She was mad with grief. Gabriel understood this long before she spoke, for he had been there. Talitha had not been killed, but what was done to her was worse. How could he look at the thing that his daughter had become and not see the wounds? The little girl who had dreamed of being Aquila had turned into nothing more than a self-centered whore. Better that, though, than a slow death by drink or suicide. If he could not save her body, he would save her soul.
Dark ears turned back and Gabriel lowered his weight to meet her. She would come; she would throw herself at him and then he would be ready. All Shadows were alike—all Shadows saw violence and desired to consume and devour. His had been no different. Haku had sought to consume the land and all those who stood against him. Haku was a demon. He was Gabriel’s demon, reflection, Shadow.
They had been brothers, you see. “If you do that, you will become a monster.” He had told Tayui the same thing, and he knew it to be true. “Talitha will kill you. She’ll kill our children.” Oh how he believed that now. Talitha would die for Ezekiel; he did not doubt she would slaughter for him either.
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