Page 38 of Shattered Veil
“Again, we don’t know.” Lochan leans back in his chair.“But if the Council is watching us because we’re with Brigid, we can’t do what we need to do. Which is figure out what’s going on.”
“And protect Brigid,” Tiernan adds.
Lochan grunts.
“So we came up with a plan.” Callen starts pacing.“Make the dean, and the Council, think we’re interested in someone else instead. They stop being interested in us, and we can move freely. Investigate. Find out what they’ve got planned that involves Brigid.”
“Interested in someone else… like who?” I’m afraid to ask.
“Laria.” Lochan says her name with about as much warmth as an iceberg.
I inhale.
And exhale.
And then I lose it.
“You’re all fucking morons, you know that?” I stalk across the room to Tiernan.“Him I’d expect this from,” I say, jerking my thumb toward Callen.“Even Lochan.” I ignore Lochan’s growl.“But you? You’re supposed to be the smart one.”
Tiernan blinks.
Idiots. Every last one of them.“I don’t suppose any of you filled Brigid in on your half-assed plan?” I wait for an answer.
“We thought it would be more authentic if she wasn’t aware.” Tiernan backs away from me as he speaks, watching my hands as I crack my knuckles one by one.
“Oh really?” My voice is calmer than I feel.“Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.” I smile.“The three of you have no idea what I’ve just come from. It’s worse than anything you could imagine. And I didn’t survive it just to come back and have you fuck up everything with Brigid.”
“We’re doing this for her,” Lochan says, standing up.
“Bullshit. Even if you are, it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you really think anyone will believe it?”
“Brigid seems to,” Callen says, shrugging. He ducks as my fist flies towards him.
Tiernan steps between me and the others.“Let’s calm down.” He places a hand on my chest and I’m about to break his arm. But then he uses some kind of druid shit on me and all I feel is calm and relaxed. Which is disorienting as I’m still angry as hell.
“I’m with you, Rory. This doesn’t feel right. It makes me sick.” Callen speaks from his new position on the other side of the room, out of arm’s reach.“But you weren’t here when King Cillian threatened her. I know my father. He will have her killed.”
I shake off Tiernan’s calming influence, my anger simmering just below the surface.“So your solution is to treat her like shit? Push her away when she needs us most? Real fucking heroic, guys.”
“We’re trying to help her,” Lochan growls, his eyes flashing with frustration.
“By breaking her heart? Yeah, that’ll end well,” I snap back.“I’m going to dinner with Brigid. You all can sit here and wallow in your misguided bullshit or come apologize like actual men.”
As I turn to leave, Tiernan’s quiet voice stops me.“Rory, how did Brigid open the rift? It shouldn’t have been possible.”
I pause, my hand on the doorknob. I was hoping to avoid this conversation.“Marius,” I say, and I brace for the explosion.
Lochan’s reaction is immediate and predictable.“I knew it.”
Tiernan tilts his head.“She went to Marius?”
“That shadow fucker—” Callen starts.
“Oh, shut the fuck up,” I snarl, rounding on them.“Without Marius, I’d still be trapped in that hellhole. You want to bitch about it? Fine. But do it after you’ve spent months in a void that makes your nightmares look like a fucking picnic.”
The room falls silent.
My stomach growls audibly, reminding me that I haven’t eaten and now that I’m back in a world where time actually matters, that means food is kind of necessary.
