“You never could decide.”
My bloodforged swords whirled down the tower, slamming into the stone and impaling themselves, creating a risky path to the bottom. I pushed Percy toward it. “Jump!”
“What?” He gasped, voice an octave higher. “But she’s—” He pointed at Cerys. “But!”
“Go—” I shoved him as the door burst open.
Heeding my order, Percy leaped through the window, and I turned to face the armored guard rushing toward me. Forming one last dagger in my grip, I flung it toward him. It boomeranged around him as he ducked, only to swing back around and tear through his neck, spilling blood across the Oracle’s perfect white sheets.
Throwing myself out the window, I caught myself on the first dagger, breathing in relief when I saw Percy nervously balancing on the one below. A javelin whistled past my neck, scraping my cloak and dragging it away from me.
Thrown off balance, I fell from my perch. Pulling the blood from my impaled sword back to me, I forced it around my back, creating wings again. They flapped only once before I struck the ground painfully.
Not the graceful landing I’d hoped for, but no bones appeared to be broken. Percy landed nearby with a yelp of pain.
Rolling onto my hands and knees, I staggered to my feet and raced to Percy’s side. “You okay?”
“I’m alive,” Percy squeaked, grabbing my hand as I hauled himup.
Whistling for Whisper, I ducked as javelins thudded into the ground at my feet. Pushing Percy ahead of me, I glanced up one last time to see the Oracle watching us from her window.
“Shit!” Percy cursed. “You carried Aethra to safety all the time. Why not me?”
“I can if you want!” I shouted back.
“I’ll pass,” he called, ducking between two buildings into a narrow road.
“Don’t flirt with me if you don’t mean it!”
Percy wheezed out a laugh.
A hand reached out from an alley, grabbing my arm. Eleos’ green eyes bore into me like daggers.
“What did you do?” He demanded.
Flames rushed through the night as Seraphim blocked Percy’s path, scythe held at her side. Her brows knit in concern as she heard alarm bells ringing behind us.
“We don’t have time,” I said, pulling from Eleos’ grip. “Aethra,” I managed to say, before my senses clouded, and I dashed away.
The pain radiating through my body faded as terror clouded my mind.
Fuck. I’d put Aethra in more danger, not less.
My father already knew she was here.
4
Aethra
Duath Nun was quiet. Just me, Phaedrus, and the sea.
And the sand stuck in my shoes.
Mountains rose behind the forest, formed from sandy rock the likes of which I’d never seen. I stared at them longingly as we walked, wondering what lay beyond, in the heart of Duath Nun.
A stiff breeze swept over the beach, throwing Phaedrus’ red locks wild. He paused, grabbing his cloak to keep it from flying off his shoulders. Catching up to him, I played with the string of my satchel, trying to come up with something to say.
The wind stilled. Phaedrus’ hair settled, and he turned to look at me. “I had a feeling this might happen.”
