The recurve bow on the Angel man’s back is an ancient weapon I’m familiar with, but the whip the other young man has tossed on the ground, albeit similar, isn’t what the Horseman Famine wields. The markings are different.
Having enough of them staring at me while my brain spirals with unanswered questions, I ask, “Who are you two idiots, and what are you doing here?”
“Introductions sprinkled with insults? You’re not very welcoming, Princess.”
Raising my spear higher, I aim for his head. “How about I stab you as a welcoming present,princess?”
“And that’s my cue to shut up. Anxo, your turn.”
The cartoon drags himself backwards untilAnxois on the tip of my spear. The prettier one, the one I’m going to continue calling Angel because of how dreamy he is, mumbles something under his breath. With a nod, he tries to come closer, but I’m not taking any chances.
“Touch me, and they’ll have to pick your pieces off the ground.”
His jaw visibly ticks at my warning, and I wait for him to lash out, but he composes himself quickly. Turning to his friend, they whisper-talk as if I can’t hear them.
“Fates, she is frightening.”
“Tell me about it. And to think Dean said she was the sweetest.”
“Well, that was a lie.”
‘I killed your family. I held his beating heart in my hand and squeezed until it stopped.’
I shoveherdreaded voice to the back of my head and focus on the fact that they mentioned my papa. I’m not stuck in her dungeon, and I’ll be dammed if I let her voice in my head control me any longer.
Lowering my spear as a sign of temporary truce, I give them an opportunity to explain. “You know my father? How?”
“We’ll explain everything, but we need to leave.Now.”
Angel stops short in his approach when the ground beneath him shakes, and my Divine comes out to play. A fog of dull gold circles me before it crawls to him. I expect my essence to act impatiently to consume its prey, but it simply dances around him. So that’s new.
“Talk.”
“Definitely his daughter,” The Angel mutters in annoyance, but once again calms down faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. What a strange guy. I’ve never met a man other than Papa and Harvey who didn’t take their anger out on me.
I retract my struggling essence before they discover my strength is a bluff. “As much as I want to tell you guys to fuck off, I could use some help. So, if you can prove you are allies, I won’t kill you both.”
I offer them mercy so they will finally get to the fucking point, but their lack of regard for their safety and their trust in me that Iwon’tfollow through is astonishing.
The man, still hidden behind the Angel man scoffs, “I’m not sure you are capable of anything like that right now.”
“You want to try me, sticker boy?”
When the fog thickens, feeling the sting of insult, and reaches for him faster than before, he scurries away.
“I’m going to let it slide, but the next time you insult my stickers, I won’t be as lenient.” He points a finger at me. Atme.
Fates, at this rate one of us will be dead before these idiots get to the explanation. I’m about to get up and leave, which will be a pain in the ass when Angel’s hand in front of my face stops me.
My brows furrow as I narrow my eyes at his hand. What does he want me to do with his open palm? I’m not a fucking palm reader, my man. Before I can open my mouth to rip into him, he turns his palm around, and my eyes immediately focus on the white crystal ring on his index finger.
The ring. Exactly like my papa’s.
A moon-white crystal has thin gold strings floating inside resembling trapped rays of sunlight inside. A gold band at the base shaped like veins crossing and climbing upon one another, with delicate leaves following the curve of his finger.Magnificent.
The ring and the marked weapon on his back, which is only gifted to a Horseman on their coronation, tell me all I need to know. I had an inkling before, but now the truth is staring me right in the face.
Was it all a lie? Did Visha lie about everything or just the attack on my kingdom? What else was she lying about? Did the coven attack my father’s kingdom at all? Is Papa alive? And my mate? Was that a lie, too? A scheme to break my soul?
