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“She told me about Atlanta, and what happened,” he said, but was almost hesitant to confess this, like he wasn’t sure if he had permission to do so.

“I’m going to go check on the trainees.” Fennan’s chair scraped loudly against the floor. He grabbed Leif’s shirt and tugged him up. “You’re coming with me.”

“Ugh, I’m still eating.” He shoved one more bite of potato in his mouth and then was dragged out of the room. Valeen glanced between Katana and Thane, trying to decipher what she was missing.

Clearly, they had grown closer than she expected them to. Even though Katana was often with her in the library, much of her time was rumored to be spent with Thane going for runs and eating meals together.

“Katana, is there something I should know?”

“You don’t know?” Thane asked.

Her sister still seemed to be… somewhere else in her mind. Was Atlanta involved in her death?

“Katana.”

Finally, she snapped out of the trance and grabbed Valeen’s hand on top of the table. “He did not hurt you, did he? Please tell me he did not.”

“No, Hel came into the room, which only escalated tensions, but he knows I have Soulender and I’m not afraid to use it. He wouldn’t dare touch me.” But it became very clear to her that Atlanta had hurtKatanabefore and more than just emotionally. “Did he hurt you? Was he there with Synick that day?”

“Not with Synick, but—” Tears welled in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and cleared her throat. “He had a bad temper.”

Valeen closed her hand around Katana’s. “How bad?”

“It did not happen all the time. Usually when he was upset about something else or if I questioned what he was doing or who he was with. I stopped asking, you know, after a while.”

“Don’t diminish it. If he frightens you, it was more than just one or two times.” Valeen thought of that asshole putting his hands on her sweet innocent sister and it made her blood simmer. Then her breath hitched. “And you were an immortal goddess. We don’t break or bruise easily.” Angry heat burned her cheeks. “If he hurt you, it would have taken considerable effort.”

“Please, just let it be. It was a long time ago.”

“I should have just killed him last night. If I had known, I would have. Why didn’t you ever tell me before? I could have helped you.”

“Valeen,” Katana pleaded, “I want a new life. He does not matter anymore. Revenge is not in me. I do not want you taking on my burdens as well. You have enough of your own.”

“What’s one more enemy at the end of the day?” She was going to send a message to Atlanta making it clear she would use the immortal weapon to defend her sister too. All Mother, he’d always rubbed her the wrong way. Katana was just so bright and lovely. She never let on that he was physically hurting her, and being an immortal, wounds would have healed almost instantly. There were never any marks…

Katana’s bright lavender eyes burned into hers. “I am asking you to let it go.”

“Only if he stays away,” Valeen replied. “But if he comes to Adalon again… I won’t make any promises.”

“Deal,” Katana said, and finally smiled.

Chapter 26

HEL

Down the steps to the dungeon Hel went into the damp darkness. Torches lit before he approached, chasing the shadows back. He found Synick right where he’d left him, chained to the floor and bound to the chair. The bastard lifted his head and managed to smirk, making the rotten muscles tense and bits of crepey, patchy skin twitch. It almost made his stomach turn.

Hel nodded at the guard on shift to watch Synick and tasked with dosing him with katagas serum every six hours. “You may go for now.”

Probably desperate to get fresh air, he didn’t even hesitate to leave out the door. It smelled like shit and piss down here. Hel lit up a civar just to mask the stench.

Synick watched him put the smoke to his mouth longingly. He was practically licking his lips and drooling.

“You’re back,” Synick croaked.

Hel leaned a shoulder against the bars. “Things are getting a bit dicey.”

“What do you mean by that?”