Page 70 of This Ravenous Fate
“I can take care of myself,” Elise said roughly.
“Is that why you showed up with no weapons and smelling like I marked you?” Layla laughed dryly. “I thought you were smart, but you’re clueless. Or is it my venom that has you acting like a damn fool?”
Both. Elise wanted to say. Her brain was twisted and her thoughts were as complex as her feelings all because of Layla and this stupid ordeal she had gotten herself into. Elise clenched her jaw and shot back, “You’re one to talk. I saw how you looked at Nellie last night. You almost exposed yourself as a reaper just to get to her.”
Layla’s lips twitched, but she said nothing.
“Valeriya doesn’t have to know. About the bite, I mean,” Elise said softly.
Something flickered in Layla’s eyes. “If Mei knows, then Valeriya certainly does too. Her senses are far stronger than any other reaper’s I know.”
Frustration bit through Elise as she ground her teeth.
Finally, Layla’s gaze snapped back to Elise. “Why are you really here, Saint?” she demanded.
Elise sighed, defeated. “You want a cure. By now, the whole city knows about Dr. Harding’s research and Mr. Wayne’s plans, and soonenough the whole country will, if not the whole world. Yet no one has ever seen a cured reaper survive. There’s been a pattern between Theo and the dancers being infected and them all having gone to the clinic and the Cotton Club at some point. Mr. Wayne is the common name beneath all of this. You were right earlier when you said we shouldn’t trust him. Ever since Mr. Wayne became involved, things have gone wrong. He doesn’t want to help reapers, or even people. He’s probably funding illegal trials and I think Theo was his first victim,” Elise said.
“Well, his trials are working. Nellie became human—” Layla started. But Elise didn’t let her finish.
“Shedied. And no one, not the papers, not even Mr. Wayne seems to care—”
“What about your father?” Layla challenged.
Elise blinked. “What about him?”
“Why can’t you see any wrong in your father’s actions?” Layla asked, voice trembling with wild anger.
Elise blanched and stammered, “What?I’m talking about Mr. Wayne—”
“Your father is still involved in this too. Just admit it. Your father isn’t perfect. He isn’t some flawless person that makes everything better just because of who he is.”
“He’s my father—”
“You sure do love saying that. As if that proves anything. Did he even react to the chandelier falling? Tell me—did he seem distressed at all that his party got someone killed? Or was he just upset that hisimage was tainted?” Layla demanded.
Her father had been drunk last night. But he didn’t seem upset because of the party. His focus had been almost entirely on Elise. Which she had to admit was unlike him, especially when it came to the empire.
If the empire was a tangible thing in her mind, one brick might have crumbled while she considered Layla’s words. The foundation of the empire would crack and cleave while Layla poked holes in its image. Elise didn’t like the direction this conversation was going in.
“It wasn’t his fault, Layla. He knows what he’s doing, he always does. He hates reapers more than anyone—”
“Exactly,” Layla snapped. “He wants them gone. He doesn’t want to cure the monsters that killed his child.”
Elise stopped breathing at the mention of Charlotte.
“At least Stephen Wayne wants to fix things. There is not an ounce of goodness in your father. I know that’s how you see me, so you should see it in him too.” Layla swallowed. “I know what it’s like to be blinded by vengeance and to only want the blood of the ones who hurt you. There is no room for hope, or anything light. Your father doesn’t love…” Layla paused, her eyes flashing while Elise flinched. “If you’re going to accuse Stephen Wayne, then accuse your father, as well. Tobias Saint doesn’t care about anything besides his empire and what it stands for.”
Silence filled the space between them. For a long moment, Elise only watched Layla, her eyes searching her expression. She stumbled through her next words as she shifted the topic, “You want the cureso badly, you are willing to ignore the terrible things Mr. Wayne might be doing to get it?”
“I’m a reaper, Saint. You already know what I want. The whole world does,” Layla breathed.
Months ago, Elise might have agreed; she might have answered with “carnage,” because that was what rogue reapers wanted. But Layla was not a rogue reaper. Elise stepped closer to Layla. “Why are you changing your mind so suddenly? I told you I believed you were innocent.”
A defeated sigh left Layla. “Maybe you shouldn’t have.” She lowered her gaze, fingers clenching into fists against her sides. “I don’t want to do this with you anymore. It’s clear our endgames are nowhere near aligned,” she muttered.
Elise’s heart fell. “Layla, wait—” Layla started to walk away, but Elise caught up with her, grabbing her sleeve. “We’re close. I can…I know we are…please—”
But Layla was already shaking her head. “I don’t know why I ever assumed this would work. We don’t work. And if our past is any indication of how we will end up, then I would rather not go through this again.”
