“I ...” I started to answer, then found I couldn’t. I didn’t really have one. Everything that had happened, everything I’d done, I had no words to reason for it, not now. I just stood there, blinking, not sure what to say to the surprisingly warm brown eyes that were staring at me expectantly, as if I should know the reason why I’d killed so many people.
And then Old Man Winter was flung through the air into Sovereign’s back, knocking him over, and the need to craft an answer became completely irrelevant.
Chapter 42
Hildegarde rose to her feet, her hair whipping back behind her, retracting from where she’d thrown Winter into Sovereign’s exposed back. She took one look at me, then at her crony, and bolted, running full out around the corner of the wall segment that Sovereign had appeared from behind. I stood there, a little confused, not really sure if I should be doing something or if continuing to do nothing was the appropriate play. After only a moment’s pause, her Hercules followed suit, running off in the opposite direction, dodging behind a corner and out of view.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Sovereign said, and rose into the air as Winter fell off his back. Sovereign shook his head then flashed into flight around the corner where Hildegarde had just vanished. I was left staring at Erich Winter, whose hunched frame was slowly getting up off the ground.
“He will destroy you, you know,” Winter said. “Whatever he says is lies.”
I blinked, as though I could clear my head of the surreal imagery I had just seen merely by doing that. “I guess you two have that in common, then.”
“I never lied to you,” he said, easing to his feet, shoulders still stooped. “I may not have always told you everything, but I did it to try to protect you—”
“Spare me the warmed over, empty air that you’re flinging in my direction,” I said. “Your excuses are doing nothing but adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.” He quieted, and a long, piercing scream came from somewhere in the distance. It was male, and it cut off after a moment. “I guess we just found out who’s stronger than Hercules.”
“He will kill everyone,” Winter said. “You heard him admit as much yourself.”
“I did,” I said. “I also watched you order your goons to force me to drain Bjorn, then my boyfriend, in order to piss me off and make me kill people.”
“You needed to prepare,” he said. “You needed to lose your hesitation.” Another scream followed his words, this one from a woman, and only slightly farther away, judging by the sound. “He is coming.”
“Yeah,” I said. “If he doesn’t kill you, by the way, you’re under arrest.” Winter cocked his head at me, most curiously. “Senator Foreman sends his regards. He’s a little miffed that you fled the country rather than making at least some report to him.”
“I had important work to attend to,” Winter said.
“Yeah, I bet fleeing my impending wrath was crucial to your strategy of saving your own ass to work another day.”
“Sorry about that,” Sovereign said as he flew back around the corner, sweeping low to avoid the rebar ceiling. “I, uh ...” He met my gaze. “I hope you don’t mind, but I had to kill those two. I don’t normally go for killing if I can avoid it—witness this guy here,” he waved at Winter, “but in this case, I mean, their time was pretty limited anyway, and hitting me in the back of the head with a Norseman? I can only handle so much insult from someone who’s already killed my people while trying to impress me.” He looked from me to Winter. “Sorry, did I interrupt? I can wait. Really. If you two have business to hash out, you go right ahead.”
I let out an impatient exhalation. “I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to fight. This is how it always ends—talk, fight, done. It’s a cycle. Don’t mess with the process.”
“Sorry,” Sovereign said. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m sure Weissman will, when you stick your nose in his end of the operation again, but not me.” He didn’t look like a fifteen-year-old, not anymore, and he had sadness aplenty that differentiated him from someone that young. “I’ve warned him about killing you, though.” His jaw tightened. “I thought he knew better before, but ... I had to teach him a lesson after Andromeda. That never should have happened. And for that, as well, you have my apologies.” He bowed his head in contrition.
“Oh, for the love of—” I said, groaning. “You’re here to apologize me to death?”