Page 57 of This Blood That Breaks Us

“I kept my end of the deal, didn’t I? Your mother is safe. If you’d left your brothers where I’d intended, they’d be on their way to a quality education right now. They’re safe. I didn’t have to do all that for you.”

“Why did you, then?”

He moved his hands through the gray hairs peppering the side of his head. “I ask myself that all the time. As long as you and Luke ascend to The Guard, I don’t care what happens to your brothers. You are the ones The Divine specifically mentioned. I was the only one in The Guard who believed that to be true. And when She touched your brothers, She only said it was possible. But they weren’t foretold specifically.”

I stared at my shoes, contemplating. “Who would fill The Guard, then?”

“Someone in the lower ranks, I’d imagine. It will show itself in time. Another dark sun is coming, She believes it will be revealed to Her then.”

“You can guarantee that?”

“Yes. Stop the planning. Get to Ascension, and your brothers stay out of this.”

“Deal. But I’m not planning anything.”

Ezra sighed.

“But hypothetically, if I was . . . would you keep your promise? Will you take care of Luke?”

He nodded.

Sixteen

Luke

“Can I trust you to be good?” Ezra plucked a small hair from my suit and flicked it away.

The air was thick with the stench of salty dead fish. I nodded. It wasn’t like William and Thane could come with us to themainland, but this would give us a great opportunity to explore some of those places Connell mentioned.

“We’re always good.” Zach threw his arm around me.

Ezra scoffed and stepped back to gawk at us.

“You both look like grown men.” The corner of his mouth tugged up. “Now, act like it. Show me I can trust you.”

His eyes lingered on my brother.

“Yes,Boss,” Zach said sarcastically.

I smiled. One of my favorite things about my brother was that he didn’t expect me to smile, but he liked it when I did. There was no obligation to be happy. I smiled because it made him happy, and that made me happy too.

Ezra left us at the edge of the harbor, and we got into our town car. It was strange being off the island alone. I’d gone with Sirius and Ezra once, but now we were finally getting some real freedom.

“Hello!” I greeted the driver.

He didn’t speak a word and started driving. Zach and I shrugged. He would take us where we needed to go. The cliffs disappeared in the distance, and the rolling hills took their place. I wanted to appreciate the beauty, but I was too busy thinking of a way to get William and Thane in a car like this. To get them off the island and into a car would be challenging, but the hills were bare. Everyone we’d met so far had at least known about The Family. My guess was they’d have this whole place on alert. But if we could get them away from the castle, they could hide out there. Stay away from any small towns. It would be a short window. They had to feed, and that would alert everyone. We’d need to be quick.

My old confidence was coming back. We could do this.

Zach and I endured our car ride in silence, not daring to say anything in front of our driver, which would surely get back to Ezra. After fifteen minutes, rooftops appeared in the distance.The town was bigger than the little town on the island. Much bigger. I finally felt like I was returning to a little of my life. Still real and fighting.

“Meet at Mckinnely’s Pub at twelve sharp.”

“What’s the name?” Zach leaned over the seat.

“They’ll find you.”

Zach rolled his eyes. “Come on.”