Umemri glared daggers at Samkiel, Kaden, and Isaiah in turn before dropping his gaze to mine.
“Leave the Otherworld and do not return. This is your only warning.”
“If I return to the Otherworld, it will be to collect your head,” Samkiel said, summoning Oblivion back into himself.
“Then I welcome your return.” Umemri smiled wickedly, and then we were gone. One minute, we were at the bottom of the Otherworld, and the next, we were outside of it.
Eryx stood with us, one hand in his pocket, the sunlight turning his tan skin transparent, revealing the demon beneath. It was why most stayed beneath the surface. The light revealed the monster within. Eryx nodded to Samkiel and tossed a gold coin at his feet.
“The Otherworld follows Umemri. It is our most sacred law, carved and sealed into the very throne. Only the one who sits on Icnima’s throne, who wears her crown, rules the Otherworld, and we follow blindly. We may fear you and your power, but you will find no aid here.”
“I’ve gathered,” Samkiel said.
“A raven visited me and told me to tell you to look for a witch from your past. She carries the medallion now,” Eryx said.
“A witch?” Samkiel asked. “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down.”
“One from your past,” Eryx said, his eyes once again meeting mine.
“Camilla,”I whispered to Samkiel.
“Seems so.”
“It is that old friend I help now, not you.” Eryx cast a glance toward Kaden. Perhaps their debt was not one that could be paid, wife or not. “My allegiance lies with the Otherworld. It always will,” Eryx said, his eyes sliding over me with a look that made me wonder if he wished for something different.
“At least you are loyal to something,” Samkiel said.
“I had to tell him. My family comes first, Samkiel, no matter the threat.” Eryx glanced toward Kaden and Isaiah. “Maybe you’ll understand one day,” he said, and the ground beneath him shuddered and yawned open. Eryx disappeared, leaving a smoking rune circle in his wake.
Samkiel picked up the coin and ran his thumb across its surface as I leaned closer. “What is it?” I asked.
“A token for Goldpass,” he said, showing me the silhouette of a city stamped into the metal.
“Goldpass?” I asked.
“A very large, very popular, trading city in the heart of the northern realms,” Kaden answered. “If Camilla is going there …”
“She’s with the general,” Isaiah said, and Kaden nodded.
“General?” I asked.
“It’s the only way she could escape Nismera and flee with the medallion.” Kaden looked at me, then Samkiel. “He was high-ranking enough to know where to flee and how to avoid Nismera’s legion this long, but you know him by a better name. Vincent.”
My lip curled in disgust and anger. “Fucking Vincent.”
53
XAVIER
Sunlight spilled past the rolling clouds, painting the courtyard in a warm glow. Mist spread across the mountainside, frosting the trees and colossal stone statues of the gods. Birds sang as they flitted through the treetops. It felt like peace here, and even with the missing parts of me, I was beginning to think of it as home. Max landed on the training mat and lay there, cursing as she tried to catch her breath. “Gods, you’re good,” she said, gasping.
“Told you,” Jaycee added, walking toward her. “He taught me this cool armbar—”
Another celestial was tossed down onto a neighboring mat, landing with a loud thud. This place was never empty. Someone was always training. They were constantly on guard and always preparing for an attack, and I didn’t blame them, considering the threat they faced. An icy chill swept over my skin at the memories of what I had endured. They still plagued me, whether I was awake or not.
One by one, people stilled on their mats, soft murmurs taking the place of the usual grunts and groans of training. Jaycee, Max, and I turned to see what was going on. Across the courtyard, a royal guard entered the training area. He continued on his course, passing through the columns, his eyes unwaveringly focused on me. He came to an abrupt halt in front of our mat and said, “You’ve been summoned.”
My brows rose. “I have?”
