Page 135 of Veinblood
My stomach drops. “How do you know where to find him?”
“My raven found him earlier today. Some things leave traces that never fade.” His jaw tightens.
“You were going to leave without telling me.”
“This isn't your fight?—”
“That's not the point!” I throw off the covers and stand, anger flaring. Silver light flickers between my fingers, responding to my fury. “You were going to sneak out in the middle of the night to hunt someone down without saying a word. What if something happened to you? What if you didn't come back?”
He has the grace to look uncomfortable. “I can handle?—”
“I don'tcarewhat you can handle. You're myhusbandnow, whether you asked if it was what I wanted or not.”
He goes completely still, like I've struck him. Thevulnerability that crosses his face is so raw, so unguarded, that I almost lose my train of thought.
“You don't get to keep secrets like this from me.” His expression gentles my voice slightly, but I don't back down. I cross to the chest where my clothes are and pull out tunic and pants, dragging them on while I talk. “You don't get to sneak away during the night.”
“Ellie—”
“Don’tEllieme. I'm coming with you.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You don't get to decide that either.” I turn to face him, fully dressed now. “You shouldn't face that man alone. Whatever you need to do, however ugly it gets, I’m going to be there.”
He studies my face for a long moment. “It won't be quick. It won't be clean. And when it's over, you'll have watched me become something monstrous.”
“You're someone who survived torture and refuses to let the people responsible continue hurting others.” I step closer, meeting his gaze. “I want you to promise that we're partners in everything. The good and the ugly and the necessary.” I cross my arms. “No more secrets, Sacha. No more protecting me by lying to me.”
“Even when it means watching me do terrible things to terrible people?”
“Especiallythen.” The certainty in my voice surprises even me. “After what he did to you, he deserves whatever you give him.”
He's quiet for a moment, then nods. “All right, Mel’shira.No more secrets. No more protecting you from the darker parts of what needs to be done.”
“Good. Now let's go teach a monster what justice looks like.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
SACHA
“What rises from ashes remembers both the fire and what it consumed.”
Writings of the Flamevein Oracles
I takeher hand and wrap us in shadows, to keep us hidden as we move through the Spire to the lower levels. The Veinwardens on guard don’t even notice as we slip past and out into the plaza. I don’t speak until we’re far enough away that our voices won’t carry.
“The location is about a mile outside of Ashenvale’s walls.”
She nods without speaking, and we make our way through the city’s quiet streets and through the gates, until I find the narrow track my raven discovered and showed me.
“It’s just ahead.” I point to a squat, unremarkable building near an old farmhouse.
“It looks abandoned.”
“It’s supposed to.” The building looms closer, and an image flashes before my eyes. My body, being draggedthrough the doors, barely conscious, blood trailing behind me in a dark ribbon across the stones.
My steps slow.
