The front door to the crumbling building slammed open with a thud. Death’s body twisted and reformed before me. A midnight raven cawed, flew through the door, and into the night. I followed, bathed in the frigid air of its wake.
13
XAVIER
“Move them out!” The general roared the command. Explosions sent dirt fountaining into the smoke-clogged air. Soldiers ran past us down the ravaged street, following his orders, but I stayed with the general. He paced back and forth in front of a row of rebels. They were on their knees, some bloodied and beaten, others spitting at his feet in defiance.
“Tell me where your base is. Where are the rest of you hiding?” the general demanded.
A tall rebel at the end of the line bit back a laugh. “You will learn nothing from us. Send that message back to the cunt you call king.”
My mind screamed because I knew what came next.
The general looked at me. His mouth moved, and my body obliged. I beat at the walls of my mind, begging myself to stop. My blade slashed, sending red mist to hang in the air. I screamed again, scrambling at the walls of my mind, desperate to regain control of my body and make this stop! My feet stopped in front of the tall rebel, and I felt my hand rise, my sword dripping with the blood of his friends. In a blur of movement, my arm—
Strong hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me. The screaming was so loud. Someone needed to help them. I had to save them.
“Xavier.”
My eyes shot open. I was screaming, my hands clenched into tight fists. The room came back into focus, the gold and silver canopy drapes blowing behind the man hovering above me. He had blond hair, and his powerful hands gripped my arms. Cameron. I blinked once more, and Cameron’s image melted away. Blayne kneeled beside me, his form slowly coming into focus. His bare chest was framed by a thin cream robe and matching sleep pants. Gone was Cameron’s sun-kissed skin with the smallest freckles along his right shoulder. In its place, Blayne’s heavy muscles were streaked with adyin, the godly silver lights stunning against his golden skin. He watched me, his silver eyes filled with concern and bewilderment.
“W-what’s wrong?” I sputtered, my throat dry and cracked.
“You tell me,” Blayne said. “You were the one screaming.”
I swallowed, my saliva feeling like razor blades against my throat. My eyes flicked around the room, landing on the heavy stone and gold door. It was wide open, the back embedded in the wall. A line of guards stood just inside the room, watching us and assessing for danger. Fuck, I had woken him and probably half the palace.
“I’m sorry,” I said, sitting up and tugging the sheet tighter around my waist. “I’m fine now. It was just a nightmare.”
His eyes never left mine, the burning silver so much like Samkiel’s. Only, I didn’t feel the same familiar intensity. He assessed and prodded as if he were constantly looking for something. I forced a small smile, and he nodded.
“Very well then. I shall leave you to try to get some sleep.”
Blayne stood, sheets of rippling muscle flexing with the simple movement. I’d forgotten just how well the gods were built. He gave me a soft smile before heading toward the door, his guards moving aside to let him pass. They followed him out and shut my door behind them. I collapsed back onto my bed and scrubbed my hand over my face, wishing I could erase the last couple of months from my brain.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling in my room. Small blue lights, no bigger than a pinprick, shone from the stone. The entire city was built from it, some of the last remnants of the true Rashearim that they’d pulled from the fucking ground. I turned over, glancing past the pillars that framed the doorway to the balcony. The sky shimmered with the light of the twin moons, sitting side by side like lovers. I had been here for weeks, yet I still felt like I was back in Harvok Bay, following his orders. I shut my eyes, searching for a memory to help me sleep. My soul cried out to be home or close enough to it. I missed my family so fucking much, and him …
Guilt slammed into me, accompanied by another memory of terror, blood, and whispered words of love. Then, I was gone, thrown into a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. My eyes shot open, and I welcomed the burn of them as I fought sleep the rest of the night.
ISECURED THElast strap on my boot, tightening it just under my knee, and stepped toward my armoire. It opened with a flick of the latch, revealing the cream and silver garbs. They were very similar to the ones Samkiel had provided us, and I fought another wave of memories that threatened to swamp me with grief. I took out the slip vest and tugged it on over my shirt, securing the ties to the high collar. Someone knocked on my door, and I didn’t even have time to glance at it before it opened.
Jaycee walked in, her long, dark ponytail swishing behind her. She smiled at me like a mischievous cat, practically prancing in.
“Tell me you didn’t,” Jaycee said, looking behind her as she closed the door and hurried to my side. She wore the same white and silver garbs. The color against her fair skin made her look ethereal.
“Okay,” I agreed, “I didn’t.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. “Everyone heard a scream, and then Blayne walked out of your room the same night.” She gave me a wide smile and waggled her eyebrows. “The number of people who arejealous.”
My mind reeled as I shook my head. I held up my hands. “Wait. No. It’s not what you all think, I swear. It was not pleasurable screams, I assure you,” I said, pulling on the overcoat.
Jaycee reached up and pulled the garbs closed over my chest, her face set into a frown. “Oh. Well, that’s the least exciting thing I’ve heard all day. Max will be mad. We had a bet.”
Wounds attained in battle ached eons later for celestials and even gods, depending on the weapon. The wound I carried wasn’t even old enough to scab, and her words, so freely tossed, felt like a knife bathed in fire twisting in my heart. Sorrow rippled through me, and I looked down, watching as she worked the buttons closed. Bets reminded me so much of Cameron and all the mischief we had created with our wagers. I shook my head and took a shuddering breath. Truthfully, everything reminded me of Cameron, and my resistance to the memories was low today. My nerves still hadn’t settled after the nightmare, and I was running on very little sleep.
“I am sure you and Max have more interesting things to bet on than my nonexistent sex life.”
She looked at me, and her expression turned forlorn. “Nightmares again?”
