Council won’t listen to me because they don’t respect me. You’re one of them—an elder.” He swallowed and glanced away before meeting his stare again. “As your half-brother, I’m asking this one favor of you. Please help me.”

The laws that protected Isaiah were the same laws that protected the girl. The rules kept them in a functional society. Disregarding the laws would lead to anarchy. They’d also get the boy killed.

Glancing up at the bedroom window, he saw the curtain flutter and a shadow drift back from the glass. He considered what Dane was willing to sacrifice for the sister he so deeply loved. Would a true mate suffer the same if it meant seeing to his partner’s happiness? Could he lose Delilah? Could he put her happiness before his own and let her go? Was that what real love was? He hadn’t expected it to hurt so much, and he wasn’t ready to answer such questions.

Or perhaps he already had his answer but wasn’t ready to face the truth.

A wall came down. He couldn’t make these decisions right now when his personal life was in shambles. He wasn’t in the right state of mind to champion his old friend’s death or consider what might happen to the deranged girl. His focus was needed here.

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