A Shade of Vampire 82 A Circle of Nine - Bella Forrest Page 0,39

conversation. Both Tristan and Valaine had questions, and Kalon willingly answered them. Ansel watched the entire exchange and gave his brother a pained look.

By the time he was done, I could tell something had changed between us all. Even Tristan displayed some degree of sympathy for Kalon, though he’d yet to amend that frowny face of his.

“After hearing about everything Petra did, I have to say, I don’t really blame you for being so split on the issue,” Valaine said after a moment. “But if you ever lie to me or Esme again, I’ll unleash my dark side on you and turn your brain to mush. Do you hear me, Kalon?”

He smiled. “I do. But I have no intention of keeping anything from any of you, ever again. It’s too late for me to hope I might get my family back together or that my mother would ever leave the Darklings. All I can do now is help you beat them, so I can at least try to save Tudyk and Moore.”

“Yeah, they’re way too young for this mess,” Ansel grumbled. “Simmon and Aganon have their heads too far up their asses.”

“And it’ll probably get them killed,” Kalon said. “It’s not something I’m ready to live with, but without any other choice…”

I reached across the table to cover his hand with mine. “Whatever happens, just remember you’re not alone. Your wayward little brother came back.” I nodded at Ansel. “It’s proof that minds can still be changed, right?”

Tristan scoffed. “I still don’t like you very much, Kalon.” It made everyone freeze around the table, especially Kalon. “Perhaps my standards are impossible for anyone who seeks to earn my sister’s love. I do understand the difficulty of leaving one’s family behind in times as dire as these, and I’m sure your choice was not easy to make. That being said, Esme still trusts you, and Valaine has forgiven you. It would be unwise and unproductive of me to divide the group at this point, so you have my support, as well.”

“Thank you, Tris—”

“My support,” my brother reiterated, cutting Kalon off. “Not my trust.”

“Well, at least there’s peace again between you,” Kalla interjected. She didn’t strike me as the patient type when it came to more personal matters. Not that I could blame her, considering everything we were dealing with.

Kalon chuckled, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. I’d rarely seen him so soft and vulnerable, and I knew he was doing it for my brother—to make Tristan understand that he was genuine and open to criticism. As awkward as this whole moment was, it also shed light on who we really were as people. Our species boundaries were gone, and only our souls were left sitting at this massive wooden table.

“I’m sorry about what happened with Mother,” Ansel said, looking at his brother. “Had I known she’d do what she did, I would’ve warned you about it. I honestly thought she was going to hold up her end of the bargain you two had made prior to our arrival at the house.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” Kalon replied. “I suppose Veliko’s appearance had something to do with it.”

Valaine shuddered. “Ugh. I just can’t believe Petra is a Whip. Not even a run-of-the-mill Darkling, but one of the so-called lieutenants. It’s sickening, considering all the work we’ve done together.”

“I swear, Valaine, I had no idea she was the one who called the hit on you,” Kalon said.

“I know. For all your faults, you are honest in your emotional attachments. You’ve never lied about that, and you’ve always been like a brother to me,” Valaine said. “To be perfectly honest, I blame Petra for everything, including the discord between us. And the strife between you and your brothers.”

“As for you, Ansel, I’m glad you’re back on the right side of history,” Kalon said to his younger brother. “I’m proud of you.”

“Let’s just hope I make it out of this alive,” Ansel replied, leaning back into his chair. “I’m most worried about Moore and Tudyk. Physical prowess aside, they’re still kids. They don’t deserve to die.”

“We’ll do everything we can to save them,” Tristan assured him, but I paid attention to the words he’d so carefully chosen. He wasn’t ready to commit to a clearer promise to save the boys, and I understood why. Petra was a vicious creature, and she’d gotten deep inside her sons’ heads. Saving them might not be an option.

Had it not been for Veliko’s eagerness to kill him, Ansel might still