Page 146 of Terror at the Gates

“Who?” he asked.

“You aren’t listening,” I said. Or maybe I wasn’t saying it right. It wasn’t about the man. “I was supposed to be in that house tonight. I wasn’t supposed to leave. Someone knew that.Liskknew that.”

The commission might propose a betrothal, but the archbishop always had the final say. He would have been privy to my father’s plans for the gala.

“It’s convenient that the power went out, that the families were sent home, all before my house exploded,” I said. “Even you have to admit it.”

“I’m not denying it,” he said.

“But you don’t think Lisk was responsible?”

His brows lowered, his eyes a little angry. “You are so quick to jump to the conclusion that I am not on your side. When have I not chosen you?”

My face grew hot, and I could feel my throat swelling. I dropped my gaze.

“I’m just afraid,” I said. “And I know I was wrong about Esther…but I’m not wrong about this.”

Lisk had grown tired of my father’s passivity and my defiance. Our family had made a joke of his law, and we had to pay.

Zahariev’s hands framed my face, forcing our eyes to meet. I didn’t want to look at him because I’d started crying again.

“I don’t think you’re wrong,” he said, brushing the tearsaway. “But Lisk never arrived at the gala, so that means someone else is involved. Who is the heir?”

“Macarius Caiaphas,” I said.

Zahariev’s mouth tightened. “Do you know if he brought your father anything?”

I shook my head. “He was there before we arrived, so it’s possible. You could check security…if anything survived the explosion.”

Or the erasure Lisk had likely ordered to scrub evidence of his plot.

Zahariev looked out the window, quiet and contemplative. I watched him briefly, noting the hard set of his jaw, before settling against him, but I was on edge, anxious that I had missed something.

I felt like I should have expected the retaliation. I had witnessed Lisk’s attacks on Tori and Saira. He had been systematically destroying anyone or anything in conflict with his ideals, but I’d never expected him to target a family.

We were Elohai.

We were the blood of God.

But the blood only mattered if we were faithful to him.

If he couldn’t control us, then we were a risk.

Iwas a risk.

“What happens when Lisk finds out I survived?” I asked.

“Then he will know he has failed,” said Zahariev.

I tried to take a subtle breath so he wouldn’t hear my voice shudder. “He’s just going to try again,” I said.

Zahariev’s arms tightened around me. “I’ll kill him before he has the chance.”

***

When we arrived at the compound, I was passed off toFawna, the housekeeper, who took me to a room where I could shower and rest. I might have argued, but Zahariev made a few promises I couldn’t refuse—he would get in touch with Coco and bring her and Cherub to the compound, and he wouldn’t keep me in the dark.

“We’re in this together,” he said. “So we’re doing this together, right?”