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“If you would.”

I huffed out a breath, shaking my head as I tapped the bowl. The contents lit up like kindling and the room filled with smoke, blocking out everything around us. Athena’s eyes shifted back and forth, her brow furrowing slightly.

“You’re making a mistake.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to run.”

She made a tsk sound, slapping my hand roughly. “Silence yourself, Azzy. I am doing no such thing. Now, pay attention.”

Sometimes, how she interacted with me made me smile. She didn't have an ounce of fear of me or my family name. To her, I was still that little boy hiding under her table and stealing cookies when I thought she wasn’t looking. It took years for me to realize she put the cookies there on purpose so I could get to them.

Her expression turned serious again, her eyes narrowed as she tried to decipher what she was seeing.

“Your path will split soon. In both, you will endure pain and suffering, but only one will grant you true freedom. You need to make the right choice.”

“Let me guess. The path that you want me to take says I need to stay here.”

Her expression flattened for a second, annoyed, before she continued. “Should you wish to follow the right path, seek out the white tiger. Yourdestiny lies with them. You were not born to hurt people, Aziel. You were born to protect. Protect them with your life.”

She was being really convoluted. I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn’t know any white tiger shifters. I wasn’t even sure they existed. And she said they. Was she using gender-neutral terms, or was there more than one white tiger? And how exactly would protecting them help me? Either way, I was going to get hurt.

Irritated, I waved away the smoke in my face. “Anything else?”

She sighed, the smoke dissipating with her annoyance. “You have always been a stubborn child. Yes, there is something else. The boy you brought to me.”

“Dante.”

She nodded once. “Should you follow your plan to hand him back to his family, his path ends early.”

That made me stiffen. “You– No. They wouldn’t kill him. He’s just a kid. And he could be useful in the future.”

“There is more he isn’t telling you. As desperate as he is to prove himself, his path will never lead him where he wishes to go. They will not see him as their equal. He is much like you in that regard. Your protection is the only thing keeping him alive.”

A string of expletives escaped me, my hands clenching at my sides. I wanted her to be lying, saying I had to take him so I wouldn’t be able to leave. But Athena had never lied to me before. Even when she was unhappy with my plans, she told me the truth. And I wasn’t that heartless. If Dante died because I was too selfish to keep him with me, I’d never forgive myself.

Shoving to my feet, I roared out my frustration. The windows rattled in their frames, the lights flickered, and all the noise from the wildlife outside went silent. Athena approached me slowly, moving to stand beside me, her eyes focused out the window.

“I’m sorry. I can feel how badly you want to escape. But that wasn’t in your father’s future, and it’s not in yours. You’ll need to approach this differently. Take the boy to see what his future will be if he continues to fight his responsibilities. And keep your eyes open, Aziel. The choice of which path you’ll take will be upon you before you know it.”

With a heavy sigh, I let my shoulders slump. “Athena…”

She put her hand on my arm, her smile sad. “I know, Azzy. I wish I could let you do as you wish. But I love you, you know that. I only want what’s best for you.”

Defeated, I kissed her cheek and headed to where Dante was waiting. He sat unmoving on the edge of that bed, the same defeat I felt written clearly across his face. I sat beside him, taking a moment to breathe.

“I don’t… I don’t wanna go live with him. He hates me,” he murmured, his voice wobbly.

“If he finds out you got kicked out of the school he wants you in, you might not have a choice. He’ll say you’ll be controlled better with a firmer hand and take you from me. I’ve been trying to tell you, but–”

“I’ll do better. I promise. I just… Please don’t send me away.”

He sounded so heartbroken, and for the first time, he let an emotion other than anger fuel his words. Tears spilled down his cheeks, and he scrubbed at them roughly to hide them. Putting my arm around him, I pulled him against my side, hugging him lightly. I waited for him to lash out like he normally would, but he surprised me when he threw his arms around my waist and hugged me tight. My resolve shattered completely, and I knew I’d be doing what Athena said. I’d stay to protect the broken little boy who wouldn’t survive on his own. I’d do for him what Athena did for me, keeping him safe while showing him how to survive our family. I had no other choice.

“Okay. I’ll let you stay with me. But there’s something you need to see first. I’ve warned you about what will happen if you disobey your dad. What he’s done so far is child’s play to what he is capable of. I’m going to show you what will happen if you can’t get it together. I’ll do everything I can to protect you, but you need to know what will happen to both of us if I fail.”

He looked worried, and he should be. My uncle was twisted, and he didn’t care about the consequences of his actions. I believed him when Dante said he wanted to stay with me, but I needed to make it clear what would happen if either of us failed. We followed orders to survive. To Dante, it was just a concept. A promise of pain was enough to get him to listen. But he needed to see the consequences of disobedience. I was going to show him my biggest secret. I could only hope it didn’t bite me in the ass later.

CHAPTER EIGHT