Chapter 65
Sage
“A urelius,” I snarled at the lie standing before me.
Every cell within my body blared in warning, my flight-or-fight instincts screaming at me, demanding I do something. But I wouldn’t run, no. I wouldn’t turn my back on the vulture wearing my husband’s hide, which meant I needed to fight. I just needed to find the opportune moment to strike.
I stroked my power, pulling it to the surface, just beneath my skin.
“Is that how you greet your husband?” Aurelius scoffed, his voice sounding too much like Von’s. I hated it.
“You are not my husband,” I grated from between clenched teeth.
His nostrils flared, but he kept his temper bridled, at least for the time being.
Aurelius raised his hand in front of his face, surveying the long, tattooed fingers. “Amazing, isn’t it? The stygian forgemaster—Victor—he is rather talented, isn’t he? He made this vessel to look exactly like the Blood King’s.”
Of course, Victor was involved in this, which meant the empress must have been too.
Did that mean . . . Was she here? Lead filled my stomach, weighing it down like an undigested meal, one I had just barely been able to swallow.
Aurelius dropped his hand, sliding it into his pocket. He tipped his head from side to side. “But as impressive as his forging is, I’m looking forward to getting back into my own body when we ”—his eyes flashed pointedly at mine—“return to the palace.”
We?
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I seethed venomously.
“We’ll see about that.”
Footsteps sounded, coming from the hallway, toward us. Not daring to take my eyes off Aurelius, I maneuvered to the side, away from the door, closer to the window.
The Goddess of Knowledge stepped into the room. A flick of her wrist had the door slamming shut behind her, locking the three of us inside. Her eyes joined with mine, her expression full of sadness and regret. I knew that look. It was the same one Soren had worn—it was the look of a betrayer.
She started, “Sage, I am sorry for—”
“Save your useless apologies,” I cut her off, my voice a sharpened blade, ready to slaughter. “What did you get in return? ”
“An exemption from the empress’s laws that means my people won’t have to live in fear anymore.” She let out a breath, her chest falling along with the strength in her voice. “I had to do what was best for my people.”
“You are a fool to trust her, just as I was a fool to trust you,” I growled.
“Perhaps I am,” she answered honestly, softly. Truthfully .
I didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say. Von had been right. I never should have trusted her.
Von, I whispered through our bond, w here are you?
My mate did not answer.
Von! I shouted on our private channel, desperation seeping into my voice.
Again, nothing.
“Where is Von?” I demanded, my gaze shifting between Aurelius and Naia.
“Nicholas should have the Blood King dealt with by now,” Aurelius answered with nothing but confidence.
Nicholas .
A sickly feeling washed over me.
He was the reason I lost my family. Now, he was here, in the same palace as my sister and my brother. I’d be damned if he stole any more of my loved ones from me. I knew Von could handle himself, but I didn’t know how Artemesia and Kaleb would fare against the sadistic god.
“What about the others?” I growled at Naia, concern lashing the words from my mouth.
Aurelius’s eyes narrowed, swinging to Naia. “You didn’t say anything about there being others .”
“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Naia lied. She tilted her head to the side, gaze shifting to mine. “What do you mean by others ?”
Damn it. Apparently, Naia hadn’t sold all of us out, and I’d just let a vital piece of information slip.
“Nemtuk and Imari,” my tongue swiftly supplied, before I could give it further thought.
“And they are?” Aurelius asked, his tone bored.
“My guides,” I said, hoping it was enough, praying to the Creator it was.
“Oh, them ,” Naia cut in, nodding her head, playing the part.
“I saw no need to involve them in all of this, and so I had some wine sent to their room. The wine was laced with something to make them sleep. I imagine they will all be out for a while. Since I betrayed you, I’ll pay what you owe them when they wake, and then I’ll send them on their way.
” She shrugged, as if it was the least she could do.
She raised her brows, looking at Aurelius. “Unless you want them?”
He glanced at us both, his expression flat, unreadable, then before he scoffed. “I couldn’t be bothered.”
Relief flooded my veins—he was buying our story, which meant Artemesia, Kaleb, and Folkoln were safe- ish —heavy on the ish—for now.
