Grace is quick to catch on, jumping in to explain. “After what happened with you and Harvey, the old leaders decided it was safer to merge the kingdoms.The Tetrad kingdomis—”
“…in a new realm. And we’ve got five mind-blowing castles protected by ancient magic,” Seiji cuts in.
“All four kingdoms… together?” Angel smiles at my excitement. “Harvey must love that! He always wanted to unite the kingdoms. He had it all planned for when he took over. Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask, where is that dumbass, anyway? I thought—” I trail off when one by one their faces turn grim.
Angel observes me, brows furrowed like he has no idea what I’m talking about.
“Sweetheart, why do you think Harvey is with us? We couldn’t find him in the dungeons, and he wasn’t with you. We’ve all been waiting foryouto telluswhere he is.”
I look around the room frantically, half expecting Harvey to pop out and start laughing at how easily he can still scare me, but when he doesn’t, my heart falls to my feet.
My breath catches when Angel’s words finally register. “Harvey didn’t come home? But Anxo, he got out. He escaped. He should’ve gone home. Where else would he go?”
Harvey was injured, but he was still strong enough to heal and find his way back home. What if something happened to him after he crossed the barrier? I let him go alone. I thought he would make it. What if I made a mistake?
I can’t lose him. I can’t lose him. I can’t lose him.
I don’t realize I’m hyperventilating until Angel grabs my face and forces me to look at him, pulling me out of all the horrible scenarios running through my mind.
“We’ll find him.” His certainty should soothe my worries,but instead, it reminds me of a time when Harvey and I still believed someone would come for us, save us from that hell, protect us, but no one ever did. And now he is out there all alone.
“How? Tell me how! It took you adecadeto find me, and I had to claw my way out of that hellhole all on my own! Anxo, he could be dead. Oh Fates, what if he’s—”
“He’s not dead.” Grace stops my downward spiral by thrusting a small box into my lap. My trembling hands fail to open it, so she does it for me, revealing a ruby ring like Angel’s.
“The ring still shines.”
Just like that, all my fears screaming inside my head, taking over my mind, come to a halt. Somehow, Grace knew logic would ground me quicker than any promise.
Clutching the box, I nod and repeat her words until they take root. As long as the ring glows, its successor is alive. Harvey is okay… just out of my reach.
Silence settles around me as I try to absorb it all. My head rests on Angel’s shoulder as he rubs my back, telling me about the warriors tirelessly scouring the realms for clues, and reminding me I’m not on my own anymore.
“Nevaeh?” I hum in acknowledgment, and Seiji asks, “How did he get out?”
“And why didn’t you go with him?” Angel’s hand stills, then tightens around my waist, pulling me closer. I’m almost sitting on his lap at this point, but even that’s not close enough to calm the storm brewing in his head.
Hazel snaps her fingers. “Since we’re asking questions, I want to know how the coven broke through enchanted walls and took not one, buttwokids, without a single witness. Spare no details, mini reaper.”
Grace shoots Hazel a stern look and gently assures me I don’t have to share anything I’m not comfortable with—not now, not ever.
I want to accept her offer because who wants to willingly climb aboard my trauma train, but Papa always said theHorsemen are our fate family. And family means trust.
I want to give them a chance. Give myself a chance. After all the years I’ve lived inside my nightmares, I deserve what they have.Friendship. Family. Loyalty.
Before I start, I warn them there might be some plot holes in my story. My memories of that time are either all gone or severely jumbled up. A shit ton of head injuries will do that to you.
“Harvey and I grew up together. His parents and Papa were really close, so we spent a lot of time together as kids. We were in the middle of our weekend training while Papa and—”
“Hold up, you were training when you werenine?” Seiji asks, clearly horrified.
“I had to. My Divine has been a little wacky since the day I was born—”
The human bookkeeper, technically my sister now, provides ‘made’as the accurate term for how I came into existence.
“Yes.Made.” I roll my eyes and continue. “We were in our usual training spot. Everyone stayed clear of that space because even back then, Harvey was a grump with anger issues and glared at everyone except me. It was just another day until Visha showed up out of nowhere.”
I shift in my seat, and Angel kisses my head, snuggling me closer. “Visha told Harvey to leave. She wasn’t interested in him, but the overprotective dumbass wouldn’t let me go.”
