Fuck.
“Hey, watch it,” a man snapped as my shoulder brushed his.
“Sorry,” I replied and looked up at him. His eyes widened, and his face dropped before he turned and sprinted away.
Okay, that wasn’t weird at all. Did I smell? Oh gods, what if I’d grown horns? I raked my hands over my head and ran to the nearest shop window. A frilly dress was on display behind the smooth, reflective glass. Words written in a language I sort of remembered were painted around the edges, but I was more concerned with my reflection.
No horns protruded from my head, but crimson eyes glared back at me. Dammit. I closed them, willing that part of me to retreat before opening them once more. Fuck. Still there. My hands went to my eyes, and I pressed and waited. I felt no hint of my fangs, no prickle of power telling me I was using even a fraction of my power. So why the hell wouldn’t my eyes return to normal? I wanted my normal hazel back, not these fiery pits. Dropping my hands, I opened them again, surprised to see watery blue eyes staring back at me. I realized the shop owner was gaping at me, seeing exactly what the man on the street had—red fucking eyes.
I spun away and scurried down the road toward the edge of town. I kept my head low but heard voices rising behind me. Double fuck.
“This isyourfault,” I snapped under my breath. People glanced at me and moved out of my way. Gathrriel didn’t answer or stir.
I picked up my pace, nearly running from the voices and noise. I bumped into people, jostling past them in my rush to escape this place and get back to Samkiel. Curses followed in my wake, joined by a shout.
“I really thought it would work, but it seems he got to you first.”
My head jerked to the side, and I nearly jumped out of my skin to see Unir walking beside me.
I stopped and turned to face him. “You think?” I snapped. “Also, where the hell did you come from?”
“Sorry about my sudden departure. I cannot stay in the physical world too long without Death seeing.”
I tossed my hands up. “Oh, well, that makes perfect sense then, doesn’t it? Just call some assassins to kidnap me and then leave? They are assassins, right? The dark clothes, arrogance, and disappearing in a puff of smoke. Sounds like assassins.”
“You are very intelligent. I assume my son likes that about you the most.”
“Actually, it’s my mouth, but I won’t scar you with that.”
Unir grimaced at me. “You have a tremendous bite on you. No one has ever spoken to me as you do.”
“Great. Another thing you and your son have in common.” I pressed a fake smile on my lips. “Wanna guess which one I am talking about? You know, since you have two determined to destroy me, Samkiel, and the world.”
Unir’s jaw flexed, and ghost or not, it seemed he still wielded far more power than Samkiel. A part of me flinched beneath the weight of the glare he directed at me, the other part just raged.
“My intentions toward my children are my own, not for you to know or question.”
“I think I have a right to question when one turned me, the other tried to kill me, and I am in love with the last one,” I rebutted.
His face softened at that last bit. “I am only trying to help you. Him. Them. I swear it.”
I realized I was drawing a crowd and started walking again, Unir keeping pace with me. I turned down an empty alley and spun to face Unir again. “You summoned Gathrriel! He basically barbequed a small town—”
“A few burn injuries, but a vast majority escaped. That was my fault, yes.”
My head throbbed, and I rubbed my temples. He was just too much, too overbearing, too foreboding. I sighed. “Where even am I?” I asked.
“A small fishing town on the river.”
“Ah. Well, that explains the smell.” My head tilted. “What’s the name?”
“So you can call my son here?” Unir asked, his brows lifting. “We aren’t through here.”
I turned and walked away, blindly turning corners in an attempt to get away from him and find my way out. Fog curled in from the swampy area near the river, humidity skimming along my skin. My stomach twisted, and pain shot up my arms. It was severe enough that I stumbled, catching myself against the wall.
“I really wanted you to get to Herrbet,” Unir said, keeping pace with me.
“Why Herrb—” My vision blurred, and bile rose in my throat. Unir watched me expectantly, his knowing expression making my blood run cold. I breathed deeply until the nausea subsided. “What did you do to me?” I asked when I could finally speak again.
