Anew

60

Tristan stood in front of one of his bookshelves in the basement, looking for something he hadn’t already read a thousand times.

He really needed to get some new books.

“What did you do?” Gabriel’s hard voice came from behind him.

Tristan turned around to find his brother glaring at him with clenched fists. “What are you talking about?”

“Do you know what I just saw?”

Tristan raised his brows in question.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “I just saw a very intricate, very perfect design on Scarlet’s hip.”

Tristan said nothing.

He knew this would happen. Why had Scarlet gone and drawn on herself?

Gabriel shrugged. “Are you gonna tell me what happened while I was gone?”

“Nothing happened while you were gone, I swear. I didn’t touch her.”

At least, not on purpose.

Although I wanted to….

“Then how do you explain the design?”

Tristan sighed. “She’s seen it before, Gabe. We all have.” He shrugged, hoping Gabriel would let it go.

He didn’t.

Gabriel nodded with a tight jaw. “Yeah, but she’s seen the bottom of the design. A part that I’ve never seen. A part only select people could have seen.”

Tristan inhaled deeply and kept his mouth shut.

“What? No comments? No denying?” Gabriel’s eyes were full of rage—something Tristan hadn’t seen in years.

It was kinda cool.

Except for the fact that his rage was directed at Tristan.

Tristan kept his voice steady. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Gabriel clenched his hands as he took a step closer and, for a moment, Tristan thought he was going to punch him. “Stay away from her.”

Tristan narrowed his eyes in return. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Remember?”

Gabriel lowered his voice. “If she dies because of you,” he took another step closer, his eyes boring into Tristan, “I will hate you forever.”

They stared at each other for a moment, tension filling the room, before Gabriel turned and left the basement.

It was only a matter of time before Scarlet remembered what the design was.

He needed to die.