I smile into her hair. I love that I get to hold her now. That shewantsme to touch her.
Hazel is still wrapped in my arms when I hear the start of her hum. A tune I’ve never heard before. It’s transcendent… spreading over my skin like wildfire. I give in to the pull, drawing her closer until I’m swallowing the sound, drowning in it.
20. I guess the secret is out
Hazel
Itake a deep breath, trying to center myself before stepping into the Horsemen castle.
I know it’s important to tell everyone what happened yesterday, but I’m only now realizing I can’t have that conversation without explainingwhyTimor came after me.
And once I say it out loud, I can’t take it back.
I’ve told Nevaeh more about my past than anyone else, but what she knows is barely a fraction of what happened in the first fourteen years of my life… before I decided to take my fate into my own hands. Before I stopped being a victim.
When Anxo first found me, I was roaming the human realm like a homeless beggar. I was a free woman. I could do whatever I wanted, but I was too consumed by dread to do anything but keep looking over my shoulder.
So when he offered to bring me to the Tetrad kingdom, promising a safe haven, I told him everything I could at the time. Not like I had a choice. But telling them everything now means admitting I can’t keep my head buried in the sand anymore.
The world as I know it is shifting beneath my feet, and I don’t know where I’ll land once everyone inside realizes what I’ve brought to their doorstep.
I’m numb as I walk into the living room and find everyone scattered around with desserts. I was supposed to be here for dinner, but I couldn’t get out of my head long enough to pretendeverything was fine… so I showed up late when I wouldn’t have to sit and stew in their reaction.
Anxo is leaning over the center table, which is covered with dozens of samples from flower arrangements to invitation cards, dessert options, and more.
Seiji and Jackson sit on the floor, Seiji leaning back into his mate’s chest as he shows him a color palette. Grace makes a face from where she’s perched on Harvey’s lap on the recliner, eating what looks like an entire plate of… cake?
Pregnant woman and their weird cravings.
Grace and Jackson are voting on their favorites, but Nevaeh and Anxo obviously have final say.
Nevaeh isn’t too particular about these things, and Anxo just wants to get married as soon as possible, so he mostly tunes in to make sure Seiji isn’t going overboard.
The way Anxo is whispering into his mate’s ear, pulling her closer until she’s practically in his lap, I doubt he’d notice if Seiji slipped in a few of his own ideas. He is a party-planning legend, after all.
I don’t see August and his puppy from hell anywhere, but a glance at the clock reminds me it’s way past his bedtime. Then again, I’ve seen that kid wandering the halls at odd hours for no reason whatsoever, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up for a midnight chat.
“But you can’t deny it, Anxo. Fates are partial to these two morally fucked up best friends.” Seiji points at Harvey and Nevaeh. “Harvey gotredmarkings, we got standard black ink, and Neveah got golden essenceandthe rare ability to heal. What did we get?
“Comparatively better childhoods.” Anxo Deadpans.
Dean snorts in agreement as he walks out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of fruit. He hands it to Grace and takes her empty plate.
Ever since he found out Grace is pregnant, he’s been feeding her rare fruits and nuts from different realms. Last week, it was grapes from a region forbidden to Lucifer’s creations—and Horsemen by extension—but of course Dean found a way to get them… and piss off Heaven in the process.
The moment Dean senses my presence, he comes straight for me. He presses a quick kiss to my forehead before guiding me to the couch beside him. I’m barely seated before the conversation around me dies down.
So now I’m sucking the joy out of the room just by being here.
Wonderful.
No one pushes me to speak, but I can feel them waiting. Dean already told them about Timor’s arrival and how wefought our way out of a horde of mermen,but I need to fill in the rest.
Dean leans back, his warm hand settling against my lower back, a silent support no one else can see, but it steadies me enough to take a deep breath and get it over it.
A lump forms in my throat at the thought of explaining what happened the night I escaped Eldoris, but I don’t have a choice. I can’t let my fear win when I know Tiberius is preparing to hurt everyone I love.
If I stay silent, I’m just handing him the knife.
