I don’t miss Sin’s satisfied smirk or the looks of rapt attention on Damien and Magnus. They seem completely engrossed by the story. Rosie keeps topping up my glass with wine every time I take a sip.
She’s my favorite person.
“I’d been waiting a long time to find a way to bring down the Council. At that moment, I saw the best chance we would ever get. You. But you needed to die before the Council could make you immortal. So, Sin had the armies focus their attention on you. And yet, you would not fall. You, a pacifist priestess, slaughtered your enemies, refusing to die,” Morgana continues to the familiar part of the tale.
Scoffing, I cut in, “But I did die.” I don’t miss an opportunity to glare at Sin. “I don’t forgive you for that, by the way.”
Sin winks, smirking at me. “I didn’t kill you, kitten.”
I give him a dubious look. “Puppeteering people to kill me still counts as…”
Morgana stops me from laying into Sin any further. “It’s true. Sin didn’t kill you. I did.” She sounds cheerful.
I turn to her, completely aghast, but Morgana keeps talking, ignoring my dismay, “Leon was back in the city and coming for you. I knew we were running out of time. So, I put two arrows through you. I killed you to make sure you could be reborn.”
“This is crazy,” I whisper.
Rosie whispers beside me, “Told you you’d need the wine.”
“But how could you be so sure it was me? That Leon would become a Destroyer?” I ask, working hard not to get hysterical.
To be fair, I feel like hysterics are warranted right about now.
Morgana brushes off my concerns with a wave. “I knew he would become a Destroyer because I orchestrated it. I murdered his Keeper while he was distracted by your death and took his key. I released Leon, knowing he would do something against the Council’s orders and disgrace himself.”
“We weren’t expecting him to sink half the coastline. We thought he’d murder the invaders,” Sin notes, almost apologetically. “But he was more violent than we could have imagined.”
“But…” I pause, frustrated at everything about this, “Leon said his collar fell off. Not that you removed it.”
Morgana hums. “I imagine he’s a bit reluctant about your learning he had anything to do with me. Sin and I fled the Council that night before they could get wind of what we’d done. We’ve been waiting for your return ever since.”
No one speaks after Morgana finishes. It’s like they’re all holding their breath, waiting for me to reactto what I’ve just learned. I stare at the heaping pile of food that somehow appeared on my plate.
I feel sick – not at hearing about my own death from the lips of my murderer, but from the implications of the prophecy.
“So, Leon was right. I have no choice. It’s my destiny to be with him.” My voice is flat. A feeling of icy dread spreads through my body as I remember Leon’s words.
I was promised to him, long ago.
I shudder.
Morgana hums, and I look back at her, deflated. She looks thoughtful. “Prophecies are not like destiny, Vivian. Destiny is written by the Fates – and the Fates can be bought. Prophecies run deeper and are rarely as clear.”
I frown, confused.
Morgana shrugs nonchalantly. “It’s very likely you will loveaDestroyer. Though, I will note that you don’t seem particularly fond of the one selected for you. Luckily, it’s an interesting time for the Destroyer dating market. There are two more you can choose from.”
I choke on my spit and turn to look at the jerk-faced Destroyer beside me, who has been calling me a worthless whore for days.
Sin is looking at Morgana like she’s lost her mind. It totally doesn’t hurt my feelings.
My self-esteem has always been this low.
I should have stuck to book boyfriends. Men are the worst.
I turn back to Morgana, and pick up my glass, now very grateful for the wine. “Well, in that case, we had better go dig up Irena because I’m about to join her and Rosie as a throuple.”
I down the rest of my wine, ignoring the shouting and comments that follow.
