shaking with fury.
Ian let out a dark chuckle. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Vampires can survive head wounds,” Ashael hissed. “Getting captured and interrogated was the least you deserved for using Veritas as your latest plaything.”
“Oh, the head wound wouldn’t have killed me,” Ian agreed. “But the other guards might have, when I was defenseless. Luckily for me, one of the guards was an old mate of mine. More than that, I sired him, and every vampire knows the greatest sin among our kind is betraying your sire unto death. That’s why he kept me safe while I healed, so I woke up with the horn wrapped around my arm like a bloody pet. Must’ve decided it liked me after it nearly decapitated me. I knew Ashael had set me up when he refused to take the horn from me earlier. He didn’t because he knew what would happen, didn’t you, mate?”
Ashael’s gaze slanted to Ian before it settled on me. One look, and I knew every word was true.
“Understand,” Ashael said in a vehement tone. “I’ve known Ian for decades. He loves only himself. I will allow no one to take advantage of you, especially a man who will use and discard you the same way he’s used and discarded so many others—”
Ian shoved the horn’s sharp tip into Ashael’s eye. Ashael shuddered and smoke poured from the blackening hole. My vision burned and my throat felt like it was trying to choke me. I wanted Ashael dead for what he’d done, but . . . I had always longed to have a sibling.
For a while, Tenoch had been my family, then his loss devastated me and sent me further into my shell. Now, suddenly, I had a brother. A twisted, chauvinistic brother, but in his way, Ashael had believed he was protecting me. If Ian killed him, he also killed any hope I had at seeing if there could be a real family bond between me and Ashael that went deeper than our secret blood tie.
“Ian.” My voice was strained. “Let him go.”
Maybe Ashael realized how much he’d fucked up. That would explain why he hadn’t ripped the water out of Ian to stop him. No, Ashael was leaving what happened up to me, proving again that there was more to Ashael than his attempt to get Ian arrested and imprisoned so he’d stay away from me.
Ian looked at me in amazement. “You want this sod to live? Don’t tell me you return his obvious interest.”
“Asheal is interested in me, but not how you think.” I cleared my throat to ease its tightness. “I’m his, ah, sister.”
“You’re what?” The horn’s tip froze.
“His sister.” Saying it out loud somehow made Ashael’s betrayal hurt worse. I drew in a breath to get the rest of it out. “He realized that when he saw my father’s lineage in me with his ability earlier. He . . . my father is his father, too.”
Ian lowered the ram’s horn and shoved Ashael away. The demon caught himself before he stumbled, a humorless smile curling his mouth. “Once again, you show more honor than I thought you capable of. She must bring out the best in you.”
“Or you have no idea who Ian truly is,” I corrected at once. “You believed the mirage, which caused you to underestimate Ian so much, you failed to imprison him with your horn retrieval trick. Instead, he almost killed you twice today.”
Ashael inclined his head. “Point taken.”
“Glad that’s settled. This isn’t.” I landed a kick in Ashael’s groin that doubled him over. Then he snapped back at the uppercut I delivered to his jaw. Bone crunched and my hand burned, but blood flew from Ashael’s mouth. Worth it!
“Try to get Ian arrested or imprisoned again, and you’re dead,” I snarled. “You’re only alive now because I always wanted a brother or sister, plus in your twisted demon mind, you thought you were protecting me. But you don’t get to choose who I’m with, so I will kill you if you so much as plot to give Ian a stubbed toe in the future—”
Ian caught my next punch in mid-swing. “Think he gets it, luv.”
I stared at him. “You were going to kill him two minutes ago! Why are you protecting him now?”
A grim smile flitted across Ian’s mouth. “I’d still like to kill him, but if I had a sister, I wouldn’t want a bloke like me near her, either. Can’t murder my new brother-in-law for something I’d do myself, can