Brandon watches as Gideon washes himself off, his back turned. Water runs down his frame in uneven streams. His pupils—ashen, unmoving.
"What did you do to them?"
Gideon breathes deep, letting the water cascade over him.
"Answer me, Gid."
"Your life or theirs."
He glances over his shoulder.
Brandon's chest tightens.
Something in his eye catches the light—wrong. Too sharp.
"You think I'm letting you die, Brandon?"
A low laugh follows. Deeper than it should be.
Brandon shrinks back.
"But you killed ten guys. Alone." He swallows. "You said activity confirms we're dead."
The water stops.
Gideon lowers the jug slowly.
"I can handle my mistakes, Bran. My job is to make sure you're not hurt."
He leans his weight against the den wall, looking back again.
"Are you?"
A chill creeps up Brandon's spine.
"I—Is that new?"
Gideon frowns slightly. "What."
"Your neck." Brandon steps closer, hesitant. "There's a mark. An X—right under your ear."
Gideon turns just enough to show it.
Brandon's breath catches.
Too clean.
Too precise.
It didn't look cut.
It looked… placed.
"Oh," Gideon mutters. "Guess it healed weird."
Brandon doesn't move.
"It's not healed. It looks deep."
Gideon lets out a quiet chuckle.
"Then I guess the fucker got a good cut. I'll be fine, Bran."
Brandon's hands curl slightly at his sides.
"You've seen what poisoned iron does. I don't want you dying on me."
Gideon turns fully now—
And Brandon freezes.
That wasn't—
He swallows hard.
The man in front of him didn't look worried. Didn't look unsure.
"The poison won't affect me."
Brandon goes cold.
"You keep saying things like that." He steps forward, pressing his hands against the man's chest. "Like you know. You don't know!"
"I do."
"How?" His voice cracks. "How do you know all these things?"
A pause.
The man tilts his head slightly.
"I've been told."
Silence settles heavy between them.
Brandon's chest tightens.
"You're lying," he whispers. "There's something wrong with you. I can tell."
The man steps forward and wraps his arms around him.
The embrace is firm. Steady.
Unmoving.
"I never break a promise, Pye."
His voice is low against Brandon's shoulder.
"Never."
For a moment—
he doesn't let go.