“I overheard things while I was among the demons. And the knights have demon archives. Information on powers, on demi like us—half vampire, half human. There are websites you can find online, created by demi from all over the world. Humans think it’s a myth, fantasy, but Grace, another demi I know, showed me how to find the sites created by our kind, how to search for information.”
He said nothing.
“Do you believe me?”
His gaze moved to the window, and he sat motionless for the longest time.
“Ronan?”
“I…I’m trying to remember. Yes, you’re right, she did smile a lot, but she was human. Humans smile.”
“They do, so doesn’t it make sense that we could be born with emotions as well, since we’re half human?” Her hands shook, so desperate for him to believe her. “Do you remember us, you and me?”
His fingers flexed, then curled. “You smiled as well,” he said.
Luna froze. “Yes, I did. You remember?”
His gaze went inward again. “I think so. Now that I’m trying…” He frowned and jolted, blinking rapidly. “When we were children, I used to hide and surprise you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, yes you did.”
“It made you laugh. Why would I do that?”
Her throat was getting tight again. She curled her fingers into fists to stop from pulling him into a hug. “Because we were children, and we used to play together. We liked to make each other laugh, and sometimes we fought. Once you got so angry when I broke the wheel off one of your toy cars that you stole my favorite doll and hid her for two days.”
His expression didn’t change, his gaze sliding back to her. “The car was blue.”
“Yes.”
“Your doll had hair made of black yarn.”
How could he be in any doubt now? “That’s right.” She shifted, dropping her feet to the floor and leaned forward. “Why do you think you did those things? Took my doll, or made me laugh?”
He suddenly looked haunted. “I’m not sure.”
He knew. He had to know. She licked her lips, knowing she was close, so close to making him believe. Making him confront the truth. “Because you had an emotional response. Pleasure from laughter. Anger from me breaking one of your favorite toys. The only reason you no longer feel those things is because Azel did what he did.”
Ronan stood suddenly and paced away.
She reached down the front of her shirt and lifted their mother's necklace, holding up the tiny cross when he turned back. “She used to wear this all the time. Do you remember it?”
He froze.
“Ronan—”
“It was covered in blood,” he said.
Luna had cried, sobbing uncontrollably as she’d washed their mother’s blood from it. “Yes, after Azel had finished with her, it was covered in her blood.”
He stood motionless, an expression so devoid of anything, she had no hope of reading him.
“Ronan, are you okay?”
“I have a male here who knows your knight.”
She blinked up at him. “What? Who?”
“I took him for questioning when I was looking for you. I let the demons think bringing him in was at Sir’s request, but it was mine.”
“James? You have James?”
He turned and headed for the door
“Ronan, wait—”
“I need to question him further.” He walked out and locked the door behind him.
The night was never-ending.
It was hours since Ronan had walked out, and when a soft knock finally came, she knew it wasn’t her brother. The door opened, confirming it.
Spencer stood there, looking unsure of what his welcome would be. “May I come in?”
The urge to hug him was as strong as the urge to kick his ass. “It’s not as if I can stop you, right? You’ll do whatever the hell you like, anyway.”
He flinched, and he had the decency to look shamefaced.
“So he’s letting me have visitors now?”
More guilt and sadness looked back at her. “Apparently.”
“Don’t,” she bit out. “These new emotions are messing with me enough. I don’t need to feel bad about being angry with you on top of everything else.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Why did you do it, Spencer?” The sadness she felt over his betrayal was so strong, so raw.
Her old friend didn’t miss it and looked down. “It was a mistake.”
“No shit,” she said. “Why did you bother texting Grace when I was locked up, why did you ask her to help free me if you planned to just drag me back?”
“I thought having the knights close to the house would be enough of a threat for Sir to let