She blinked in puzzlement, absently tugging at the beaded bracelet on her wrist. “Then what else would it…” The words died in her throat.Wrath. She’d heard of the Seven Sins before but…herfather? “You-you’re—” Her knees gave way. “You can’t be—Ican’t be…”
Wrath snatched her up before she could fall, and gently deposited her on the couch she’d avoided, hunkering in front of her. She stared into his face. Into the eyes of the Sin of Wrath…of anger, rage, and madness.
“Now do you understand why I cannot reside on Earth?” Those eerie eyes skimmed over her face. “A being like me cannot be on the human realm for too long. It will start a war of unimaginable proportions with the Celestial Realm.” His tone remained calm, easing her a little.
“Then my mother died alone in the crash?” she whispered, forcing her mind to move past the terror that froze her.
“No. She was…murdered. Here.” Those unmovable features tightened in grief.
“What?She was here with you? Then why couldn’t you save her if you’re an all-powerful Sin?” she demanded, distress churning her stomach.
“I would have if I could. I had been called away when it occurred, and I found her body too late.”
“Do you know who did it?”
Wrath rose, ice slithering back into his flat, lime-green eyes. “I found the ones responsible. My enemies thought to weaken me by killing her. Now, they suffer the same fate as she did. Every day. For eternity.”
Kira didn’t know her mother and had yearned for her a lot while growing up. But to witness her sire’s pain, as fleeting as her glimpse of it had been, made it all the more devastating.
At the thought of losing Týr, her heart felt as if it would split in two. She understood that no words could ever take away the anguish. Still… “I’m so sorry.”
“It is not your fault.” Wrath leaned against his desk where he remained silent for a moment. “My only regret is that you lost us both when you needed us the most. But your grandmother raised you and gave you the safety and comfort I could not.”
Yes, Gran had been there for her through every step in her life. “She’s been wonderful.”
His gaze skimmed her face. “You look a lot like her.”
“Who? Gran?”
His mouth twitched as if in a smile. It made her distrustful heart warm in the oddest way. “No. Your mother,” he said softly. “Except for your eyes. Right now, they appear a lot like mine, which, as the whispers in this domain inform me, are creepy.”
Laughter escaped her at his unexpectedly droll comment, but she needed answers. “Does Gran know about you and Mom? About me?”
“No. Your mother gave birth to you back on Earth. We thought it best for your safety to let you live a mortal life. After your mother’s death, I went back to Earth and installed the memory of us both dying in a plane crash in your grandmother’s mind and bound you from detection and any powers you might have inherited until your twenty-fifth birthday. It’s when I would have brought you back to Stygia for your presentation. But somehow, a little of your abilities trickled through—”
“Yes, changing colors—how exciting.”
A smile broke free at her droll tone, causing his cold visage to soften and become breathtaking. “That power, I will admit, is somewhat of a surprise. Any abilities, if honed correctly, can become quite a weapon. What you did to Nicor proved that.”
She sighed. “When I get mad,thathappens now…” She really needed to put a lid on her stupid wayward ability.
“If you stayed longer, I could aid you. But you can train on your own. The mind is a powerful thing, always remember that.”
Kira wrinkled her nose. “Did you know about the Guardians, and Gran being their healer?”
“I know of them, but not the rest. It is better if I keep to what I do. My work has many layers, and time is not always mine. Moreover, I didn’t want to interfere in your life, chances are it would have happened if I kept track of you.”
“But you knew about Týr and me?”
“Not at first. I’ll admit, I was curious as to what a Guardian was doing in my domain when he first appeared, but then he vanished. He is good at tamping down his innate signature vibration, and I didn’t detect anything until he broke through the wards most would have died from. Then I knew. When neither of you left, I let it be.”
She nodded, really grateful for that. Sure, Týr was a badass and deadly powerful and could take care of himself, but still…
Unable to remain still, Kira leaped to her feet and paced around the couch, avoiding getting too close to the wyvern. She chewed her lip, her mind racing with questions. “How did you meet my mother?”
“I’d gone to Earth in hopes of seeing your brother, though he would never believe that,” Wrath said dryly. “As I was leaving, she was in the direct path of an oncoming automobile. I rescued her…”
Even a Sin had a romantic first meeting with his mate. She and Týr fought. And that made Kira smile.
