Muses had a way of drawing stuff out of you. Will had been with Clio long enough to recognise the feeling of it. But Clio's had always been a light touch. She sat with his silences and let him plot his own way through them; and when he couldn't find the words or they caught in his throat, she eased them along with a gentle touch of her hand or a quiet encouragement.
Melpomene was different. Her eyes were dark and hungry, and Will felt the twisting anger rise like acid in his throat at her urging. He gritted his teeth against the impulse, but the Muse's gaze was implacable.
"Reckon that's what you want." The words felt like they'd been ripped from him, and they came out harsh and quiet. "For me to go off at you. Mayhap I want to a bit, too. You call Clio heartless when all she's done since you barged in here is try an' look after you? You go stirring shit with our relationship? Yeah, there's stuff I could say. But you know, I ain't going to. It's not switching the anger off, it's choosing not to pull the fuckin' trigger. Anyhow, you don't need me to tell you how how Alan is. You already know damned well what you did to him."