Page 52

He glared.Véa—

I lapsed downstairs.

A little trick of ours. We could use almost all of one another’s abilities. Nix hated when I lapsed away from him, but he did the same thing to me, so he’d just have to deal.

Rather than open the old wooden door, I unhooked the latch on the peep hole. Only a small portion of my face could be seen through it.

But I saw every bit of him.

Everything from the sweat on his brow to the blood on his knuckles. Breaths hard and fast, as though he’d been running, he said, “We found them. We finally found them.”

“No hello?”

A half smile that reminded me all too much of my husband. “Were you ever fond of pleasantries?”

I managed a smile back. “How’d you find us?”

“Wasn’t hard.” He yanked his hair from his face, tying it into a knot at the back of his head. “But only because I’m not alone.”

I looked past him at the empty, dark yard. “I don’t see him. I don’t feel him either.”

“I told him to stay at the lake. About a fifteen-minute walk, I’d say? Just doubted you two would want him showing up at your doorstep. But we have a lot to tell you. And I do think it’d be best if you heard it from us both.”

“No.” Nix appeared beside me.

“Yes,” I said.

“No,” Nix repeated, shooting me a look. “I want nothing to do with him. You tell us whatever we need to know, and then—”

“Is he surrendering?” I asked Rafael.

“He tried to that day.” Rafael held my gaze, only glancing at Nix. “He would also like all the souls within him removed.”

Nix scoffed.

Rafael frowned, sighing slowly. “My cousins are upstairs, so I doubt you want to leave. I’ll go get him, and we can talk through this peep hole if it makes things easier. But weallneed to talk.”

“You, we’ll speak to,” Nix said. “Not Lux. Absolutely—”

“Go get him,” I said.

“Véa—”

“Stay outside,” I said. “Give me a moment to get dressed, eh?”

He looked at Nix, as if waiting for him to threaten to kill him if he brought Lux here. Instead, Nix’s glare was on me, waiting for Rafael to leave because he didn’t like arguing before a crowd.

“Very well,” Rafael said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He vanished.

I turned to walk upstairs, but Nix caught my elbow. “Then you’re staying inside.”

Blowing out a deep breath, I spun to face him. “Lux won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that. He’s strong enough to tear the barrier we have around this home down with all those souls inside him, and—”

“And he would’ve done so already if that was his plan.” Rather than shake my elbow from his grasp, I reached up for his jaw. It didn’t soften at my touch like it usually did. “He may not be on our team, but he isn’t our enemy either.”