Page 90 of Quiet Burn

Suddenly, Kit's hand flies up to cover the spot. Dark red blood covers his fingers as he holds it and he mutters,“Aw, fuuuuck.”

“This isnota small injury, little demon.” Slash’s expression is stormy, and he looks at the new guy like he’s going to turn him over his knee.

What’s more interesting is that Kit looks like he’s trying to figure out if he likes the idea.

Finally, he glares up at the shark shifter defiantly. “I didn’t say it was small.”

Confounded by his own trick, Slash huffs and Jas smirks at him. When my dragon’s gaze comes back to Kit, it’s no longer amused. No, it’s full of barely contained fury. “Kit Camponella, you lied to us. I don’t carewhy,but it’s unacceptable.”

Even Salem winces at his tone, but I know it well. This is the dominant side of Jasper, and that means he’s furious with our newest brother. It also means he’s attracted to him, but I’m not going to risk his temper by suggesting that. It took a while for the Prince to admit our attraction to himself because he worried that he would fuck up the caliphate and put me in his father’s sights. Kit’s already placed himself on the King’s shit list, so that’s not a concern here. But given that it’s well-known that all of us have some level of interest in the kid, Jasper would have to learn to share.

It’s not in his nature, so I’m interested to see how he handles this—or fucks it up for himself entirely.

“I knew X and Salem and Zav were hurt worse,” Kit protests. “And, um…well, it didn’t hurt anymore, so I thought…”

“You thought what?” Slash asks. “That if you didn’t think about it, it would go away?”

Kit’s face turns bright red and he shrugs, then gasps in pain. “I mean… yeah? That’s how I always dealt with shit that hurt in the past. I just… gritted my teeth and did the best I could until things healed. I mean, except the one time, but…thatis not a conversation for today.”

Jasper makes a strangled sound of anger, then turns to his second. “I am leaving you in charge of handling him right now. I can’t… I can’t even deal with that statement.” His eyes cut back to Kit before he adds, “But onlyIwill handle his punishment. Is that clear?”

“No one is punishing me for making decisions aboutmybody,” the stubborn, partially emerged dude says. “I’m a goddamned adult.”

“Perhaps you should act like it and let Dr. D work on you so he can heal the others instead of arguing with us while they suffer.”

Damn it, Jasper.

Kit’s expression crumples for a tiny moment, then hardens as he looks away from the Prince. “Dank, I’m sorry for being a problem. I would love for you to come help me—with the fucking curtain drawn.”

“Ouch,” Oriel says under his breath as he sits with Salem. “Denied.”

“Of course I can, Master Kit.” The plague masked doctor comes over, dutifully pulling the barrier in front of Jasper and me. Hedoesn’t seem to move to close off the other side, so Kit does not mind them watching.

“Jasper,” I murmur as he stomps over to me with a dark scowl on his handsome face. “That was not your finest moment. You should apologize.”

He gives me a dirty look, clearly pouting about the curtain and the brush-off. “Princes don’t apologize, especially when they areright.”

Sighing, I take his hand between mine. “I know you’re worried about me, about Xerxes, about Salem, and even about Kit Kat. Not being able to control that stupid scenario has you feeling responsible for those who were hurt. And you couldn’t stop it, nor keep the dragon from taking over, so it’s even worse. Right?”

The Prince of Hell just keeps scowling at me like a recalcitrant child and it takes everything in me not to chuckle. His father broke him so thoroughly as a child that it’s amazing he’s able to fight much of the training he was programmed to follow like a good little automaton until he found our caliphate. Right now, he probably wants to lash out again, and that won’t help anything. In fact, it might ruin his chances altogether and because I love him, I don’t want that to happen.

People besides me need to know how fiercely devoted Jasper Eversore is to those he allows into the fortress of his heart.

“Kit is scared, Jas,” I whisper to him. “This is the first time he used magic and he didn’t realize it was his until it was too late. He’s feeling guilty and upset about everyone being harmed. With his issues, it’s not surprising that he made the decision to put everyone else first. He’s probably been doing it most of his life, right?”

Jasper frowns, looking thoughtful. “But he lied—several times. Zavvie, he had an arrow embedded in his fucking shoulder and sat around waiting until he was called. He could have bled out.”

I tilt my head. “He wasn’t bleeding until he forced the magic to recede. I think it was… plugging it? Fuck, I don’t know because we have no idea what his heritage really is. His powers are a completely blank slate, though I’veneverseen people lose their shit like they did in that exercise. And that magic blocking the wound was black… shadows, perhaps?”

“He’s not from my line. You know we can tell.”

Whew. I’m finally getting past his rage and spite.

“Yes, and none of us can feel that he’s part of our people. What the hell does that leave?”

Jasper frowns again then looks over his shoulder as mutters, “I don’t fucking know, Zavvie.”

That’s exactly my point.

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