Page 78 of Taken By the Blood God

He faced me. “Be honest with her. Hold nothing back. You didn’t want to be vulnerable to her rejection. That’s why you lied. The only way to convince her that you won’t do it again is tonot do it again. When you talk to her, tell her everything. Tell her about your fears, your love, your mistakes. All of it.”

“What if that drives her further away?” I asked.

Davian made a show of looking around. “I don’t see her nearby now, do you?”

I shoved him back a few steps. “Too far, little brother.”

He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. “Like I said. You fucked up. Not just a little, but a lot. To convince her that you understand exactly how much you fucked up, you must open yourself up to that rejection. You must be willing to risk her withdrawal. Your soulmate is an intelligent woman who doesn’t take any shit. She won’t accept anything less.”

“How do you suddenly know Minerva so well?” I asked. “You’ve barely spoken to her since she bound you to Devil Springs.”

“I don’t have to converse with her to observe her personality and behavior, Tal. I have two eyes and two ears. You learn more by watching how someone treats others than by how they treat you.”

I made a sound of disgust in my throat.

“What?” Davian asked.

“Why did you wait until now to become so wise? Couldn’t you have been this smart last week?”

He chuckled and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You wouldn’t have listened to me anyway. You were too wrapped up in your witch.”

My witch. I hoped Minerva was still mine.

“You do realize that she’s probably locked you out of her home now, right?” Davian asked.

I lowered my head and sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that yet, but I don’t doubt that you’re right.”

“I’m sorry. Did you just say I’m right?” he said.

I punched him in the chest. “Shut up.”

“Don’t give up hope, brother. Because she loves you, you’ll have a chance to fix what you broke. But it will require patience and effort.”

“I hope you’re right,” I murmured.

“Well, let’s clean up this mess and head back to her house. Even if you can’t get inside, I should be able to. I’ll bring you your things.”

“If she blocked me from the house, I’m sure she blocked you, too,” I pointed out.

Davian smiled, the expression more than a little wicked. “That may be, but she bound me with her power, which means there’s a trace of her magic on me. The spell should recognize me and let me in.”

“You do realize she could make you disappear, right?” I asked.

“I don’t think she would do that. She’s mad at you, not me.”

I punched his chest again. Harder this time.

Davian grunted, rubbing his sternum. “Control yourself, brother.”

“Stop being an ass, and I will.”

He shrugged. “Fine. Then, let’s get to work. There are pieces of warlocks everywhere.”

I grimaced but did as he instructed. I hoped that this was a sign that the brother I once knew was returning to me.

Chapter

Thirty-Two

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