Page 37 of Ashes and Lilies
While he spoke, Finn—I couldn’t help but notice—glared at Damen’s hand. Meanwhile, Bryce was still watching me in that unnerving manner.
Bryce had never looked at me with such… whatever before. Usually, he was condescending. But right now, he seemed to be excited about something. I didn’t like it.
This was worse than his expression after class—when he’d, apparently, believed I was to be his protégé.
I needed to regain my bearings so I could elaborate on my plot to squash that look off his face and put him back into his rightful place as my first-in-command.
“Damen.” I tugged on his sleeve, recalling his attention to me. “We’ll be late.”
Damen frowned. Clearly, he wanted to talk to Anthony and Finn—while Bryce was nothing more than decoration. However, I relied on his professionalism.
“Fine.” Damen sighed, choosing duty over curiosity. He grabbed my hand. “Finn, I’ll call you later.”
There was an order in his voice, a particular tone I’d not heard him use before. And Finn, who had been pouting, tore his gaze from our hands.
“I don’t want to talk to you.” He narrowed his eyes at Damen. “I want to talk to Bianca,” he said again.
“That’s too bad,” Damen replied mildly. “Until Bianca says otherwise, you’ll only be talking to me for the foreseeable future. Leave her alone.” Damen squeezed my hand. “You’re lucky that,right now, we’re too busy with our investigation at Aine’s to focus on you.”
“We’re still working on that?” Finn’s frown deepened. “I thought you would have exorcised that thing by now.”
“No!” I glared into Finn’s face, and because I knew him, I added. “And don’t you do it either!”
“I understand.” Finn sighed, and his shoulders dropped. “Of course, you don’t want me or Damen to destroy the ghost that is trying—and has almost succeeded—in killing you.”
“Hey!” I protested.
“Do you feel sorry for it?” he asked. “Or did you become friends with it too, since you’re picking up new companions all over the place these days?”
“It’s not my friend!” I told him.
“That’s the other thing,” Bryce said, apparently deciding this would be a good time to interject. “How is it no one has come to me? You’ve already contaminated my murder scene with another medium—”
I gasped. I knew it, he did hold grudges!
“—which was completely out-of-bounds.” Bryce’s disapproving gaze trained on Damen. “But there’s a violent ghost around, and we’ve not been notified?”
“You’ll be notified when we need you.” Damen shrugged him off, not seeming to care that Bryce was offended.
It was glorious.
“Damen…” Bryce began, glaring at the onmyoji. “You can’t just—”
“But if you must be involved, send Brayden,” Damen continued. “I’m sure he could do some research for Bianca.”
My pulse, which had been echoing in my ears, skipped. I focused on Damen, who watched Bryce with a harsh expression. Their animosity gave me hope.
I could almost visualize the flames of hatred burning between them.
“I’m not sending Brayden!Iwant to work with her!” Bryce glanced at me. “It’s obvious that her powers are untamed. Someone must train her!”
“You can’t do that!” Finn cut in, stepping between them. His arms were outstretched, and his tone was stricken with panic. “You can’t let her rely on her abilities! She needs to go back on her medication! The longer it is out of her system, the more dangerous it’ll be. She’s my friend—why can’t you just listen?”
“She doesn’t seem to think she’s your friend.” Anthony inclined his head toward me. But this time, all amusement had fled his expression. “Besides, you’re not even remotely qualified to medicate people.”
“I’m not the one medicating her, you moron!” Finn snapped. “It’s my job to keep her safe. And if that means making sure she’s not involved, then so be it.”
Anthony’s brow furrowed. “But then who would—”
