Armaros groaned as I forcefully threw back my elbow. “So aggressive, Seraphina.”
I scrambled away from him as he reached up to touch a cut on his forehead, lurching to my feet. Remembering I was armed at the sight of his blood, I undid the latch on my little dagger and pulled it out, the weight of the blade heavy in my hand. I mentally chanted a reminder to keep the sharp parts far from my own skin. As I hid it as best I could by holding it behind my leg.
“Come along,” he said once he stood, grabbing at my collar to pull me with him. In that moment I was half grateful I’d started leaving my jewelry on the bedside table unless we were leaving the crossroads. While the bracelet offering some invisibilitymight have been helpful, I would have deeply regretted breaking my necklace chain or losing either piece.
“Hey!” The tight grip he had on my shirt collar began to choke me and fear took over. He was bigger, stronger, and a full angel—I was no match for him. I tightened my grip on my new blade, waiting for a good moment to land a decent strike. “Do you really think he won’t find me? He knows where every single portal leads.”
“Not all of them,” he chuckled darkly. “Have you found your Voice yet, Seraphina?”
“None of your business.”
Hetskedat me. “There’s no need for such animosity. I know your father after all, and I’m a councilman. Shouldn’t that earn me at least some respect?”
“Not after what I’ve learned about you, and much of that from your own mouth, no.”
Fury burned in his eyes, and he jerked me by the collar, my teeth rattling as he shook me. “I am responsible for some of the boldest advancements in all angelic history!” I could only stare back, wide-eyed as he glared down at me. The angel collected himself, the change visible as he forced himself to be calm. It chilled me to the bone. He was truly insane. “Now. What is your innate talent? What is the gift you bear with your angelic Voice?”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s not useful here,” I lied.
“No? Try me.”
“I work in a library. My talent helps me organize the shelves.”
He squinted, paused, then jerked me with him as he went left, through a stand of trees. Abruptly, he pulled me forward and we went through yet another portal, landing us in a place covered in ice. My landing was rough, my wrist bent awkwardly underneath my body, but my blade was still in my hand and by some miracle, I hadn’t cut myself yet. I shivered immediately, my teeth chattering uncontrollably. It was colder than I’d everremembered it being in Aymonroux; it even hurt to breathe. My eyelashes frosted over and I couldn’t feel the tips of my ears within just a few steps. I turned to look and filed away that the doorway was marked Xylos.
“What talent does your father have?” Armaros demanded.
“I d-don’t know, I never s-saw it.”
He growled. “No point in lying to me, Seraphina.”
“I’m n-not lying.” I twisted the handle around in my hand, heart in my throat as I curled in on myself for warmth. I was doing my best to keep calm all while plotting to stab an angel in a place I didn’t recognize with no way to get back.
“That’s a shame. Perhaps I’ll just have to ask him myself.”
I stopped walking, and he continued on, my head bobbing as his momentum pulled me forward. “You know wh-where he is?”
“Of course I do.”
The wordshe’s alivepulsed through my mind over and over again.
“Ah. This way.” He tugged at me again, and we landed in a hot, humid, green place that reminded me of Florissar.
“And my mother?” I thawed bit by bit, my wrist throbbing from how I’d landed on it.
He snorted. “What will you give me for that kind of information?”
“I’m not going back to Heaven with you.”
Armaros spun on me, violet eyes blazing as he glared down at me. “Yes, you are. And you will do everything I say. It’s too important for you not to.”
I tried to decide what the right thing to do would be. I was not a fighter, and I wasn’t even good at strategy. What would Tap do? Seir? One of the other strong, talented women in the family? I bit my tongue instead, which only frustrated him further.
“So arrogant. After all I’ve done. After all my research, I still have to prove myself.” I followed behind, his grip becomingmore lax. “Even Brookes, rest his soul, got proper recognition for what he did. All those couples, going against the express will of the councils! Pairing up and even having children.” He shook his head. “Something had to be done to keep them from risking the safety of us all. Mating two strong powers together? Unpredictable and dangerous. Could throw the whole balance off. But my initiative will fix that! If the councils lost control over their factions, it would be disastrous…” He muttered incoherently and shook his head. “And now, I’m the only one left! The only one who knows! That should be more valuable.” He grumbled under his breath, something about titles and the council, but I couldn’t make it out.
He was fully ranting, and I wasn’t sure he even realized he was talking to me and not just himself. “What is it that you know?”
“Where the hiding place is, of course! Where they’re all kept.”
