In a breath, I had my hand on the hooded god’s throat. “I can smellheron you.” I breathed in, gaze dropping to the chest of his coat. It was smeared with dried blood. The eather throbbed as it swelled. “You’re covered in her scent.”
“Her…? Shit,” the god choked out. He lifted a hand but didn’t summon the essence. “Don’t.”
I had no idea who he spoke to—if it was me or them. I didn’t care. Another growl clawed its way out of me.
“It’s the King,” he managed to breathe. “HerKing.”
I barely heard him. The icy knot in my chest was expanding, becoming a cold, insatiable void. “Where is she?”
“Don’t,” he repeated.
That wasn’t an answer, and I was done asking. My grip on his throat tightened, cutting off whatever he had been about to say next. I turned, lifting him from the floor—
Eather struck the back of my shoulder, spinning me away from the hooded god as searing pain shot through every nerve. Cold fury flooded my system, igniting a primal instinct.
Shadows blossomed under my skin, and the flesh along my hands, on my upper arms, and patches along my chest thinned once more, revealing silver, gleaming bone. The skin between my shoulder blades prickled. Muscles deep beneath them rippled, tugging at the wings tucked along my spine. They slid free as I whirled toward the gods.
Shock poured into the Primal’s eyes, overshadowing the grief in them as her gaze swept over me. “Oh, my Fates,” she whispered. “Oh, my fucking Fates.”
The corners of my eyes filled with crimson-streaked shadows. My head twisted toward the hooded god as my wings snapped open.
“Whoa,” he murmured.
The auburn-haired god lurched forward, grabbing the hooded god’s arm as the Primal gave a quick shake of her head, sending braids smacking against her cheeks. The air was charged with eather, and an orb of crackling light appeared as the male dragged the one who smelled of her backward.
They were about to shadowstep.
And I would not allow that to happen.
I lifted my arm, and the hooded god jerked back as if pulled by invisible hands.
“Fuck,” the Primal spat, the tear in the realm widening as the auburn-haired god made to grab for the hooded one.
My gaze flicked to him, and a heartbeat later, he was flying backward as my hand shot out and snatched the hooded god out of the air. He grunted as I held him off the floor.
“Go,” the Primal urged. “Go now, Rhain.”
The auburn-haired god cursed. “I’m not leaving you—”
She threw out her arm, not giving the other god a choice as she sent him skidding across the floor, right through the hissing current of eather. The tear pulsed and then shrank.
“Put him down,” the Primal warned. “Now.”
Ignoring her, I turned my attention to the hooded god. “Why do you smell of her blood?”
He grabbed my wrist, then jerked his hand away as the skin there gave way to bone. “Because she bled on me—”
“Really,” gasped the Primal. “For fuck’s sake, Thierran.”
“I didn’t hurt her,” he quickly added. “I helped—”
“Where?” The single word rose from the depths of my being, dark and full of wrath that shook the air. “Where is she?”
“Put him down, now,” the Primal repeated.
I slowly turned my head to her. “Or what?”
The vibrating tear in the realm thrummed behind her. She widened her stance. “Or I will make you,” she said, eather streaking through her silver eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”
