“Thank god! I thought the kid was trying to trick me.”
Of course the seer sent him.And I was grateful for it.
“You're my ride, aren't you?”
Gabriel sent me a stiff smile. “I am. The hunters have changed their mind. They're sending me, but I need your help.”
I nodded and pushed myself to move. I stopped at the entrance to look back at the gods, but they had gone back to their original positions as if nothing had happened.
But I felt it. The gods hadn’t abandoned me. I understood it now. They would come when they were needed.
I'd been using them as a crutch, pushing all my thoughts and wishes onto them and blaming them when nothing came true.
I had to take the first step, and they would be there to catch me if I fell.
They were here for me now. I sent them a silent thank you before turning around and leaving with Gabriel.
Wait for me.
Vesper
“Don’t hurt him,” I forced out through my closing throat.
How did this happen? How did everything go from hopeful to over in less than a day?
“I won’t… if you behave. After all, you’re the one I need to worry about, right? The one withpoison for blood.”
He picked up the sword from the ground and pointed it right at the side of my neck. The one that used to have the snake tattoo.
My eyes shot to Tate behind him. He was hurt. Blood coated his skin, and there were multiple cuts on his face and body. His right eye had started swelling.
Where the hell was Gabriel when they took him?
“Let’s stop pretending,” I said. “Yes, I am the one who was sent to kill Aurelia.”
I had forgotten we had an audience until there were gasps behind me.
Right. Not everyone knew my first goal here was to kill the princess.
“But not her anymore, right? She doesn’t belong to this family, so now I am the singular Castle bloodline. You’re here to kill me, aren’t you?”
I stayed silent, unsure if answering would make him more crazed. I could see it in his eyes, in the way he looked over me in fast, jerky movements. He wanted me to react so he could kill me.
I gritted my teeth.
I couldn’t let him. He separated me from the people I loved and took my brother as insurance. I had no choice but to appeal to him.
He pushed the sword against my neck. I winced as it sliced the skin and drew blood.
“I asked you a question.”
“If you knew it all, why did you accept to marry her off?”
He laughed. “Because there is no pawn more powerful than a woman with Krae blood. Come on, let’s not be stupid here. I’m not the only head of family wanting to take advantage of it. One other was even in your ranks.”
I snapped my head behind me, my eyes looking for the one sick lowlife I knew was no good.
Solei. He was there, right at the front, dressed proudly in a royal coat, his head held high.
