“Hey, buddy.”
I smashed the cue into the white ball and sent it flying across the room to crash into a glass side table. I threw the cue onto the table and straightened to look at Tye jogging down the stairs. “What the fuck are you doing here, asshole?”
Tye was taller than me, not as muscular, but agile, and the smartest guy I knew, although his appearance didn’t suit that. He had a brow piercing, streaked blue spiked hair, and wore ripped jeans, motorcycle boots, and a black leather jacket.
“Waleron called Xamien asking for some help. I volunteered.” Tye walked over and grabbed the white ball that had settled on the floor amongst the shards of glass. “Nice one.”
He was a reminder of all that went wrong centuries ago. He’d been responsible for protecting Gemma when I was away from the castle. He failed. I could hold a grudge for eternity, and Tye didn’t take the hint that I held him accountable. “Fuck off. I don’t need your shit right now.”
“No can do, buddy.” He plucked a pool cue from the wall rack then chalked it. “Heard Ryker isn’t doing so good.” He shook his head. “Hannah was something special.” Tye set the chalk down on the edge of the pool table. “Wish I could’ve been there to kill that Anton bastard myself.”
I didn’t say anything.
Tye put the white ball back on the table, took my cue off, then bent and lined himself up for a shot. “How’s the girl? Rayne? Heard she got—”
“Stay the fuck away from her,” I barked.
Tye shot the white ball, which hit the green striped, sinking it into the left corner pocket. “Lighten up. Just asking. Heard she went through some major shit. Also heard she’s a Scar. What is she? We need a Healer. Xamien has been searching for years for another Healer. She could live in Spain with—”
I snapped. Tye talking about Rayne sent my anger into overdrive and funneled my powers into my eyes. They burned and brightened, pulsating as they focused on Tye.
“Whoa, man.” Tye straightened, threw the cue down, and stepped back while holding up his hands. “Shit, what’s your deal?”
“My deal? My fuckin’ deal? You son of a bitch. You let her go with Ulrich. You sent Gemma to her death, but not before my brother raped her. She was innocent. She was sweet and innocent and you destroyed that. You destroyed her.” I stalked toward him and Tye backed up until he was against the wall. “I loved her. I promised her she’d be safe. I swore to her everything would be okay.” I grabbed him by the shirt and pressed him into the wall.
“Jesus, Kilter, I told you. We told you. It didn’t go down like that,” Tye said, hands on my arms. “For once in your life, listen to me. Listen to the truth about Gemma.” His eyes bulged as I pressed harder into his chest. “Kilter. Gemma and Ulrich… she left with Ulrich willingly. She never loved you, man.”
I slammed his body into the wall and the drywall cracked under the pressure.
“Think about it.” He coughed and pulled at my arms. “Clear your goddamn head and listen to me. It was a setup. She was in love with him. She knew about the Scars, and Ulrich promised to change her into one of us. She knew you’d never make her a Scar. Shit, you kept what you were from her.”
“No,” I shouted and slammed Tye into the wall again. There was a sharp crack and Tye groaned. “You’re fuckin’ lying.”
“We tried to tell you when you escaped Ulrich, but you were crazed. Every fuckin’ time we mentioned her name or Ulrich’s, you lost it.” Tye met my eyes and I tried to shake off what I was hearing. I didn’t want to believe it. He was lying.
I never heard her approach, but I felt her hand on the small of my back and the other on my arm that held Tye against the wall.
“Kilter,” she whispered.
“Get out of here, Rayne,” I warned.
“Rayne. Get Keir,” Tye said.
I tightened my hold on him. Blind rage tore through my mind and body, the horror of my past still fresh from six months in Rest and seeing it over and over again. Nothing else mattered except destruction.
“Kilter, please,” Rayne said.
The warmth of her hands spread across my body, causing a warm glow to heat my insides. The rage faded as if the sparks of light burned it away.
“What the fuck?”
My breathing calmed and my pulse slowed as my muscles relaxed and the anger eased. What the hell was going on? How was this possible?
I looked at Tye who I held against the wall, his face strained and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
What the fuck was I doing?
I released Tye and staggered back several steps until I was up against the pool table. “Rayne? What did you do to me?” But I knew, she took my anger away.
She came toward me and placed her hands back on my arm then turned to Tye. “Tell him what he needs to hear,” she urged. “I can keep the anger away.”
“What?” What was she talking about?
“Tell him,” Rayne insisted.