Chapter Thirty-Seven

Dillan

No Rest for the Wicked

Dillan paced the length of the farmhouse’s porch like a caged animal. In his head he lectured himself about allowing Selena to walk away with Sebastian. It still wasn’t safe. He should be there in case they needed help. Once he’d made his decision to follow, he’d get about ten steps away from the farmhouse just to turn around again and double back. Then the pacing resumed.

“Will you stop?” Kyle sat on the top step, his back against the railing. “You’re making me dizzy.”

He stopped and pointed at him. “If you just kept your pie-hole shut…” He snorted as he paced, trying his best to dissipate the frantic energy flowing in his blood. “She didn’t have to know about my demotion, Hilliard.”

“Doesn’t feel so good when someone else spills your secrets, huh?”

Cracking his knuckles at the dig, he thought of the myriad of torture techniques he could use on Kyle and still keep him alive for days. The prick had gotten on his last nerve. Mentioning Katarina to Selena ranked high on his list of low blows. He stared the guy down, imagining him strapped to an electric chair with him at the lever. Then he stopped the pleasurable yet morbid thought. Selena didn’t need to mourn the death of another person in her life tonight. No matter how much he hated him.

By the time the nearly full moon had reached its peak, his feet had worn a path in front of the farmhouse. David and Caroline hadn’t come out since Selena stormed off. What they told her, he had no idea. Out of respect, he didn’t reach out toward the kitchen with his hearing no matter how much he wanted to. Kyle had filled him in on David’s and Caroline’s identities when they reached the front porch. Selena had one of the best Illumenari pedigrees, coming from the original ten families. Her grandparents hid their power well. They officially scared him. But they had to trust Selena more. Whatever came her way, she could take it.

“How did you know it was Bowen?” he steered the conversation toward more useful avenues as he took a seat several steps down and balanced his arms on his knees, staring out at his car parked yards away.

“Call it luck.” Kyle shrugged. “I was driving here to apologize to Selena for being a monumental ass and spotted Bowen standing over a mutilated dog. It was easy to connect the dots after that.”

His steely stares started losing their power. He hadn’t seen battle the way Dillan had. He was still a kid, at the end of the day. Not a real Illumenari. Untested. He proved that when Bowen practically left him for dead. He stopped and faced him. “Look, I get you’re mad that Selena is pissed at you.”

“Why do you care what I’m feeling?”

“What were you going to say?” He did his best imitation of Kyle’s deadpan voice. ‘“Hey, Selena, I want you to know that I’m an Illumenari son and I’m here because you need to be protected. I can’t tell you how. I can’t tell you why. But you have to trust me.’” He glanced at him over his shoulder. A pathetic expression crossed over Kyle’s face. He rolled his eyes then faced forward again, scanning the prairies for a hint of Sebastian and Selena. The darkness consumed everything. A great place to hide a Maestro. He made up his mind to give them an hour. If they weren’t back by then, he’d go after them no matter how Selena felt about the matter. To keep himself occupied until then, he went back to his conversation with Kyle. “I don’t think she’d believe you.”

“And you think that because?”

“Hilliard, you’re her best friend. She’d think you were messing with her. But if someone she barely knew told her, she’d take it better. At least, based on experience, that’s what happened.”

“But she still feels betrayed.”

“As much as I hate to admit this, you were just trying to protect her. But holding back information doesn’t do anyone any good.” He shrugged. “I get why you won’t tell me what’s really going on here. With my connection with my grandfather, I wouldn’t trust me either.”

“And you hate that.”

“More than you know.”

“Look, I’m sorry that I told her about your demotion and Katarina.”

The familiar ache that came from hearing her name settled in his chest. He shook his head. “Believe me, if it wouldn’t hurt Selena to lose another friend tonight, I’d strangle you for being a rat.”

That made Kyle laugh.

“Ha, ha. Yeah, it’s so funny.”

When Kyle finished his little laughing jag, he patted Dillan on the shoulder. “You’ll have your hands full with her, you know that right?”

A half grin formed on his lips. “Take it easy on her will you. She misses you. It’s a prick move not to answer her text messages.”

“I messed up, didn’t I?”

“Like a royal pain in the ass.”