“Fine.But when you next have a lover”—she lowered her voice even more—“one you don’t plan on killing, you’ll owe me all the details.”
My mirth dropped, heavy like an anvil.“There’ll be no more lovers for me.Not now.Not anymore.”
She’d been fiddling with the candles, lighting them one by one with a brief burst of flame from a fingertip.Now she stilled.
“What, no more sex?You?”
“I’m not saying no more sex.That’d make a shitty life shittier.No morelove.”Not that there’d ever been any, not truly.Not like that anyway.Only for my brother.No other man was worth that level of devotion.
Marina slid the shrine to rest on one hip.Her eyes watered.“Oh, Sora … Teo wouldn’t want that for you.”
“Well, Teo’s not around to say one way or the other, now is he?If we’re gonna pray, let’s pray.I’m ready to leave for the castle.”
Her eyes were too intent, attempting to see too much.“I thought we were waiting till the cover of nightfall.”
“Changed my mind.And only I’m going.You’re staying on the mainland.”
Her brow furrowed.“What?Why?”
Because if Alobaz hurt her, I might level the entire Opalese.
“I need you on lookout,” I said.“In case anyone comes looking for me.”
She frowned.“No one knows you’re here.By the Ethers, no one even knows you’re alive.”
“Cosette does.”
“You’d leave me behind because of Cosette?For all we know she’s dead.”
“I hope she is.But we can’t be too careful.”With my emotions riding me hard, I wasn’t being close to careful enough.“Who are we praying to?”
“Hmmph.”She glared up at me.“Who do you want to pray to?”
To no one and everyone.Mostly I wanted to curse out the demigods’ whole twisted family tree.
“How about to Hope?”she said.
“How about to Death?Or Fury?Or Justice?”
“To whoever will help us most, then?”
“Okay.”
Her arm still threaded through mine, she lit the final two candles and hovered the shrine between us.She bowed her head.
I really didn’t want to, but when she kicked my ankle, snagging my skirt with a claw, I dipped my head too.
“Demigods,” she said, “half in the Ethers, half in the Opalese, fully in our hearts…”
I pressed my lips together to keep from muttering.Heartbreak, the scorching cunt, had no place in my heart.
“…we call upon you today because we’re in need of your aid.Please receive the water of the oceans, flowers of the land, flames of fire, and light as of the stars as a humble token of our thanks.We ask that you help us as we seek justice.”
“Vengeance,” I said.
Her head jerked up, shookno.
“Against Alobaz Hawxley,” I said.“He took what he had no right to take.”
