Page 105 of Balance

“What?” he asked, confusion heavy in his gaze.

“Everyonecares about you!” The urge to hit him was almost overpowering again, but I couldn’t. I had no idea until this moment that Miles and I were a lot more alike than I’d originally thought.

“If he didn’t care, why would Damen keep a picture of you around?” I was actually envious. I loved that cute donut photo. “He has been worried about you. That’s why he wasrelievedI came.”

Miles frowned, but the tension remained heavy in his squared posture.

“Julian watches over you too,” I pointed out. “When I’m being stupid and making a mess of things, he helps me communicate so your feelings aren’t hurt. And what about when he thanked you after you helped him keep his control with Finn?”

“Actually,” Miles interrupted with a frown, “he didn’t thank me for that. And I really don’t think he appreciated it. He was lying.”

“And sure,” I ignored his clarification, “Titus gets annoyed with you. But you start it most of the time. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have dropped everything to come after you.”

“And what about you?” Miles shifted, his jaw locking.

“Me?” I blinked and righteousness fell from my shoulders.

“You saideveryonecares about me.” Miles shrugged. “But only three of the four most important people in my life made it into that little speech. How do you see me? Normally we would have grown up together, but we didn’t. I’m not blind. I know you don’t look at me the same way that you look at Titus or Damen. And you’re far more comfortable with Julian than me. You must have been fine without me there.”

Whatwas this stupidity coming from his mouth?

“It wasmy ideato come get you!” Another notch slipped in my self-control—how could everything be so messed up? “Everyonewasworried, but they said it was something you did and to give you space. I was the one who wanted to come after you. I evencleaned your room.”

Miles opened his mouth, but I wasn’t done yet.

I closed the distance between us, poking his chest. “How are we supposed to learn to trust each other if you don’t tell mewhere you’re going? How can I do that if you run away?”

“I wasn’t running away,” Miles pouted. “I was going on—”

“A journey of enlightenment.” I sighed. “I know.”

“Besides, you don’t need to worry about where I am all the time. You’re Damen’s bodyguard, not mine,” Miles protested, stepping back and waving his hand in the air. His eyes flared with the stirring of a deeper emotion and his body shook. “We talked about this; don’t confuse your role. I don’t need you to protect me.”

The argument faded from my lips. “What?”

I was Damen’s… bodyguard?

“Oh, he hasn’t told you yet?” Miles chuckled darkly, a mean smirk curling at the corner of his lips. “Of course not, it would ruin his image. He’s still stuck trying to impress you. He’s never cared about impressing you before.”

I blinked at him, not liking this darker side of him. “What are you talking about?”

“Mu is Huo’s closest confidant. You’re his right hand… person. He never goes anywhere or does anything without consulting you first,” Miles said, his voice dropping strangely at ‘person.’ But this time, I knew what the hang up was—this was, apparently, the first time I was born a woman.

“You and Huo are the most at risk. Me and Jin?” Miles shrugged. “No one will attack a holy man or a dragon. And everyone is terrified of Shui.”

“Why?” Julian could be imposing, but there was nothing that would cause lingering terror.

“Because Shui is an assassin,” Miles continued. “He’s deadly, quick, and works behind the scenes. He’ll kill an entire household without being noticed. And outside of that, he’s our executioner. He uses his abilities to question prisoners and read memories. No one can lie to him, ever. Even dead, no one’s memories are safe because he can always reanimate them.

“Damen—Huo—has always been theleader,” Miles said, moving away from the topic of Julian. “He’s charismatic, imposing, and takes charge in any situation. People are drawn to him. In every life, it’s always been the same: an emperor, president, mobster boss… He’s the most at risk because people always target the figurehead.”

My breath caught. Damen was in danger?

“Well, at least theyused togo after him.” Miles’s gaze was steady on mine and the heavy air dropped from his expression. “Until everyone figured out Huo’s weakness.”

A weakness? I was supposed to protect Damen—whatever that really meant—so I should probably know.

But for some reason, the implications of this scared me. I didn’t want to know anymore.