Page 215 of A Soul to Embrace

“I visited you,” Raewyn stated softly, turning her head to the side.

“And what good did that do you?” Jabez asked, folding his arms across his chest defensively. “I didn’t want anyone watching me falling into madness, and reaching for you did nothing but deepen my hurt. You were free, I was not. You were an Elysian, and me a hybrid cursed by the very mother we share. I hated that you had everything I never did.”

“That wasn’t my fault!” Raewyn screamed while placing her hand over her heart. “I loved you! Looked up to you! You have no idea how much I missed you, worried for you, cared for you!”

“I was locked away inside darkness for so long I forgot your face,” Jabez told her. “Missing you in return only made everything I lost hurt more.”

She flinched, her ears twitching as if she misheard him, then slowly brought her head forward. “You... missed me?”

“You were the only thing that made me happy as a child,” he admitted, his arms tightening as his gaze narrowed. “You were my only friend. I lost you, and everything, the same day. I had to let all that go in order to protect myself.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip as tears flooded her eyes. She was strong-willed enough to stop them from falling, quicklyblinking them away before they could spill over. He was thankful for that, as he didn’t want to have to pretend he cared – and likely wouldn’t have.

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered as she raised her trembling hands to cover her lips.

“Can we get to the point as to why I’m here?” Jabez asked, wanting to get away from this uncomfortable conversation.

He was sure they would have many more in the future, but he wasn’t open to rekindling any kind of relationship with his half-sister right now. He didn’t know if he ever would be. Maybe Zylah could help him open his locked-up heart – she had a way of doing that – but now wasn’t the right time.

He’d just been accepted into this horrid city, and his senses had been on high alert since entering it. At the moment, he wanted little more than to get to know his mate better and discover that bond far more intimately. His deep affection for Zylah was entirely new to him, and he was still learning who he was as a bonded male.

Just a few days ago, his goal had been everything, and his hatred the backbone of who he was.

He needed time to adjust to all these new changes.

Jabez appreciated knowing the truth, especially as he’d be having a lot of contact with her through her work and Merikh. Being uninformed over the course of weeks would have infuriated him and would have destroyed any trust in her hemayhave developed, despite that being unlikely.

Although her features scrunched with further hurt, she snapped her face forward and cleared her throat.

“Yes, maybe that’s for the best,” Raewyn muttered as she stepped back behind the main counter in the room and took a seat on a stool. She skilfully managed to harden her voice like a true councilmember and the head of a scientific department. “Merikh, go clean up the mess you made.”

Grunting, the bull-horned Mavka deepened the naturally red colour of his orbs at Jabez before doing as he was instructed.

“Good little assistant,” Jabez playfully sneered.

“Fuck off,” Merikh snapped at him. “Next time, I’ll kick you in the seam, unless you’re letting it all swing again. If so, I might just rip your balls off.”

A grin incidentally caused him to flash his fangs.Fuck, I missed him.That argumentative temper of his matched Jabez’s own.

His humour died as he looked towards Raewyn, who had her left ear turned more to him.She’s very pretty – no wonder Merikh was enthralled by her. I imagine he likes taking care of her, since he’s usually so destructive.

He was even obediently sweeping up glass with a dustpan and broom, and Jabez doubted he could ever make Merikh do such a thing. She had a special hold on him.

Whatever makes him happy.

“Now that I know of our relationship, and how it means you likely have a close bond with our mother, I expect you to keep your word and not reveal to her what I’m about to disclose,” Jabez stated clearly, and likely a touch too loudly, to make sure she heard him well.

“Yes, I vow it.” Raewyn cupped her hands and placed them on the laboratory counter in front of her. “It will be hard, but I promise the information will not leave this room.”

“Merikh?” Jabez asked.

“Yeah, yeah.” Then, under his breath while he cleaned, he muttered, “Not that I can really talk to anyone properly yet.”

Jabez nodded, satisfied with both their answers, and tapped a finger against his biceps to battle the restraint he held on his secret. His following silence made the noise of Merikh fixing the counter he’d shunted Jabez into louder than it needed to be.

“She was close,” Jabez finally admitted, letting his mask of indifference neutralise his tone. “But Dr Kneis lacked one thing for getting the answer: callousness. I know she tested my blood repeatedly and it brought no answer. That’s because she needed tofeedit to a living Demon. I’m guessing the idea never crossed her mind, considering no one thought to feed me blood or meat.”

Raewyn’s lips parted on a quiet gasp. “Wait, are you saying...?”

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