Into the Tiger's Hour

Chapter Ten

The entire drive home, Ax didn't say a word. He was a precise, cautious driver who preferred silence, so there was no music to break it, and Iris didn't dare speak. The disapproval was all but radiating off of him, stamped across his face, evident in every angle of his body. And when he pulled into the parking garage, shut off the engine and simply sat there, Iris cringed.

"...Ax, I'm s-"

"Go upstairs." He took the keys out of the ignition without looking at her. "You still need to finish your paper."

Iris touched the door handle and fondled it a moment, rubbing the slick plastic. "Why didn't Dad ever tell me about Dia?"

A slow, tightly controlled sigh was Ax's only answer. He didn't wait for her to get out of the car, but shoved his door open and stepped out, leaving Iris to scramble out before he used the key fob to lock the door. The alarm beeped--an unnecessary precaution, considering the parking garage's security--and Ax strode for the elevators without looking back.

That was telling. All of it was telling. Iris couldn't understand why her father's dead girlfriend was such a horrible secret. That Jonas hadn't said anything was understandable--it was obviously a very painful memory--but why hadn't Ax or Betre simply explained? Why hadn't Ax said something when she'd shown him the sketch?

Cold seeped through the thin soles of her sandals, spurring her to hurry after Ax, and her steps echoed loudly against the concrete. Hugging herself, Iris hesitated at the elevator, even though Ax's broad hand was holding the doors open. "Ax, why didn't you tell me about Dia last night?"

He avoided her gaze, staring at the panel of buttons. When Iris didn't take the hint, Ax looked at her and frowned. "It's Jonas's story to tell, not mine."

"All you had to do was tell me that sh-"

"Iris, get in the elevator."

The fae cringed back, rubbing her arms. There was only the staircase as another option to get upstairs; she slunk into the elevator and stood in the far corner, turning pointedly away from Ax. If he wanted to be difficult, fine. She could be just as difficult.

Above the door, the light pinged off each floor and still, neither of them spoke. It was strange to be in a confined space with someone she'd spent her entire life around and not... really want to look at him. To ask about his work in the forge or talk about the chemistry test she'd been so worried about. Iris fidgeted, shifting her weight from foot to foot, and rubbed at her eyes. They ached from the crying that she'd been unable to hold back, hearing about Dia and what she'd meant to Jonas. Her head ached, too, from Spider's sharp words, the unfamiliar hostility that she'd felt from the Goth.

"...was she French, too?"

Spider had explained a lot, but the fact that the sketch had been so similar to Iris in looks still bothered her. Was it because they were similar in their fae nature? Aeneas and Amelia looked vaguely related for all that they absolutely weren't. She'd seen a few people that kind of looked like Tyler with the same blocky teeth and oversized smiles. Even Mariel, fae-blooded but not actually fae--and how did that make sense if it was souls and not heritage?--looked like a fainter version of Amelia.

Ax didn't answer her question. He looked up at the floor display and remained motionless, arms crossed.

"Ax, I'm not going to stop asking questions about her. She was really important to Dad. Dad's really important to me. Shouldn't I know about stuff like this?"

His hand shot out, punching the HOLD button and the demon looked at her, coals glowing behind his eyes. "Do you think children know everything about their parents?" Ax's voice was rasping and low, harsher than she'd heard it before. "Some things don't need to be known, Iris. Dia is dead. She's gone. She's been gone for nineteen years. Just leave it be."