Page 281 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

“For a few reasons. We have a healer—prophetic—in hiding. She fell in love with an enemy under an alias, and when he lay dying before her⁠—”

“Angina?”

I laughed at Atreus’ chaotic attempt to chip away at the tension settling between us. “Obviously.”

“Ignore him,” Viktor said, rolling his eyes. “I try to.”

“So, the enemy-not-enemy was dying of an aneurysm.”

“Second hierarchy Mortiferous Nóchtaithe.”

“Gazuntite,” Atreus sniped right as Viktor’s eyes widened with a muttered, “Bless you?”

“Horned man-eating chimeras. They attacked us on your terrace.”

“We call them Lethal Night,” Atreus said.

“Six and a one-half dozen.”

“Fair enough.”

“So, the demons attacked him,” Viktor prodded.

“Right. He was dying. The healers were working, but his vitals kept crashing, and in her desperation, his well-meaning lover sliced open her palm, said the words, and brought her hand to his lips.”

Both their eyes widened. “She… she Bound him without consent?”

I grimaced. “Look. Yes. I know how that sounds, but her intent was pure—save him from the brink. Bring him back.”

“But they’re shackled together regardless of intention. The damage is done.”

“Right.”

“Didn’t you say he’s an enemy?” Atreus pressed.

I blew out an aggravated sigh. “The enemy, actually.”

“She fucked Moros?” Viktor said, a sneer of disgust across his face.

“Adrastos,” I chuckled, snorting when his expression changed to one bordering on impressed.

“Better.”

“Much better,” Atreus agreed.

“Understandable, even.”

“Very understandable. Have you seen the ass⁠—”

“Jesus Christ. Tweedledee, Tweedledum—focus. Can you do anything for her? To make matters worse, she made a bargain.”

“With Adrastos,” Atreus drawled in disbelief, rubbing his thumb over his gold signet ring, which seemed to hum faintly.

“Yes,” I winced, “but to her credit, she didn’t know he was Adrastos. She thought he was the man who’d saved her life.”

“An illusion?” Viktor asked.

“Okay, so—” I stared skyward, praying the heavens might give me the patience to endure this. Or at least the right words to spin the story. “He was the man who saved her, just to clarify. She just thought his name was Bellamy.”