“Matt, don’t,” Leah pleaded with her hands clenched in tight fists. One was stretched toward Kellan while the other held on to Matt’s arm. “Think about this first.”

“Oh my God. Why do you care?”

“I love him.” The admission was whispered. “I can’t help it. I don’t know why, but I do. Don’t kill him. Don’t shoot him.”

“You’re sick, Leah. You’re just…you’re so sick. How can you love one of them?

You know what they did, what he did to you.”

Dylan was slow as he went down the stairs, both of us watched in silence. The tension was thick in that room between them, so thick I feared the slightest sound would set off Matt, or Kellan, who looked like he was contemplating killing Matt or waiting to see if Leah would be successful.

“I know,” she said, quiet as tears slid down her cheeks. “But I can’t help it. Don’t kill him, Matt. Please.”

“I have to,” Matt choked out. His fingers tightened around the gun.

“Don’t!” Leah yelled.

“Why are we scared of a gun?” I looked at Kellan and saw him hear my question, then shoot me a dark look.

“You were supposed to stay upstairs and distract that idiot. Go back. Make something up.”

“Why are we scared of a gun? Can it hurt you?”

“It can hurt you. Go back! You’re still half human.”

“So are you.”

“I’ll be fine. Get back! Shay, do it.”

I cast a worried glance at Vespar, whose eyes hadn’t moved from Matt. He seemed captivated by the threat from him.

“And Vespar? It can hurt him, too?”

“More him than you. The bullets are dipped in the same saint’s blood that his chains are. It’ll kill him. It might hurt you. Stop wasting my concentration and get out of the room. Take Dylan with you; better yet, just kill him.”

I ignored him, too concerned for Kellan and a little bit for Vespar. As I watched, Leah started to reach for the gun, but Kellan murmured at the same time, “Leah, you still love me?”

She swung her gaze to his with her eyes wide with devotion. “You know I do. I never stopped.”

“Help me then.”

“How?”

“I can’t touch Vespar’s chains, but you can. Unchain him. Let him go.”

“But—” She swung nervous eyes to Matt and then back to Kellan. “He’ll kill me. I hurt him, too. I was a part of this, but I did it for you. I wanted to be with you.”

“Wanted? You don’t want to anymore?”

“No! I do. I really do. But…”

“Unchain him. I promise Vespar won’t hurt you. I’ll protect you. You can come with us then.”

“Don’t listen to him, Leah,” Matt burst out, his hand started to tremble.

“He’s lying to you. He loves Shay. You know that. You saw him with her. He won’t leave her for you.”

At the mention of my name, she sucked in her breath and then pinned Kellan down with her eyes. “What about her? About what he just said.”

Kellan frowned. “Shay is my sister. Of course, I love her. You want me to kill one of my siblings for you?”

“You don’t have a sister-brother thing. I’ve seen you with her. It’s not right. It’s gross. What about her? Do you love her?”

“Of course, I love her. She’s my sister.” As Kellan answered her, he started to move forward, gliding with each word he whispered. “But I could love you, too, in the way you want me to.”

“You don’t now?”

I winced, hearing the pain in her voice, no matter how delusional she was.

Kellan was close to her now, close to Matt. “I don’t love anybody, not in that way, but I could. I do think I could love you. I was there for you. Do you remember? When your parents died, are those memories still with you? I stayed with you for a week. I was concerned about you. That has to mean something…”

Matt stumbled back a few steps. “Get away. Get away from her!”

Leah didn’t move as she lifted her eyes to Kellan’s, lost in what he was promising. “Do you mean it?”

Kellan bent his forehead to rest against hers. “I do. I really do.”

The surrender was swift in her. Her eyes clasped close, and her body relaxed in one breath. “What do you want me to do?”

“No!” Matt yelled and then pulled the trigger.

Kellan shoved Leah aside, but it was too late. She screamed when the bullet pierced her back and then fell forward into his arms. In two seconds, Kellan had Matt in the air by the throat and slammed him against the wall. The gun dropped to the floor with a rattle, but it was ignored. All eyes were on Kellan as he growled, “I can hear her heart slowing.”

His face was pinched together, but Matt tried to respond. It came out as a gurgle instead.

I was frozen on the stairs as my heart started to slow. Kellan cared for Leah. The realization shook me. It wasn’t something I had ever considered, but the evidence was before me. For once since we’d entered the house, he wasn’t in complete control. Glimpses of his real demon came out, and his rage was so strong, the house started to shake from it.

Matt looked around with panicked eyes, but only squeaked as he was thrown again into a wall.

Dylan scrambled off the stairs and lurched for the gun.

“No!” Vespar threw himself forward, but the chains jerked him backward.