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"Is with Haley, and Em," Kai finished. "They'll kill anyone who so much as looks at him wrong. Even a goddess won't stand a chance if she threatens Wane; you know Haley."

I did know her, and I knew she was panicking and afraid, too. I felt her in my chest, muffled and distant but there. Scared.

My mate shouldneverbe scared; I should have provided for her, kept her safe, kept her happy. Not miserable and petrified. I was a pathetic excuse for a mate.

"What if—she—locks him—"

"We won't lose him again," Kai snarled, like all I was doing was voicing his own worries. "Not a fucking chance after we've been separated a hundred years. It's different this time, Harv. We know where he is, and he's not alone. It won't happen again."

But I couldn't believe that, and I couldn't stop shaking, and I couldn't stop hearing my abusers' voices. I couldn'tbreathe.

"Why are you—here? Should—hate me—"

Kai scoffed. "You're my family. I don't hate you; as if I fucking could."

"I hurt you."

"Yeah," he agreed. "And I've hurt you over the years. We say hurtful shit when we're scared; we lash out, that's just us. I'm not gonna walk away from you, and I'm sure as shit not leaving you to have a panic attack on the devil's roof."

I choked on a laugh, tears squeezing out of my closed eyelids. "Devil's roof."

"This is a bird thing, isn't it?" he asked, squeezing my shoulder. "Are you gonna hang your ass over the edge and shit on people who walk past?"

I opened my eyes to slant a glare at him. "Fuck off."

"Just as soon as you fuck off," he replied, the retort familiar.

I swallowed, realising at once that my breathing was under my control again. Not easy—far from that—but my chest expanded with a breath again.

"I didn't mean what I said, Kai. Any of it. Those words were—they were for me. Only for me."

Kai grabbed the back of my skull and shook my head until my glare deepened. "Fuck that shit. You don't deserve that any more than I do. It's not your fault they were taken; we're up againsta goddessand we don't know anything about her power, her weakness, or who the fuck she's working with. This isn't on you. Yeah?"

I swallowed, my eyes burning viciously. "Seems like it is."

"Yeah, well, that's because your head's fucking with you. It's lying, Harvey. Don't listen to that shit."

"Has anyone ever told you that you swear too much?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Mother Hen every two seconds," he replied, making me laugh at his name for Emlyn. When the laugh fell from my lips, he hauled me back into a hug. "We're getting them back, whatever it takes. And I could never hate you, so don't worry about that. You know I'll get you back for what you said anyway."

"The usual way?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

He tugged on a feather, making me hiss. "Nah, I think I'll mix it up this time. Instead of handing your ass to you, I'll keep it a mystery. You'll never know when I'll strike."

I snorted. "You give away every move you make. You think you can surprise me?"

"Your ass will be beaten before you can say,please, big, strong Kai, don't bruise my pretty face."

"Was the high voice necessary?"

"Very." He whipped off his scarf and dragged it roughly down my face, wiping my tears. And taking off the top layer of my skin, probably. "You okay?"

"No," I laughed, shoving his hand—and his scarf—away. "But I'll be fine."

"Then come off the roof," he replied, tying the scarf back around his neck. "Renna thinks she can use that tracking stone to get us into Mount Olympus."

CHAPTER20