Angry mccoy

Ebenezar shoved the end of his staff against my Adam’s apple with a snarl and said, “Yield!”
“No,” I croaked.
The old man’s eyes widened. “Dammit, boy, you are about to make me angry.”
“Go ahead,” I said, baring my teeth. “Do it. Kill me. Because that’s what it’s going to take.”
His jaw clenched, and he slowly bared his teeth. “ You … arrogant … foolish, egomaniacal drama queen!”
“I’m not the one who flew in on a baby mountain!” I complained.
He shoved the staff a quarter inch forward.
“Glurk,” I said.
His face was red. Too red. The veins stood out sharply in his head, his neck.
And the ground was shaking. I could feel it through the dock.
When he spoke, his voice came out in a register so calm and measured that it completely terrified me. If he was doing that, it was because he was employing mental discipline techniques to contain his, gulp, rage.
“I will ask you a question,” he said. “You will answer me, clearly and honestly. Nod if you understand.”
I nodded. Glurk.
“How did they get to you, boy?” he asked, his voice still unnaturally calm. “What do they have on you? It can’t be so bad that I can’t help you get out of it.” His eyes softened for just a second. “Talk to me.”
I glanced down at the end of his staff.
“Ah,” he said, and took the pressure off.
I swallowed a couple of times. Then I croaked, “They don’t have anything on me.”
His eyes went furious again, and …
And tears formed in them.
Oh God.
“Then why?” he demanded. The calm in his voice was fraying. “Why are you doing this? Why are you destroying yourself for that thing?”
I knew exactly what I was about to do.
But he deserved the truth. Had to have it, really.
“Because I’ve only got one brother,” I said. “And I’m not going to lose him.”
The old man went very still.
“Mom,” I said in a dull, flat voice. “She gave each of us one of her amulets, with a memory recorded on them, so we’d know each other.”
Ebenezar’s mouth opened and closed a few times.
“Half brother, technically,” I said. “But blood all the same. He’s got my back. I’ve got his. That’s all there is to it.”
The old man closed his eyes.
“You’ re … saying … that pig, Raith … with my daughter.”
The ground shook harder. The surface of the lake began to dance, droplets flying up.
“Sir,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm, “you have a second grandson.”
If I’d punched him, I don’t think I could have staggered him more. He fell back a step. He started shaking his head.
I sat up. “Look, whatever happened, it’s over now. Thomas didn’t have anything to do with that. But he has saved my life on multiple occasions. He is not your enemy, sir.” I blinked my eyes a couple of times. “He’s family.”
And the night went still.


Peace Talks Chapter 32, Page 305-306