His eyes meet mine as the ice gives way beneath him.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Ilaunch myself forward with a cry, but Taniya beats me to it.
She throws herself toward Koda and her hand closes around his. At the same time, she releases her wings. Beating them with strong sweeps, she rises into the air, hauling Koda backward, screaming with effort as she fights the water’s pull to lift and pull him onto the grass.
They both drop to their knees on the walkway, Taniya breathing heavily with effort and Koda staring at her in surprise, his arm still gripped in her hand. Her harpy’s talons have extended, and she’s scratched him in the process of pulling him clear, but he doesn’t seem to care. His bliss power builds around his arm, filling the air with a cobalt glow, and he gives a giant exhalation of relief.
“Are you okay?” Taniya asks Koda, who nods.
Retracting her talons and releasing Koda’s arm, Taniya rises to her feet and puts away her wings, standing tall and turning to give Haldi a death stare.
I’m still poised nearby, with Roman on edge beside me, but I don’t dare step between Taniya and her target right now.
Haldi rises slowly from her crouch on the ice, her eyes wide and her lips parted, as if she’s about to speak up to defend her actions, but Taniya doesn’t give her the chance.
“You don’t get to judge Koda or punish him for what he’s done,” she says. “If you have a problem with him, then you have a problem with me.” She narrows her eyes at Haldi. “Doyou have a problem with me?”
“I…” Haldi falters, her brow furrowing as she follows the tendrils of Koda’s power. Her eyes widen further still as she watches the bliss filter through the air toward her.
A gentle swirl of blue floats right up to her outstretched hand and she gasps when it touches her. She gives a sudden, perplexed smile. “He controls the power of bliss. This is unheard of for a demon.”
“None of us are what we first appear to be,” I say, my power growing around my fingertips as I narrow my eyes at Haldi. I want nothing more than to find her fear and use it against her. For her to lure Koda so close to safety and then strike tells me I can’t trust these angels. Not at all.
But we also need their cooperation.
“You gave us permission to pass.Allof us.” I cast my speech not at Haldi, but at Adriel. I’m still not clear on the hierarchy here, but I’m certain he’s the one I need to convince. “I accept that past actions can’t be easily forgotten, but a truce between us is surely in the best interests of both of our people. Do you agree?”
His scowl, as he glares at Haldi, would tear strips off the strongest angel—or demon. I’m not entirely sure if his disapproval is of Koda or of Haldi’s actions.
He spins to Taniya and Koda first, and then to me. “My sister angel has acted in the heat of emotion. I ask you to overlook her actions. It will not happen again.” He inclines his head at the angels standing around the lake and they react by disappearing back into the foliage, leaving us only with Adriel, Haldi, and Galvin.
Without another word, Adriel strides away from us. “Your father is this way. Follow me.”
Malia glares after him as she draws nearer to me. “An apology would be nice,” she mutters beneath her breath before she gives Haldi the same distrustful look that Taniya was giving the angel.
My harpy sister has already turned back to Koda, helping him to his feet. His boots are wet, and the lake’s liquid glimmers before it slides from his shoes and flows onto the cracked surface, which quickly freezes over again.
I wait another beat to make sure they’re okay before I turn to follow Adriel through the trees. Malia stays closest behind the giant angel, Roman remains at my side, and my demon wolves circle all of us, forming a boundary between Koda and the two angels who bring up the rear. My wolves snap at Haldi when she draws too near, and I hold out my hand for them to calm. Our truce is fragile, and I’m forced to put aside Haldi’s act of aggression. For now.
I’m surprised by how calm Roman has remained.
“Have you come to Stella-Astrum before?” I ask him in a low voice, even though I’d be surprised if he had.
He shakes his head. “I haven’t, but angels and demons aren’t as different as they’re portrayed. One is not purely good, nor the other purely evil. Rather, we are a mix of both, in ancient, powerful bodies.”
I let out ahmmbeneath my breath. “Then they will be as skilled at illusion and deception as demons are.”
He gives me a wry smile. “But with a far more peaceful surface appearance. Whereas demons deal in danger, angels deal in peace. It’s best to play their game for as long as possible. Restrain your power and don’t strike unless you absolutely need to.” His expression hardens. “But don’t let down your guard.”
What happened with Koda just now proves Roman’s warning to be true. I had no indication of Haldi’s intentions until she struck. Until then, all had seemed peaceful. I acknowledge Roman’s advice with a nod. Most of the time, I forget that he’sa lotolder than I am, and then he reminds me by sharing his knowledge with me. One day, I hope that I’ll understand all of the facets of his experiences, but for now, I’m grateful to have him in my life.
Behind me, I’m aware of Koda and Taniya speaking quietly. My heart squeezes when I catch their conversation.
“You saved me,” Koda says to Taniya, his voice low and his speech sounding careful and considered. “I hurt your family. Badly. Why would you help me?”
“You have a fuckload to make up for,” she replies, just as quietly before she takes a deep breath. “There’s a large part of me that understands why that angel did what she did. But you’re part of our pack now. We protect each other.”