My thoughts returned to my mate. I tried the bond again. Von?
A deep yawning silence was all that answered—stretching on and on and on.
I didn’t understand what could have been blocking me from reaching him. Von had been suspicious about the tea, but we hadn’t drunk it. My brow furrowed—maybe we didn’t need to drink it . . . maybe the aroma was enough, something we had all breathed in.
“Well, as wonderful as this dusty palace is,” Aurelius said, voice full of sarcasm as his gaze shifted around the room, “I’d quite like to return to the palace.” His eyes—Von’s eyes—slid to mine. “Shall we?”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” I roared. My powers erupted from me, marrying with the stone surrounding us. With a warrior’s cry on my lips, I gave a mighty heave, and the granite and limestone ceiling above him collapsed.
I didn’t wait to see if my plan worked, knowing even if it had, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him down for long. I dashed for the window and drove my shoulder through it.
Glass shattered, slicing my skin open as I launched to the other side.
Gravity grabbed me, its mighty hands pulling me toward the ground dozens of feet below. I picked up speed, falling faster and faster.
I fumbled for my powers, looking for the best option to break my fall.
Earth? Water? Fire?
Wind pressed against my back, and just the feel of it—of falling—called upon some instinctual part of me, and my wings erupted from my back. But this time, my skeleton wing, it was . . . it was fully covered in beautiful white feathers. A perfect set .
“Holy shit, I have wings,” I exclaimed, tears misting my eyes. “I have wings!”
Focus, dumbass. You’re about to be Sage splatter! my internal critic seethed.
Right.
Gritting my teeth, I twisted my body so my back was toward the sky.
I pushed my wings out, unaccustomed to the heavy feel of them.
I tried to remember all Von had taught me about flying.
With his teachings returning to me, I looked for a current.
Finding one, my wings caught it and instantly I began to lift—my body no longer falling freely.
I was flying! I was—
Thwishhhhh.
I twirled around, my bident emerging from my hand. I swung it just in time, hitting the arrow off course before it had a chance to bite. Pupils turning into slits, I eyed . . .
Myself.
Standing in a window, nocking another arrow, a wicked smile on my doppelg?nger’s face. Chills ran the length of my spine, my blood to running cold—although the lips were mine, there was only one person who had a smile as cruel as that.
Nicholas.
Aurelius might have stolen my worth, but Nicholas stole my life, my baby, the future that should have been mine. He had stolen from me and Von, and for that . . .
I would kill him.
“Nicholas!” I yelled as I fired my bident at the same time he released his arrow. Our weapons collided, but mine came out the victor—splitting his in two and continuing its deadly path.
At the last possible second, Nicholas jerked behind the wall, out of view, and my bident flew through the window, biting into the wall on the other side of the room.
That was the first moment I was afforded the chance to see that I had a chunk of glass in my arm. Wincing, I plucked the jagged shard out, dipped in my ichor, and tossed it. It fell to the sand.
In my periphery, a blur of onyx—
I spun toward him —my eyes met my mate’s, but they were not truly his. My movement was far from graceful, as I had yet to adapt to the feel of my wings.
“Aurelius,” I snarled at the imposter. Densely packed water molecules blasted from my hand, conjuring my azure sword. With my free hand, I reached out, calling upon my bident. Obliging, it answered my call, landing in my hand.
“I forgot about how much of a selfish bitch you are,” Aurelius sneered, brushing the dust from his shoulder. He eyed my wings but said nothing about them. “You know this is not a fight you will win, Aurelia.”
Thwishhhh.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of.” I swung my arm, my bident deflecting Nicholas’s arrow before it found purchase—my eyes never straying from Aurelius’s.
“On the contrary, I do. I know you better than you know yourself. You are a weak, useless goddess.” His voice— Von’s voice—turned mocking.
“And to think, I gave you everything you could ever want. My patience, my kindness. My love . I gave you a position beside my throne, gowns spun of the finest gold, and what did you do? You gave my heart to the enemy. You betrayed me, led me on for centuries, even when I gave you a second chance.” He shook his head in disgust. “You are the one who broke us. An unloyal, useless whore. You are worthless .”
