Page 25 of Silent Oaths
AsIget ready to step into the houseIshare with my brothers, tension winds through my muscles like a coiled spring.Afterthe phone callIhad withJulianearlier,Ihave no idea whatI’mwalking into, butIknow better than to expect peace.
Thescent of burnt wood and old books lingers in the air asIshut the door behind me.Thehouse is quiet, save for a buzzing cutting through the silence.
Ifollow the sound into the living room, whereJulianis seated on one of the leather armchairs, a tattoo machine humming in his hand.Hiswrist is braced against his knee, steady despite the fresh ink bleeding into his skin.
Iscoff. “Areyou serious?”
Juliandoesn’t even glance up. “Neededto relieve some stress.”
Hedips the needle back into the ink, dragging it through his skin with precision.
Ifold my arms, eyeing him. “Sincewhen doyouneed to relieve stress?”
Heexhales through his nose. “SinceIsabelstarted driving me insane.”
Thatmakes me pause.Ittakes a lot to shakeJulian, andIcan count on one hand the number of timesI’veseen him lose his composure.Ifshe managed to rattle him, she must have really outdone herself.
Itilt my head. “Whereis she?”
“Lockedher in the basement.”
Ah.Sothat’s whyIcan’t hear her.
Idon’t say anything;Ijust turn on my heel and make my way down the hall, descending the narrow staircase to the basement.ThemomentIslip the key into the lock and twist; all hell breaks loose.Thedoor swings open, andIsabel’svoice crashes into me like a hurricane.
“Yousickbastards!Youthink locking me up is going to break me?Tryharder!”Hervoice is raw, like she has been yelling for hours. “Iswear toGod, the secondIget out of here,I’mburning this whole damn place to the ground!”
Ilean against the doorframe, taking in the sight of her—wild-eyed, pacing like a caged animal, fists clenched at her sides.
“Well, well.You’refeisty tonight.”Idrag my gaze over her. “GuessIshould be flattered.Youmissed me that much?”
Ibarely have time to register the shift in her stance before she lunges.
Herfist connects with my face, knocking my head to the side with the force of it.Asharp sting blooms across my lip, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth.
Fora second, allIhear is my own breath asIstraighten.Ilift my hand, swiping my thumb over my lip, feeling the warm, wet smear of red.
Isabelstumbles back, shocked, as if she can’t believe she actually did it.Forthe first time since we took her, she’s quiet.
She’sscared.
Aslow grin spreads across my face.Ipress my thumb past my lips, tasting the sharp tang of my own blood, my eyes locked onto hers the entire time.
“Oh, youreallymessed up,Siren.”
Herfingers twitch at her sides like she wants to hit me again, but she doesn’t.Sheholds still, her mouth parting like she might say something, but nothing comes out.
Somethingdark and hungry stirs inside me at the sight.
Thatbrief moment when she doesn't know if she should fight or flee, when the fire in her eyes dims, just for a second, before she smothers it with sheer will.
Itake a step forward, and she instinctively takes one back.
Interesting.
Ilick my lips, letting my gaze drop to her mouth before dragging it back up to meet her eyes.Mypulse is steady, but something low in my gut tightens at the memory of her fists, the sharp crack of pain that came with it.
“Nothingto say?”Itaunt, taking another step, watching her throat bob as she swallows. “That’sa first.”
