Page 59 of Kael

"They enabled you. They're a bad influence. You don't need friends like them." She gestured toward the room, toward the women, toward the blood on the floor. "Caine is a king who can't even control his own woman. Malachai lost his wife for three years because he couldn't protect her. And Kael—" She laughed. "Kael turned a junkie into a killer and called it love. They're all broken, Priest. Violent. Damaged. And they're dragging you down with them."

I said nothing. This bitch really was crazy. Her father was a madman, her brother a serial killer, and she belonged in the nut house I'd locked her in to die.

Lilith stepped closer. "I can give you peace. I can give you normal. They can't. You and me, Priest. The way it was supposedto be." She touched my chest, right over my heart. "I've always loved you. Even when you locked me away. Even when you tried to bury me. I loved you through all of it. You loved me, too, didn’t you?"

I looked down at her hand, then up at her face.

"No."

Her smile faltered. "What?"

"I said no." My voice was flat, cold.

She stared at me, the manic light flickering in her eyes. "You don't mean that."

"I've never meant anything more." I refrained from telling her I hated her. Lilith was here for a reason; I had to wait for her to tell me before I did too much. But even if I didn't say it, I had never loved her—and she knew that.

Something in her snapped.

She screamed—a high, broken, animal sound. She grabbed the nearest object, a crystal vase, and hurled it against the wall. It exploded into a thousand glittering shards. She grabbed another and threw it—a lamp, a picture frame. Glass shattered everywhere. Her men didn't move; they'd seen this before, and they knew better.

"You—" She pointed at me, her hand shaking. "You were supposed to be mine. You were always supposed to be mine. You love me. But she—" She pointed at Miyori, still kneeling in the blood. "She took you. She took everything. I gave you everything. I gave you my life, my soul, my sanity! And you threw it away for her!"

She whirled toward her men, her voice climbing to a shriek. "Kill them! Kill all of them! Every single one except him! Nobody leaves except Priest—nobody but my priest!"

The guns raised.

She held up her hand before any shots were fired. “Unless you leave with me.”

I looked at Miyori. She was still on her knees, bleeding, but breathing. Her good eye met mine. She knew what was coming.

"I'll go with you," I said.

Lilith froze. "What?"

"I'll leave with you. Right now. You want me to leave these people behind? Fine. I'll do it."

Her manic smile returned—tentative, hopeful. "You mean it? You'll come with me?"

I didn't answer her. I walked toward Miyori and knelt in front of her. The blood on her face was still wet—her lip split, her cheek swollen, one eye nearly swollen shut. But she looked at me like I was still the only thing in the room that mattered.

"Priest—"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I’m sorry this happened. I brought this on you."

She blinked. "What are you—"

I pressed my forehead to hers. "Take care of the kids."

I kissed her forehead, then stood and walked toward Lilith, her men following behind her.

Chapter 37

Kael

The room went silent when Priest walked toward Lilith.

My eyes locked onto Bria. She looked shaken, but she gave me a brief nod that said,I’m alright, handle what's needed.