“Harvey and I have been friends since birth. That day, we were training by ourselves like we did on weekends when his parents came to visit Papa—”
“Hold up, you were training when you werenine?” Seiji asks, horrified.
“Hmn, my Divine has been wacky ever since I was born so—”
The little Bookkeeper and now mysisterprovide ‘Made’, the accurate term for how I came into existence.
“Yes.Made. So, we were on the training grounds that Papa cleared out on days Harvey visited since Harvey hated all company except me. Then in a blink, we were surrounded. No matter how loud we screamed, no one could hear us.” I shift closer to Angel, who doesn’t shy away from kissing my head.
“Visha came for me, so she gave Harvey an out, but the overprotective dumbass wouldn’t let go of me. We didn’t go down easy, but, in the end, we were kids against, I don’t even remember how many dark witches. Just like that, we were in that dungeon, tied up and bloodied.”
A bitter scoff escapes me before I can push it down. “We waited, you know. We held hope for a long time that someone was coming to save us, but when weeks turned into months, and then years, we stopped deluding ourselves.”
The hand on my back stiffens, and Angel’s guilt and shame pour into his features. Taking his free hand in mine, I try to show that I don’t blame him.
I know first-hand how difficult it was to escape the coven, so I don’t blame anyone, but I can’t help the bitterness that comes with thinking about days when our hope was beaten out of us.
Now that I know they were still trying, even after a decade, the sting of betrayal fades away inch by inch. I can’t even comprehend what it feels like to be on the other side.
To have everything but not the people you want.
“Two years ago, Visha came in and blabbed about how she attacked all four Horsemen kingdoms and killed everyone, including my mate. Harvey believed her, but he was too delusional at that point to make sense, so I asked for proof.”
“That’s when she gave you that arm,” Seiji quietly concludes.
Nodding solemnly, I add, “After that night, I knew it was just us. Ghosts can’t free you from monsters, can they?”
I’m aware I’m clutching Angel’s arm tightly, but I can’t seem to release my grip. Tracing the patterns on his arm, I remind myself that everything Visha said that night was nothing but a thread from her web of her lies. I need his touch to distract me from the emotions that bubble up from that memory.
“There was a celebration that night, and the guards were stretched thin. It was our first opportunity in years, and we took it. We almost made it to the edge when we got caught.Again. I was—he…”
I know Angel won’t like what I say next, so I avoid his eyes but not his touch. “I ran back. Back to the direction we escaped and straight towards the coven guards. Used every last ounce of my power to hold them back until Harvey had long crossed the protective shield.”
I don’t expect them to understand why I did that or support my decision, but this conversation was bound to happen one day, so it’s better to get it over with.
I steal a glance at Angel and immediately hate myself for his sorrow-filled eyes and what I’m about to say next.
“I didn’t have a mate. I didn’t have a family to go back to—at least that’s what she made me believe,but Harvey did. His mate was somewhere waiting for him, and he could start fresh. He was the obvious choice.”
Angel ducks his head, but I can feel his hurt over how I sacrificed myself to get Harvey out. Even if he understands my reasons, I can’t imagine it makes it easier to hear your mate in the position.
Bumping his shoulder, I wait for him to look at me. “He wasn’t okay, Anxo. Harvey was basically dead at that point. Another week in that wretched place, and I would’ve lost another person I loved. I had the chance to pay him back for every timehechosemeand suffered for years for that choice. I owed him at least that.”
I hesitate to scoot closer, but to my relief, Angel wraps himself around me tightly and kisses my forehead three times. If anyone hears me say I don’t like his kisses, call an exorcist because a ghost has obviously possessed me.
Seiji shifts in his seat and rubs his hands together. “I think we all know why Harvey never made it home.”
Grace throws her head back and groans, “The poor man doesn’t know we shifted his home!”
Uh oh.
CHAPTER 8
Tornado in the living room
Nevaeh
“How old are you?”
