“I’ll do no such thing. Sean attacked me first, and then came back a second time once I shoved him away.” Golden firelight glowed on his face, illuminated the tense line of his jaw. “As far as I’m concerned, he got what he deserved.”
Exasperation took over, and I pushed myself to the very edge of the tub, sending another wave over the side. “How can you say that? No one deserves to be brutally disfigured over something so inane.”
Henry’s expression turned hard as stone. “Let me be clear, Selah. After what he said, your brother is fortunate to still be alive. Any other man, I would have run through without a second thought. For your sake alone, I took the hand to spare his life.”
I gaped at him. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” he snapped. “I’m not the one who stormed off to sulk in a tub.” He flung one arm in a wild gesture, taking in the whole of the small room. “How long did you intend to hide in here?”
“Don’t try to make this about me, Henry. All I want—”
“What do you want, Selah? A full admission of my guilt? Would that make you feel better?”
I jutted my chin out. “Yes, it would.”
“Well, that’s a shame as I have none to confess. During the fight, I made a conscious decision to maim your brother with the full knowledge that the damage would most likely be permanent.”
“Most likely?” I scoffed. “How did you figure that?”
“He’s goddess born. I assumed some of his companions would be the same so there was a small chance the hand could be reattached. But to be honest, I didn’t care either way. I do not regret my actions, nor would I act differently if given the same situation. Your safety is my first priority. Any man who threatens that shall be dealt with accordingly, Sean included.”
For a moment all I could do was stare at Henry. In every physical aspect he appeared the same man—tall, broad shoulders, light brown hair. Yet the deadly edge in his voice alluded to a well of violence I hadn’t known existed. The difference was subtle, intangible, and infinitely more dangerous. Even from ten feet away, I sensed the raw tension contained in his tightly coiled form.
Was this the man I knew and loved? Granted, Henry could never have been mistaken for a pacifist as he had already killed two men in the Colonies to protect me. And then in England, he’d threatened to kill a score more, including Julian for stealing a kiss. But my own brother? When had Henry turned so vicious?
The fire popped. Red sparks shot up in a rapid arc before gravity took hold and pulled them in a glimmering shower to the flagstones.
They might as well have landed on my heart for the pain that smoldered there. “This isn’t like you, Henry.” I spoke softly, the anger having given way under an onslaught of worry. “You’ve changed somehow. The man I knew would never have purposefully harmed someone I loved. Not when there was another way.”
“Nothing has changed.”
“Don’t tell me that when I can see otherwise.”
Henry sighed and I felt the tension slacken between us. “I’m the same man you met in the Colonies. The same man you fell in love with. The only difference...” He stopped midsentence, leaving me hanging.
“What difference?” I urged.
A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “It’s of no concern.”
“Please tell me or I’ll never understand what happened today.” And without understanding, forgiveness felt very far away.
He scrubbed a rough hand over his face. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Selah. Luck or not, your brother is fine, so can we just agree to let it go?” Weariness laced his deep voice. “I’m tired of arguing.”
As was I, but the issue had gone past Sean into something else altogether. Silence settled around us while I debated what to do next.
The only difference... That small, incomplete statement had spoken volumes. Henry was purposefully holding something back—something big that I needed to know. Yet at the moment, there seemed a better chance of extracting a tooth than the truth, and I saw but one way to get any sort of answer from him.
I placed my hands on the tub’s edge. “Close your eyes.”
He looked at me for a long moment. “Do you intend to run away? If so, I’ll save you the trouble and go myself.” He began to push away from the wall.
“I’m not leaving yet. And neither are you.”
This got his attention. “Very well.” Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes.
Milky water sluiced over me as I stood and climbed from the tub. Shallow puddles formed on the flagstones around my feet. Henry tilted his chin up at my approach, and though his eyes remained shut, he tracked each step with a startling awareness.
Self-conscious, I drew my arms together to help hide my nakedness. “No peeking.”
He smiled, much like a wolf. “I wouldn’t dare.”
A gentle touch to his forearm was all it took for him to relinquish the towel. Shaking out the cloth, I wrapped it around myself, tucking in the ends to keep it in place. Then I stepped even closer and slid both arms around him.