Page 77 of Hidden

I was evil. I had hurt people.

It wasn’t fair. People were constantly judging me for something I had no control over. Reincarnation did not define the person I was now.

I held Damen’s gaze—he couldn’t be allowed to think it was acceptable to have an attitude over something someone else did. “Ididn’t do anything.”

The tight look faded from his expression and slowly, he blinked. “Bianca?”

I jerked from Miles and glared at each of them in turn. “It’s one thing to try to figure out what happened, but don’t be angry atmeover somethinghedid.”

Damen’s mouth thinned and his eyebrow shot up. “You’re misunderstanding the cause of my frustration.”

“Oh yeah?” I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. “And what’s that?”

“You’ve always been the most vulnerable of us.” Damen stalked across the room until he stood a breath away from the edge of the bed. “If we don’t do our jobs, you’ll suffer. And you’re the easiest target to use to get to one of us.”

What was he saying? I could feel my stomach churn, embarrassment and anger mixed together. “So, I’m the weakest link?”

“No!” Damen pulled at his hair. “That’s not what I’m saying!”

“Because, technically, it seems like you’re doing perfectly fine without me,” I said, the logical part of my mind taking over. “Who cares if my secrets hurt me. It’s not like it affects you—”

Julian slapped his hand over my mouth, pulling me to him as Damen glowered at us.

“It’s that!” Damen waved his hand at the two of us. “That’swhat frustrates me!”

I stared at him over Julian’s hand. He was frustrated because Julian was touching me?

I must not have hidden my confusion very well because Damen rolled his eyes. “I’m frustrated because you always have that same exact mindset. You’re always trying to protect the rest of us. And you’re always sacrificing yourself for some other purpose. And it’s nothim, it’syou. Or have you forgotten about the hyenas?”

Julian shifted, moving his hand from my face. “Don’t yell at her.”

“I’m not yelling!” Damen’s gaze moved to Julian. “I might be angry, but I am completely rational. Besides, you feel the same way.”

“You’re angry?” I had forgotten he’d been upset earlier, and that he had been up to something nefarious. Probably.

“I amlivid.” Damen’s voice was low, furious. “I’ve had it with you protecting me all the time. I refuse to let it happen again.”

He did do something bad! “What did you do?”

When Damen’s only response was the thinning of his mouth, Miles cut in.

“Kiania wouldn’t break your bond. But—to keep the effect of the bond off you—he managed to convince her to change it slightly. Now he has two shikigami: Kasai, and he shares Kiania with Finn.”

Chapter Sixteen

Bianca

Gray

I allowed Miles’s words to wash over me. Heavy expectation weighed on me. But what reaction everyone was expecting, I wasn’t sure.

“Hold on.” My mind caught up, connecting the things I did understand. “You havetwo… Isn’t she super strong? Can you handle two shikigami?”

Damen’s impassive expression was all the answer I needed.

“Damen!” My breath caught. Kasai was already mooching off him, and now he had made it worse. He was so stupid! “What if you die?”

A shadow crossed his features. “I’m not going to die.”