Page 22 of Soul of Thorns
Why didn’t she ever tell me?
Her lips part. “The Night Bringer? Why would I—”
“No, I mean my brother.”
Caelynn
Isuck in a breath. “What?” I breathe.
“Were you ever going to tell me that my brother hurt you before you killed him?” His words are forceful, like an accusation. I flinch.
“No,” I say firmly.
He presses his palm to his lips, eyes soft and so achingly sad. I don’t want Rev to ever be sad. I want him to be happy. That’s my last wish. The last thing I’ll ever be granted.
I will find a way to win this fight and save Rev so that he can go on and live a good life without me. My own life was forfeit a long time ago. All I’ve ever been able to ask for is little moments of happiness. Of friendship and giving hope to someone else. Seeing it in their eyes. Hope for life that I never had.
Or, well, haven’t had since I was seventeen. That feels like a different life altogether.
I shake my head from those thoughts and wipe the tears. When I look up, I see Rev watching me. Our eyes meet and they stay that way, locked but neither of us speaking for a full minute.
It’s an eternity, this minute. Bitter but sweet. And I’d take it. If this were all I could have. If moments like this were all I could steal away from what could have been between me and Rev... I’d take it.
“I wish you’d told me,” he says finally breaking the silence.
“Why?” I whisper. “It would have only caused you more pain.”
He takes in a long breath, pulling his eyes from mine. “You let me believe you were a murderer. Even up to just days ago. I thought... I mean I guess I kinda knew. But I still let myself believe it. That Reahgan was good and you...” He shakes his head.
He wouldn’t have believed it, if I had told him. But I don’t say that.
“Why would I want to hurt you more?” What good would it do to tell him that his brother used his power to hold me down and told me how he’d torture me. That the guards and the High Court wouldn’t care what my body looked like when he finally gave me up to the authorities?
I shiver at the thought. No, I wouldn’t ever tell Rev that. Not even now.
He thinks it somehow justified what I did. And while it certainly made it easier—I’m not convinced I wouldn’t have done it anyway.
