Page 59 of This Blood That Breaks Us

“Come on, I’m hilarious.”

“Not even a little bit.” I pushed open the door to a modern lobby that smelled of potpourri.

Our steps echoed in the lobby, so we lowered our voices to a whisper.

“We’ve got ten minutes,” Zach said. “Let’s get a pamphlet and call it a day.”

I found my pamphlet easily, and happily waved it in Zach’s face.

“Wanna memorize the tunnel system with me?”

“No.”

“You need to learn too. Just in case the queen gets in my head again.”

“Hold up. Again? What do you know?” Zach’s tone caught looks from a few tourists.

“Nothing. It’s nothing. I let Her see everything with The Legion. She won’t if I don’t let Her.”

Zach furrowed a brow.

“Don’t give me that look.”

“Well, don’t talk about Her like she’s a friend. Like you think She’s somehow on our side. You can’t trust Her. Now I’m worried you’re letting your guard down around Her.”

“I’m not. My guard is fully up.”

“You don’t even have a guard to begin with.” He sighed. “Show me that pamphlet. It’s better if we both know the routes.”

We studied the pamphlet of a map that showed a vague route. Under the cobblestone bridge was an opening, and it led under a church on the other side of the city. If we could get out of this city, we might have a chance of getting out of Ireland. The five minutes was enough for me to memorize the routes and the street names. Memorization was my strong suit.

“I’ve already forgotten everything I just read,” Zach said as we stepped back onto the street.

It wasn’t his.

We arrived at the pub at exactly twelve o’clock where we met a man who was seemingly unimpressed with our presence. He was easy to charm and made small talk about the city. Something about meeting these clients didn’t sit right with me. Everyone seemed to respect Ezra and The Family, and they looked to Zach and me like we needed to earn that same level of trust. My previous thought was that The Family was only a drain on society and its resources, but they were bringing commerce and tourism to the area. The man explained his businesses in greatdetail and showed us the ones he owned around the harbor. These people relied on them.

Our meeting lasted about an hour, and Zach and I left to explore the rest of the city and get eyes on the entrance to the tunnel under the bridge.

In the middle of town, we stopped at an elegant display. A huge Christmas tree stood in the main walkway. Its green branches supported the weight of shiny bulbs, twinkling lights, and ornaments.

“It’s Christmas,” I murmured.

Pain sliced through my lungs and traveled up my throat, stinging my eyes. I placed a hand over my chest as if it would help. Unbearable emptiness hit me all at once, and I had to bend over and remind myself it was temporary. It felt like nausea. Like a burning ache that would never stop.

“Ow, fuck.” Zach reached to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Jesus, Luke.”

It was all of it. Zach’s and my normal pain coupled with the new, flaring with the bond at the same time. Zach was subtle with his pain, but it was easy to identify because it was like a hot knife in the chest. It always stung.

“Sorry.” I grabbed his shoulder and squeezed despite my own chest aching.

“Don’t apologize. Just wasn’t expecting it. But let’s try to coordinate next time. Only one of us is allowed to feel like shit at a time.”

“Yeah, noted.” I rubbed my chest.

The blood bond might be the thing to kill us. How had Ezra and Sirius tuned it all out? My own pain was bad enough. It was bearable in Blackheart, but here, where everything hurt all the time, I couldn’t bear it. I had to admit, it was nice to know I wasn’t the only one affected by sparkly Christmas ornaments.

“So, you do care?” I hit his shoulder as he straightened his jacket. “I thought you didn’t get feelings.”