I didn’t care who complained or what they said. Not with the improvements we were seeing. My own muscles had never been as firm as they now were. I wasn’t sure what we trained for, why these sessions felt so imperative, but we were doing what we were born to do. For now, that was enough.
Tipping the book in my hand toward me, I opened to the first hidden document on Annellius, careful to keep the book tilted away from Malakai.
Annellius was believed to be the most powerful warrior of his time, the strongest since the First Warrior, Damien himself, who ascended as anAngel during the cataclysmic event that memorialized the seven primes into eternal existence.
Damien’s prophecy haunted my dreams. I reviewed what I was sure of so far: An Angelcurse existed, and it plagued me. To resolve the curse, I had to unite seven ofsomething.
I’d read through numerous books on historical artifacts in the past weeks, but nothing lined up. They must relate to the Angels, given it was their curse, so I’d been visiting as many temples in the city as time allowed.
The one question I kept coming back to, though, waswhy me? Why not Jezebel? Why wasn’t Angelblood active within her when Damien had implied that it was within me?
We’d been discussing it the other day, theorizing how it could have happened. I was grateful Jez and I could at least share that much, though I had to keep the Angelcurse a secret.
The only thing we kept coming back to was my eyes. Why were they magenta, as Annellius’s had looked in the Spirit Volcano?
Was it a sign that the blood was active?
The shade of heart, the prophecy said. Did it refer to the pink coloring of eyes? It felt like a loose connection.
I slammed the book shut, exhaling in frustration.
“Nothing helpful?” Malakai looked between me and the book on historical battles skeptically.
I chewed my lip. “I’m tired of reading about warfare.”
As far as he knew, that’s all I’d been researching these past weeks. Strategies that may help win my position as Revered. Retracing the steps of history.
I pushed back from the table, crossing to the tall shelves that sectioned us off from the rest of the Sacra Temple. The largest in Damenal, it housed a small library within its holy walls.
“I’m tired of the uncertainty we face. Of feeling like everything is stacked against us, and I don’t know how to fix it.” Admitting that truth made my stomach twist—feeling weak, feeling like I was failing. Despite my platform of hope, fear swirled in the shadows.
“The delegates have warmed to you. The chancellors will, as well,” Malakai comforted. He didn’t know that was only a piece of my concerns.
“But I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m acting like I do, but I have no fucking clue.” My voice rose, but I still didn’t look at him.
“Trust your instincts, Phel.” He said it like my whole life boiled down to that one notion.
Maybe it does, a voice in my head said as I continued to read the titles lining the shelf. I’d followed my instincts this far, never questioned myself before, so why was I now?But if that’s true, why does my life suddenly feel like I’m an empty library shelf, all of my books out of place?
I dragged my hand across the spines, searching for anything that called to me. Anything that looked like it spoke of the Angels, curses, or the Prime Mystique. There didn’t appear to be any system to this organization.The Book of Legends,Sanctum Fatale,Temple of Celestial Movements?—
I pulled that one off the shelf and turned to hand it to Malakai, but he was already behind me.
“Here,” I breathed.
“What’s that?” It was clear from his gravelly tone that he had no interest in the book, but he lifted it from my hand, pretending to read the title before he set it on the waist-high shelf jutting out from the bookcase, then he grabbed my waist and hoisted me up on the shelf beside it.
When I met his eyes, I couldn’t read them.
“Do you want to know what I think?” he asked, tracing the hem of my leathers.
“What’s that?” His fingers inched higher, disappearing under my skirt.
“You’re too stressed.” The low sound of his voice had me pressing my thighs together, but he caught the movement and stepped forward so that my legs were around his hips.
“Am I?” I whispered.
“Anything I can do to help?” Malakai outlined the edge of my undergarments, and already my mind was going elsewhere.
