Jonah and Vanguard were my way in to the empire. Vanguard promised me that if I completed a mission for him, he would give me access to the inner circle of what I thought was my father’s usurper. That mission involved taking Vanguard’s five-year-old son to safety.
I didn’t realize when I first met them just how powerful Jonah and Vanguard are. Jonah is a rare fire Jotunn, capable of burning any living creature to ash within seconds.
James Vanguard, well, I thought he was a snake shifter, but it turns out he’s an old god: Jormungandr, the World Serpent, to be exact.
I later met his delightful sister, Hel, the Goddess of Death and the Underworld, who goes by the name Halle now.
Vanguard’s son had been the leverage my father had been using to keep Vanguard in line. It’d been Lucian’s job to make sure the boy didn’t escape, and our father was clearly unhappy Lucian failed.
Now, Lucian stands his ground, barely stopping to take a breath as he continues to accuse our father. “You promised my mother safety and then you used her as a shield to protect yourself against your enemies.” He hits his chest with his free hand. “Iam the leverage you use to keep her people from taking revenge for her death. You hide behind children and the powers of others. You’re a fucking weak coward!”
My eyes widen at what Lucian says.
Another woman was destroyed by this man who dares to call himself a father?
My blood boils and a surge of energy strikes through me.
The muscles of my good leg tense, ready to propel me to the side. My right arm is already bent and if I can just twist and ram my elbow into his neck, maybe I can dislodge him without impaling myself on my other claws.
Before I can try, Taiven lurches away from me.
He releases me so suddenly that my left arm swings back in the opposite direction, traveling even faster because I was trying to push in that direction. My limb moves at asnapand I swallow my scream of pain.
But I’m free.
At least… Ifeelfree…
It takes me what feels like horribly long seconds to leverage my right shoulder against the wall and push myself upright with my right leg.
In the meantime, Taiven has reached Lucian. The crack of his fist across his son’s face splashes painfully bright light across the room. It obscures my already-diminished vision, but I make out Lucian dropping to the ground.
He won’t be able to withstand the burning light magic in our father’s fists for long. Lucian’s healing power is far weaker than mine.
I need to get over there. I need to do something. Lucian isn’t my friend, not even my ally, but he’s… my brother.
And right now, he and I have a common enemy.
I have to move.
But how can I make it to him?
This wall at my back is the only reason I’m upright. Without it, I’ll topple over again.
Fuck that.If I have to hop across this room like a damn bunny rabbit, I fucking will.
My vision clears enough to now see that Lucian is on his knees, but his eyes are open. Taiven grips the front neckline ofhis shirt, as if he’d yanked Lucian up into that position, his fist raised over his son’s face.
Lucian should be worried about our father’s threatening fist, but his focus is on me. “Fly, Veda! Go up! It’s the only way out!”
I’m so unused to counting on my wings for anything—and, hell, I don’t even know if they’ll function—but I’m willing to give them a try.
What I’ll do if they work is another matter. Although my hands and arms aren’t functioning, if Lucian can somehow hold on to me, maybe at least get the feather out of my left shoulder and free up my left arm, then maybe I can get us both out of here.
Reaching for the crawling sensation in my spine that I’ve taught myself to ignore, I brace for the pain my wings cause when they tear out of my back.
It’s far worse than before.
Only my right wing extends.
