I catch the reflection of my eyes burning gold in Angel’s as my Divine stirs wildly, not liking that I’m gearing up to go against my mate to defend my best friend.
Instead of being offended by my barely concealed accusation, Angel smiles at me. “It’s still his, sweetheart. The title. The kingdom. The piles of paperwork and responsibilities are all Harvey’s to inherit.”
Angel says it with such honesty that it leaves me with no doubt that he’s telling the truth. HewantsHarvey to come back. In fact, his hatred for paperwork makes me think that he might be eager for my best friend to take over and relieve Angel of his extra duties.
“Henry, uh—he got sick. His health couldn’t take the stress anymore, so he asked me to step in until Harvey returned.”
I can tell Angel is holding something back, but my mouth refuses to form the question. His eyes gloss over as he warily studies me, and when his hands tighten around mine, a ripple of dread moves through me.
Angel waits to see if I want him to reveal whatever he is holding back, but I’m done with bad news. I shake my head, and Angel gets the hint.
I probably shouldn’t be asking him to keep me in the dark, but I’m too tired for the truth. I need to retreat into the darkness, to my safe place, before I can take more heartbreak.
Listening to Seiji ramble about how everyone is so excited for us to return to the kingdom makes me feel better about my decision. I don’t want to dig deeper when I know my search for answers will only ruin this moment. For now, I’m just relieved that they genuinely want Harvey and me to come back home with them.
It’s always been Harvey and me against the world, but maybe it doesn’t have to be just us anymore.
I sit back and watch Angel and Seiji share a mischievous look right before Grace bursts into laughter at Hazel’s scowlingface.
Angel turns to me with a smirk. He leans in like he’s about to tell me a secret, looking deep into my eyes, and then I hear his voiceinsidemy head.“What would you like for lunch, sweetheart?”
Wait a damn minute…“You can read minds?!”
Angel laughs loudly, and I’m staring at the magnificent sight before my eyes until I realize my mate might be hearing these thoughts.
“Nuh-uh,” he says, “I can only hop in for a private conversation.”
“Is that what you have been doing all this time? I thought you had a creepy obsession with staring at people.”
Angel chuckles, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. “I could cast illusions and create protective barriers before my coronation, but telepathy was a gift from the Sisters of Fate after they accepted me as the new Horseman of Conquer.”
Horsemen aren’t born with all their gifts. Strength, heightened senses, and the presence of our Divine are given to us at birth, but Fates only bestow the final powerifthey choose us to lead our kind.
“Since it was only intended to be used among Horsemen, it took me some time to overcome that limitation. It’s easier with you and Seiji because of our bloodlines, but I’ve trained my Divine, and now I can link almost everyone else.”
It’s ironic how I can’t control the few Reaper powers I do have, while my mate has surpassed every expectation.
“You can’t link to Papa?”
Angel gives me a sad smile, and I curse myself for acting like a little kid asking for her daddy.
“It has a range, sweetheart. It’s not an infinite connection.”
Angel traces my pout with his thumb. When he leans in, I swear my heart stops beating. His lips brush over my cheek softly, sending jolts of electricity to parts of my body I didn’t even know existed. “Sorry to disappoint, baby.”
Angel leans back casually as if his simple gesture didn’t justfry my entire brain.
Seiji clears his throat loudly, breaking the delicious eye contact between me and my green-eyed godlike man.
“If you think Anxo’s powers are impressive, wait till you see whatIcan do.”
Before I can tell Seiji I’m all too familiar with his gifts, I watch in awe as he rotates his forefinger in slow, lazy circles. The air around us follows his command, and an adorable little tornado begins to brew on the tip of his finger.
What I saw yesterday was a lot more violent, but now I can see the delicate side of his powers.
Seiji releases the little tornado from his finger and lets it roam the room. Then he starts rotating his whole palm, manipulating the wind to his wish. Just like that, the little tornado isn’t so little anymore. It grows bigger and darker, quickly destroying the room in the process.
The thick glass walls shudder from the force, and even the furniture begins to shake. Just as the tornado reaches its peak, Seiji adds bright purple lightning, transforming it into a full-blown storm.
