Close Quarter by Zabo Anna

Author:Zabo Anna [Anna, Zabo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9781623000691
Amazon: B00A70QRFU
Goodreads: 16126685
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

"Liar." Affection and concern softened the reply.

Silas grasped the edge of his chair, pulled it out, and sank down. He would have reached for his wine had his hands not been shaking.

Rhys sat, plucked his glass from the table, and sipped, expression unreadable.

Silas looked away. Anaxandros still played him like a puppet. Had he followed, no doubt the trail would have led him back to a lair with four other soulless. "If you hadn't stopped me, I'd be dead."

"Yeah, I know," Rhys said. "But I'd be dead without you, so it works out."

Silas hazarded a chance at drinking the wine.

His hands held steady. "I didn't think--" He stopped, set down the wineglass. "I can't think around him. I'm sorry."

Rhys swirled his wine. "I want to rip that thing apart for what it did to you."

"You have no idea."

"Actually," Rhys said, "I do."

Oh great mother Gaia. Rhys had felt Silas's whole life, that part included. He cast around for words to put together and found nothing.

Thankfully their dinner came, providing Silas with a respite from his thoughts and from Rhys's watchful inspection.

Though how he would stomach his food, Silas had no idea.

Rhys smiled up at the waiter. "I seem to have dropped my steak knife."

They brought Rhys another.

An image of Rhys's blood welling beneath Anaxandros's claws flashed through Silas's mind.

His hands shook too much to lift his water glass.

He flattened them against the tablecloth. "Jupiter's hairy balls, what the hell is wrong with me?"

Rhys handed him the bread basket. "I don't know. Maybe you just saw the monster that spent a hundred-and-eighty-some years abusing you for the first time since you escaped?"

Silas took the basket, forced himself to pull out a piece of bread. "I should be better than this."

Exasperation was written on Rhys's face.

"You're too hard on yourself. What you went through..." He frowned down at his steak, then commenced cutting it. "Hell, I kind of lost it around that thing."

The bread was soft and warm. Silas took another sip of wine to wash it down. "You were magnificent. Like wind. I couldn't touch him, and you pierced his flesh." He paused, watched Rhys's hands. "With a steak knife."

Rhys laid the knife on the edge of his plate.

"Is that something else I shouldn't be able to do?"

Rhys's lips twitched upward.

Cheeky little fox. "Yes." Silas picked up his silverware--and it was real silver--and set about consuming the honey-braised chicken in front of him. At first he nibbled, but the food was surprisingly good. Tender meat and sweet spices.

Before long, most of the chicken was gone, and he had to force himself to slow down before he stole Rhys's steak.

"I think we make each other better," Rhys said. "I feel you when you"--he waved his fork about in a circle--"do whatever it is you do. And I just know."

"Know when I manipulate the element?" Silas rotated his wineglass, watched the merlot coat the sides. Someone who complemented him in every way. Gods above. "We do seem to share a connection."

Rhys finally looked away, his gaze drifting toward the sinking sun.

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