“You’re right,” I started. “The Aurelia you knew was weak, but the Sage who stands before you now, she is strong .” I pointed my sword toward him. “And you’re about to meet her.” I launched at him, and an animalistic growl emitted from me, coming straight from my heart—
The roar of a lion.
Aurelius conjured his flame swords, half a sun crowning each pommel—one with a hooked blade, the other straight as an arrow. His wings stroked down, propelling him toward me at a blurring speed, faster than fire moving through a forest.
Our swords sung as they crossed each other—fire against water.
Sun against moon.
Abuser against survivor.
Narcissist against warrior.
This battle wasn’t just for me, it was for those who were like me.
For anyone who had ever been made to believe they were worthless.
For anyone who had been beaten down and told they weren’t enough.
For anyone who’d had their bodily autonomy taken from them, who hadn’t been given the chance to say no .
This fight was for us all, and so was this—
I jabbed my bident, aiming low. It was a distraction. Aurelius took the bait, sweeping his curved blade to the side, shoving my bident outwards. For a brief second, it left him exposed, and I took full advantage of it—
I punted him right in the cock.
“Fuck!” he howled, his blade releasing mine as his wings carried him twenty feet back. He tossed his one blade. Sunlight glinted off it as it fell to the ground. Scowling in pain, he leaned forward—his breathing labored as he cradled his squashed sex.
I tilted my head to the side, sarcasm drenching my words. “Considering Von’s size, I bet that really hurt.”
Aurelius snarled at me, nothing but hatred sparking between us.
He thrust his hand outward, and fire blasted from his palm. I answered with my own, my flame barreling into his.
We charged again, straight through our fire.
Our swords clashed, this way and that, as we fired blow after blow after blow. In a stroke of luck, my sword caught the side of his face, slashing a bloody groove. Droplets of red sprayed into the air, drenching the tip of my blade.
Surpassing the loud clamor of our swords, a mighty voice rang out from above. “Enough!”
The empress.
A bolt of lightning blasted from the heavens, throttling between us. Like a kerosene fed fire, it exploded, causing a tidal wave of air to blast us backwards.
I spiraled around and around, my wings desperately trying to correct my path .
Thwishhhh.
I tried to right myself, swinging my blade toward where I thought the arrow was coming from, but I was a breath too late—
Pain exploded as the arrow embedded in my side.
I groaned in agony.
Wings catching on a current, I used it to lower myself to the ground. I landed in the sand, my wings falling beside me as if all the strength had been drained out of them. My bident was starting to dematerialize . . . and so was my sword.
My brows wove together. Something was wrong.
A strange numbness, prickling like pins and needles, began to spread throughout my legs, my arms. My weapons became too cumbersome. I dropped them beside me. When they hit the sand, they disappeared completely.
My left leg gave out, and I dropped to my knees.
What was happening?
Glancing down, I eyed the arrow—it had to be poisoned. That had to be what this was.
I wrapped my hand around the shaft, gritting my teeth as I just barely managed to pull it out. Sloppily, I tossed it to the side. Silver ichor poured out from the wound. I placed my hand over it, trying to stop the bleeding. Warm liquid spread between my fingers.
Footsteps approached—two sets.
Weakly, I lifted my head, my eyelids growing heavy.
“It would seem it’s a good thing you didn’t die after all,” the empress said with a smile as she and Aurelius approached me.
Light glinted off the chains and diamonds that swayed from her antlers as she moved.
Her light, airy robes, adorned with intricate embroidery, swooshed behind her.
The soft green fabric pooled in the sand as she crouched before me.
She lifted my weary head, forcing me to look at her. My body was too weak to fight back.
With a cruel smile on her painted lips and a malevolent twinkle in her lilac eyes, she said, “You’re going to help us.”
“I’ll never help you,” I slurred.
“You don’t need to be compliant,” she countered. She swept her nails down the side of my cheek—not enough to break the skin, but enough to cause some discomfort. “Come now, don’t make such a horrid face. It’s not all that bad. Perhaps I’ll even let you meet your son this time.”
“My . . . son?” I fumbled the words.
“Mhm.” The empress smiled with her gleaming white teeth. She leaned in, whispering in my ear, “His name is Shadow.”