Page 40 of Kiss the Dawn
I couldn’t help but go stiff in their arms, couldn’t help but wonder what I’d agreed to, but as much as it scared me, walking away and leaving my mother to die frightened me more, because if I did that, what kind of person would I be? If I walked away, then the wicked voice inside me that said I owed these people nothing, that I was doing enough by helping to stop Loviator, would win.
My darkness…herdarkness would prevail.
I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Lorenzo poured tea, sipped it, raked his fingers through his hair, and sighed. Then he drank more tea and sighed some more.
“Just say it.”
He set his cup down. “Fine. I think we should leave.”
“They’ll kill my mother.”
“Will they? If they do, then they lose their most valuable leverage against you.”
I hadn’t thought of it that way. “This is all becoming a mess. We came here to look at the contract. I came to meet my family, and now…” I had to ask… “Is there no hope of finding a loophole in the contract?”
“I was confident that there would be a weakness somewhere. There usually is. Placed deliberately by one party or the other, hidden to allow for contestation down the line if needed, but not with this one. It’s written in blood and sealed with ancient magic. They knew I’d find nothing.”
His jaw ticked. He was pissed we’d come all this way for nothing but to give the Circle exactly what they wanted.
“It’s fine. It has to be done. Either this or they keep coming for me, but this time to kill me.”
His eyes narrowed, and a look came over his face as if he’d thought of something.
“What? What did you think of?”
“Nothing.” He drained his cup and stood.
“Bullshit, you just had an idea.”
“Maybe I did. But I need to test it out first. Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
He left quickly, closing the door behind him.
Great. Now what? The sun had set, and if I thought Ezekiel could reach me here, I’d have taken a nap, but?—
The sound of the door opening interrupted my thoughts. “That was quick.” I turned, expecting to see Lorenzo, but a stranger stood in the doorway.
“Who are you?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Pressure filled my head, and the lights went out.
Eliza’s voicetugged me toward consciousness.
“This is wrong. I won’t let you do this,” she said.
A man replied. “I’m not asking your permission. This is decided. We decided.”
“Brennan?” Eliza’s voice shook. “You too?”
A deeper voice spoke. “Yes. I won’t lose you, Eliza.”
“You won’t have to. She promised that I could stay, that?—”
“We don’t want her.” A third voice spoke up. “We love you and we won’t lie with another.”
