Page 100 of Change

Chapter Seventeen

Damen

Connection

You hit a girl.

The accusation rang in my ears as shame filled me.

I’d already sent Kasai away for a time—the shikigami started berating me the instant she fell to the floor. He’d been, of course, trying to get my attention before that, a voice of reason in my head sent to warn me that maybe fighting Miles wasn’t the most brilliant idea.

But the lingering effects of her magic had been hard to ignore, and the thought of the priest being the one to bask in her attention filled me with a jealousy that I’d thought I’d long since moved past.

You hit a girl.

And not justanygirl, butBianca.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“You’re an idiot.”

For a second, I thought Kasai had returned. But the burgundy, velvet curtain separating me from the rest of the world was thrown back. I threw my hands over my eyes reflexively, squinting as Bryce lazily slid into my refuge.

“I see you still hide in theaters.” Bryce crossed his arms as he examined the small space. “Though backstage is a progression from when you used to weep in the janitor’s closet.”

“I am not crying.”

“You should be.” Bryce cracked his neck. “Do you require assistance to get to that point? I could break your face. I do owe you.”

“You fucking deserved that beating.” I lowered my knee, bracing my feet on the bottom stair of my seat. “And you can’t lecture me after whatyouput Bianca through.”

I regretted the words the instant I spoke them.

When Bryce arrived, his expression had been void of his usual brand of pompous loathing. In fact, there was something almost reminiscent of the old days in the way he’d off-guardedly carried himself. However, at my statement he withdrew, the guard falling back into his expression once more.

“Fine.” The chip was back on his shoulder, and his voice curt. “I didn’t want to be your friend anyway.”

The absurdity of his statement hit me like a ton of bricks, shattering past my darkening mood.

It felt like ages since I’d laughed so hard. “What thefuck?” I finally was able to wheeze out the question. “I hit Bianca, not you. What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, waving my hand in the fae’s general direction. I couldn’t see him though; my eyes were blurred from tears.

“We’re going to be friends again.” He sounded serious, glaring at me with a pointedness that caught my hackles to rise. “Or we’re supposed to be.”

Hewasserious.

The ridiculousness of the situation faded, and wariness set in. I eyed him as a chill ran down my spine. He was so prim and stoic—standing there in silent expectation. This didn’t bode well.

“Why?” I asked. It was him, after all, who ended our friendship.

The asshole. After I risked my life for him and everything.

“Because Bianca said so,” he said, inspecting his perfect manicure.

I gave him an even look, unable to put my thoughts into words.

She asked for us to be friends again?

I highly doubted that. If there was only one thing about Bianca that was consistent, out of many things that were not, it was that she held her wariness of Bryce in high regard. It was almost comical to watch—like a kitten poking at a much larger, and more patient, cat.