ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕖

"I think that's everyone," Kami says, returning from a quick search of the corridors with Morgan. "I'll call the Council to clean up the mess."

My skin is still burning and my chest feels tight. Now that the chaos has subsided, my rage is at the forefront of my mind.

I stalk up the stairs and into the church. Soft warm light pours through the stained glass, illuminating the dust floating in the air.

Ava, Kami, and Kieran follow me up. In a moment, Finn and Morgan surface.

Just seeing Morgan's face brings back the memory of him kissing Ava. His hands gripping her waist, caressing her neck...this motherfucker. I'll kill him.

My vision narrows and focuses on him alone. In an instant, I lunge at him but am brought down by someone tackling me from the side. I struggle against them as they attempt to pin me to the ground. Long black hair falls into my face.

It's fucking Kieran.

"Get your bloody hands off me!" I curse. He's holding his own surprisingly well, considering I've been the stronger one lately. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Sorry dude, Finn told me to," he says. I kick him off me but he lands on his feet between me and Morgan.

"Get the fuck out of my way, Kieran."

"What the hell happened? Why are you trying to kill Morgan?" He huffs and brushes his tousled hair from his face.

"Zane's going off on one," Morgan says, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms across his chest.

"You fucking kissed my girl, you maggot!"

Kieran's eyes go wide and he glances between me and Morgan.

"Holy shit," he says. "What? You didn't..."

He looks back to Morgan who has a smug grin plastered on his face.

"I'm sorry dude," Kieran says, stepping to the side. "I like you, but I'm not about to die for you."

"Zane," Ava cautions, stepping behind me and putting a hand on my back. "He was trying t-"

"I know what he was trying to do," I say through gritted teeth. My fists are balled tightly at my sides and my muscles are so tense they feel like they're about to burst through my skin.

"What would you have preferred? Did you want me to hit her?"

"I'll kill you, you bloody bastard!" I scream, rushing at him and belting him in the jaw. He staggers back slightly and smirks.

I reach for his neck, but am pulled back by Kami and Finn, one on each arm.

"It was tactical, you jealous ape," he snaps.

"Real bloody convenient, that. Of all the options, it just so happened you had to kiss her. I knew it. I knew you fancied her. You son of a bitch."

"I had to sell it."

"Was there a reason you took so long with your tongue down my girl's throat? Was that all 'to sell it' too, mate?"

"I had to make it convincing," he says with venom in his voice.

"Then well done you, I'm bloody convinced."

I break loose from Kami and Finn's hold and charge at Morgan, slamming him through a row of pews as they snap and splinter. He kicks me backward and my skull cracks the hard stone floor.

Fuck.

I leap back up, readying myself for more.

"Zane, don't," Ava says, running up to me.

Morgan looks her way and brushes his hair back.

"Don't look at her, prick," I snarl.

"You really think I'm here to get a leg over?" he scoffs. "You lot asked me to help you, remember?"

"I also distinctly remember you coming onto my girl."

"What if I did? You afraid she'd like me better?"

I pull an oversized stone from the church's dilapidated wall and pitch it at him. It hits him square in the chest and knocks him back several feet. He collapses to his knees and wheezes, gasping for breath and coughing.

I launch over the pews and debris, landing just feet in front of him.

"Zane, this is not worth it," Ava says.

Morgan pulls himself to his feet and smirks.

"I've got this, Killer," he says.

A guttural rumbling sound erupts from my chest as I stare into his eyes.

"If I hear that fucking pet name out of your mouth one more time..." I growl.

"You'll what, Siren? You think you can take me?"

I jump on top of him and we roll, exchanging punches as we both fight for the upper hand. He lands several centered on my face before my hands lock around his neck.

"You didn't even deny it. I should've paid more fucking attention. You said she was mine and you know it. Not 'I don't want her', not 'I don't have feelings for her'."

He rips my hands off his neck and I swing at him again, but find myself being pulled back by Kieran and Kami.

"Z, stop!" she says, pushing me away from him. "You need to calm down."

Kieran steps in between us and sighs, turning to Morgan.

"I better get a fucking medal for defending your ass, you know that?" he says.

"Zane," Ava calls. I turn to see her concerned face as she stands just feet behind me. "You're pissed off, okay, I get that. But right now you're not in a good headspace, which means he's in the same headspace. You're both spiraling."

She walks up to me and wraps her arms around me, burying her head into my chest. My heavy breaths shake my body, but she doesn't move.

I sigh and tuck my face into her neck, kissing the skin as I let calm radiate through me.

"Let's go," Ava says. "You and me, let's go outside right now. Don't focus on him, focus on me."

I nod, which sends a pounding pain through my skull.

She grabs my hand and I follow her out the front door into the car park. The sun peeking through the clouds is a stark contrast to the bloodshed inside the church.

"Fuck!" I curse, running my hands through my hair.

"Listen," she says, pulling me into a hug, "what happened in there happened, but nobody is taking me from you. Not now, not ever, okay?"

"But he disrespected you, Ava. Both you and me. Do you have any idea how offensive it is to do something like that in front of me?"

"I assume pretty offensive?" she asks softly.

Serious understatement.

"I can't think of anything worse he could do."

"Maybe he didn't know."

"He did, that's exactly why he did it. He knew that it was the one thing no Siren would let pass, so he used it to make a point."

"But you handled it," she said. "He knew you could deal with it. He knows that you're strong enough."

Well then he should also know that I was going to eventually gut him for it.

"That arsehole just knows exactly how to get under my skin."

"Don't let him," she says, placing a hand on my chest. "He has nothing on you."

"Doesn't he?" I tug at my hair with my fingers. "He's substantially more powerful than me. With his gifts, he could help your pain."

"You're an idiot, sometimes, you know that?" She gives me a knowing glance and smirks. "I don't choose my partners based on their supernatural abilities."

"Is that so?" I asked, smiling slightly as I realize she's right. It sounds so absurd when she says it out loud.

"I choose based on personality, intellect, and of course—how good they are in the sack."

I can't help but let a laugh slip.

"Well then," I say with a mischievous smile. I scoop her up so that her legs wrap around my waist. "I guess I should get some more practice."