“She refuses to leave,” Samian said, keeping his movements slow and careful. His eyes widened at the sight of my jet-black horns, his skin paling as I faced him. “You’re the God of Chaos.”
“If you had the key, you should have dragged her out, even if she refused,” I scowled, ignoring the way his body shook under my harsh tone.
“I will not act against her will,” Samian said slowly, his back straightening. “I will not go against the female who raised me.”
“And if she’s bleeding out? Will you still refuse to get her out of this cell?” I snarled as shadows gathered at my feet, swirling around me. The power of my magic thrummed in the air, becoming weighted and heavy.
A hand brushed against my arm, and I looked down at Cassia. The color slowly returned to her face. “I forced him into a bargain. He cannot remove me, nor can he tell anyone any information, unless they ask specific questions. He also has a bargain with Ambrose for my safety. It makes little sense now, but Ihaveto stay here. I cannot leave.”
“Some good that did you. Fine,” I grunted, pulling away from her touch. “Stay here and die.” Giving Samian one last glower, I let the shadows rip me away, taking me back to Dubnos.
Returning to the throne room, I found Morg pacing up and down the large room. When she heard the trinkets along my horns chiming together, she whirled around to face me. “What did you learn?”
“Cassia wouldn’t tell me much,” I frowned, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “The only thing she said was that the female is one of the three.”
Morg’s face paled, her mouth gaping open. “Are you sure?That’swhat she said—one of the three?”
“What does it mean, Morg? My patience is running thin with all this fucking broken fate bullshit.”
“My sister—I need to talk to Dryden,” Morg whispered frantically, disappearing from the throne room.
I stared where she had stood, the space now empty, my breathing becoming heavy. My skin felt too tight, stretching asmy magic pulsed and rippled around me. Roaring, I pushed out my magic, shattering the windows and cracking the walls around me. If Morg or Cassia wouldn’t tell me, I would fucking find out on my own.
Chapter 25
Ambrose
After questioning Ivara about Sybil’s whereabouts, I immediately returned to Bramwell’s room to check up on Daelan’s investigation. So far, we have learned nothing regarding what happened. Not a word on who—or what—could have done this. Crouching down, I hovered over what was left of Bramwell’s body. Nausea gripped my stomach tight, but I swallowed it down, my face twisting in a grimace. Bramwell wasn’t just murdered; he was ripped to shreds. His body lay torn in two, leaving his guts spread out in between, and his face set in an endless scream. Nothing was missing; however, nothing was taken from his person. Whatever did this wanted nothing from him, nothing but his death.
Picking up a shard of glass from beside his body, I lifted the torn flesh. The way the skin was jagged told me that whatever weapon was used, it wasn’t sharp, nor was it a quick death. My thoughts returned to that night in Thanlyl, to the dark intrigue that lingered like a predator stalking its prey. From what we knew so far, Bramwell’s death held an air of similarity to Lowell’s, one that made me wonder if we had brought back something we shouldn’t have. The two events felt too similar to be a coincidence.
Dropping the glass to the floor, I stood, turning to where Daelan was talking to the female who witnessed the massacre. Well, saying that she witnessed what happened was a stretch. She heard Bramwell’s flesh ripping, heard his screams and pleas for mercy, but she saw nothing—only a wall of shadow that blocked her view.
A maniacal laugh rang in my head, the sound burning through my thoughts.Did she do it? Will you be next? She will be your downfall. Your control is slipping—down, down, down it goes—washing away, turning into nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
I forced back my growl, my head pounding from the lack of sleep and use of my magic. Pushing out my power, I breathed in the fear and turmoil thickening the air, feeding off it. The pain in my head eased, though lately I could never completely rid myself of the ache, which was becoming more of an inconvenience. It continued to stay as a nuisance, along with that fucking voice haunting my every moment.
A flash of gold caught my eye, and my gaze went to the door where Arianna stood, her eyes wide and face blanched. Groaning, I strode toward her, pushing her back into the hallway.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from here?” I reprimanded, my tone hard.
Arianna swallowed thickly, her eyes still glued to the gore covering the floor. Releasing a sigh, I caught her chin between my fingers, forcing her to look at me. “I asked you a question, Arianna. I told you to stay away. Why are you here?”
Arianna shuddered a breath, unease and agitation wafted off her in waves. I breathed it all in, letting it fuel my magic. Her eyes drifted back to the scene behind me, but I jerked her chin toward me—a silent order to keep her eyes only on me.
“There’s an emergency that needs your attention,” Arianna whispered. Her chin trembled under my thumb, and there was a wild look in her gaze.
“Show me,” I frowned, releasing her chin.
Arianna blinked rapidly, her throat bobbing as if she was bracing herself for what was to come before turning to walk down the hall. Her movements were stiff and jerky, while she flinched at every sound. My frown deepened as I followed behind her, keeping an eye on our surroundings. With each step, her unease grew, morphing into undiluted terror.
We rounded the corner and made our way to my office. Hale stood by the door, his face drained of color. Sweat beaded along his brow, his body shaking. When our eyes met, he straightened to hide the same terror that filled Arianna. He sucked in a breath, giving me a small bow. “Y-you have a guest waiting for you in your office.”
My brows furrowed together, my glance bouncing between the two, finally landing on the door. There wasn’t just a guest waiting in the room; it was someone whose power was far greater than my own. My hands curled at my side, my nails digging into my skin. There were few who could outmatch my power, and those who could didn’t belong to this court.
Arianna stopped following me, moving to stand beside Hale as I stepped toward the door. I threw it open, letting it swing wide as I lifted my nose and stared down the fool who thought they could intimidate me.
A female with pale skin and even paler hair stood before my desk, reading over the documents thrown about. She slowly turned to face me, her pupils turning into thin slits, making her eyes look like a nebula of blue and amber. White horns rose above her head, adorned with jewels and charms. She wore a dark blue robe that was tied at the waist. Splits on each side of the robe showed the tightly fitted pants she wore beneath.
