Rogue Descendant (Nikki Glass) - By Jenna Black Page 0,48
on the coffee table. “I knocked, but you didn’t hear me.”
He eyed me suspiciously from his seat on the couch. I guess my sudden and unexpected appearance in his suite worried him. Maybe he thought I was going to try to warn him away from Steph for the millionth time.
“I’m making a scarf for Steph for Valentine’s Day,” he said, that wary look still on his face. “I haven’t knitted for a long time, so I thought I’d get an early start.”
The admission made me strangely uncomfortable. The idea that he was making something for Steph by hand, something he expected to take him nearly a month to complete, suggested a deeper attachment than I’d allowed myself to imagine. I’d known Blake was fond of Steph, and I’d even had to admit to myself that he genuinely cared about her, but I’d hoped it was something fun and casual. You don’t spend a month knitting something for someone if the relationship is casual.
“I wouldn’t have taken you for the knitting type,” I said. My voice came out a bit tight. I’d promised not to voice my disapproval of his relationship with my sister, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel it.
Blake shrugged. “I grew up with three sisters. I was a rebel, so when my parents told me boys don’t knit, I immediately wanted to do it.” He grinned. “I learned by unraveling a couple of my sisters’ projects so I could figure out how it worked. Strangely enough, they weren’t very happy with me when they found the piles of yarn I left behind.”
I chuckled, reluctantly charmed. “How old were you?”
“Nine, the first time. Dad took his belt to me something fierce, so next time, I was more sneaky about it and buried the evidence. I’m pretty sure Dad knew it was me, but there was an outside chance the dog had made off with it, and he wasn’t going to thrash me unless he was sure.”
I imagined blue-eyed, blond-haired Blake had been a pro at looking angelically innocent as a child.
“But you didn’t come here to talk about my hobbies,” Blake said. “What’s up?”
I hesitated, unsure if bringing up his relationship with Cyrus would come across as some kind of subtle rebuke under the circumstances. But it was why I’d come to Blake in the first place, so I straightened my spine and closed the door behind me. Blake hadn’t invited me to sit, so I stood awkwardly and put my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t fidget.
“You know Anderson and I went to meet with Cyrus this afternoon, right?”
He nodded, and his suspicious look made a return appearance.
“Cyrus promised to tell all the Olympians to back off me if I promised to owe him a hunt someday.” Blake’s eyes widened in alarm and surprise, and I hastened to clarify the details of the deal we’d made. “My question is, is Cyrus like Konstantin? Will he try to find some way to make this deal hurt me despite the conditions I set?”
Blake thought about it a moment, and I decided to sit down despite the lack of invitation. I suspect it hadn’t even occurred to him to issue one—he’d just assumed I’d make myself comfortable. He wasn’t as formal as Anderson or as standoffish as Jamaal.
“Here’s the thing to understand about Cyrus,” Blake said slowly, thinking over his words carefully before he spoke. “Unlike Konstantin, there’s no malice in him. He’d never go out of his way to hurt someone, and he’s even capable of being a nice guy, when the spirit strikes him.”
“Nice guys don’t lead the Olympians!” I protested.
“I said he’s capable of it. He’s not in the least bit malicious, but what he does have in common with his daddy is a deep, abiding selfishness. He’ll be nice and actually help someone, if it doesn’t cost him anything and he’s in the mood. But if you’re standing between him and something that he wants, all bets are off. So in answer to your question, no, he won’t look for a way to make the deal bite you in the ass. But he won’t hesitate to exploit a loophole if he finds one and it’s to his advantage.”
I shook my head. “How the hell did you end up involved with someone like that?” I asked, not really expecting him to answer.
A hint of sadness crossed Blake’s face. “I honestly thought I could change him. He was a good friend for a long time, and I’ve