Page 33 of Reflections of Peonies
“But then you were born, and the meaning was clear. A decision had to be made,” Bryce grumbled. “The only way to keep you safe was to send you away.”
Something in his words turned my blood to ice. But Bryce found the bright ceiling light extremely fascinating as he remained unable to meet my eyes.
“You must be joking,” I told him. Surely he was not implying this horrible thing. “We don’t even look alike!”
Bryce frowned, looking back to me, before he pointed at his own hazel eyes, his widow’s peak, and last, his wavy, brown hair. All features I also possessed.
I couldn’t deny that, now that he’d pointed it out, it was true—we did look somewhat similar, but…
“Some of those are dominant traits!” I snapped. “That proves nothing.”
“It’s unlikely that all of these traits would manifest by chance,” Bryce told me, raising an eyebrow. “You must return to class. There are some foundational elements missing from your education.”
“Shut up!” I pointed at him. “I understand genetics! I just can’t believe that you…you…Who is Bailey? Why did you…”
My question trailed off. No, the thing with the dragons was just an excuse. There was no way any loving and attentive parent would agree to abandon their baby. It seemed too easy and convenient. He was wrong.
Besides, why did he suddenly care now? He never said a word when I’d confessed that I was looking for my family.
“You proposed to me!” I pointed out. “You can’t be my brother!”
“That’s exactly why,” Bryce replied, his tone even. “As Miles pointed out to me earlier this afternoon, this would only be a marriage on paper. Then there’s the added benefit that so long as you’re not hurting yourself, I have no interest in controlling you. You can make your own medical decisions, including checking yourself out of here. In the meantime, we’ll figure out everything else.”
“But, wecan’tbe married,” I said. “It wouldn’t be legal.”
“No,” Bryce agreed. “It wouldn’t. But, as Miles also pointed out, I doubt anyone who might know will say anything. Besides, it’ll work nicely in masking your relationship with your quintet—as Damen’s plan to ignore reality is ill thought out and destined for failure.”
I paused, touched my lip, and nodded. That was true; I’d been thinking the same thing.
“Besides,” Bryce added, glancing at the onmyoji. “Damen andI were best friends for many years. I’m certain the two of us can reach some sort of understanding.”
“I loathe you.” Damen’s voice was dark, commanding. Instinctively, I turned my attention to him.
He was an imposing figure, his frame rigid and menacing. His hands were clenched, and the focus of his molten gaze was entirely on Bryce.
“She won’t be able to stay on campus as a married woman,” he said. “And she’s not staying with you.”
“That’s up to Bianca,” Julian said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Besides, she hasn’t even made a decision yet. What do you think, darling?”
This was happening so fast. My thoughts were in overdrive.
Bryce was my brother. The crazy rule that the boys hated was my fault. And there was that prophecy, which held implications I couldn’t digest at the moment.
And now I was supposed to be married?
However, this could be my chance to find out who they were. I might even meet my birth parents.
But did I want to?
Yet it was strange to think of Bryce as anyone other than my challenger. But he was apparently a member of my biological family, and he was trying to help me. However, I hardly knew him, and the thought of being alone with anyone other than the boys filled my heart with dread.
What was I supposed to say? “I-I-I—”
The brunette nurse opened the door, a faux apology written on her expression as she glanced between Julian and Damen. I froze at the sight of her, and it didn’t escape my notice that she didn’t look at Bryce or me at all.
From the sudden tenseness in Julian’s arm, he picked up on it this time as well.
“Sorry, sirs—” Her voice was deceptively bright.
