Chapter Two
CASSIA
I DON’T HAVE the luxury of time with the file I stole from Aziel.
I need to return it before he notices. If he suspects I’m finally making my move against Mammon, he’ll do everything in his power to stop me. He’ll succeed, too.
I’m not going to let that happen.
David walks ahead of me, his head held high as he bursts through the front doors of our childhood home. He immediately heads up the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. It’s early, and I suspect everybody is still in bed.
“Mommy!” he shouts, warning our parents of his approach.
I wince, hating how he’s never changed the childish titles he uses to address our parents.
Valeria and I stopped using “Mommy” and “Daddy” long ago.
David’s embarrassing himself, and considering we have three fathers, it’s much easier to refer to them by their given names.
I’m not going to lecture David about it, though. Not today.
He’s buying me a few minutes of distraction, and I pray it’s enough as I slink toward Aziel’s office. The household is awake by now, and I clutch my bag to my chest as I maneuver around the busy shadows.
I make it to Aziel’s office without trouble, but my budding smile falls when I step inside and lock eyes with Silas. He’s sitting in Aziel’s chair, his feet propped up on the desk and his hands clasped comfortably in his lap.
He’s already dressed for the day, and he looks alert. He’s waiting for me.
He blinks, looking me up and down before settling his gaze on the bag I’m clutching against my chest. Something about him is off, and I can’t help but wonder if the fates told him my plan—or at least some watered-down version of it.
“Why have you been sneaking in and out of Aziel’s office?” Silas asks by way of greeting.
I cock my head to the side, playing confused. I have no reason to believe that Silas knows I was sneaking into Aziel’s office. He suspects, but that’s nothing. I’m not going to offer any information to him, not until I’m certain of precisely what he knows.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say. “I haven’t been.”
“Don’t lie to me, Cassia.”
“I’m not.”
Silas rises and walks toward me, his fluid movements making him look every bit the threat he is. I know down to my bones that he’d never hurt me, but my blood still boils in response to his proximity.
I don’t have control of my wrath. I know myself well enough to admit that, and the urge to fight slams through me as Silas enters my personal space.
He reaches for me, probably intending to place a hand on my shoulder or something equally as harmless, but he freezes at the last second. A long beat of silence stretches before he steps away and tilts his head back, subtly exposing his neck.
My hands stop shaking.
“Have you been seeing that therapist Gray found for you?” His voice is too quiet. Too filled with concern.
I shrug. I go when I feel I need to, which isn’t as frequently as my parents would like. Apparently, Gray spent a lot of time researching the best help for me, but I didn’t ask for that and I honestly don’t want it. I don’t need help. I’m managing just fine on my own.
“I go every few weeks,” I admit.
“Good.” Silas clears his throat, his gaze returning to my bag. “What’s in there?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you up to, Cassia?”
“Nothing.”
He wants to push. Silas always wants to push, but he and Mom are the only ones who know when to stop. Aziel and Gray can’t detect the line, and they’ll push and push until I lose control.
Valeria pops her head into the office. “Dad?”
Her gaze flickers between Silas and me before settling on Silas. He doesn’t look away from me, not for one moment. He’s going to push. Fuck.
Valeria continues. “I need your help with something.”
I gulp, praying he lets this go. It’s not as if I haven’t gotten caught sneaking into Aziel’s office before.
I’ve gotten caught sneaking into all the offices in this house—but it’s usually for small, stupid things that earn me an annoyed sigh and a smack on the back of the head.
I’m praying that’s all Silas thinks this is.
They can’t know of my plans to kill Mammon.
Valeria huffs. “It’s a fated matter.”
Silas visibly hesitates, teetering between questioning me and helping Valeria.
A long beat of silence stretches before he finally turns away.
He’s letting this go, and I do my best to hide my relief as he follows Valeria out of the room.
She shoots me a wink before leaving, the subtle action reminding me why she’s my favorite sibling.
Well, Luca’s my favorite sibling, but that’s only because he’s dead and never had the opportunity to anger me as Valeria and David have.
I should visit his gravestone before leaving for Greed.
It very well may be the last time I ever see it.
There’s a possibility I’ll never return, that Mammon will see through my facade and murder me before I have the chance to kill her.
She might recognize me. My parents have worked hard to keep my siblings and me out of the public eye, but I’m sure the occasional image or description of us has slipped into the wrong hands.
I wait until I’m confident Valeria and Silas are gone before slipping the files back into Aziel’s desk. They were useless, offering me no helpful or valuable information. I shouldn’t be surprised, and I make sure to place the file exactly as it was before.
Everybody is just beginning to meander into the dining room when I finish, and I force my expression into a mask of calm and cool indifference as I join them. Mom is closest to me, and I immediately pull her into a tight hug.
“Morning,” I say, kissing her cheek.
She’s still in her ungodly-pink cotton pajamas, and she reeks of Silas and Gray. The scent isn’t too heavy, thank the fucking Lord, but it’s enough that I know they slept beside one another last night.
“My children together in one place,” Mom teases, returning my hug. “What have I done to deserve such a treat?”
I should probably feel guilty that we’re only here to cover up my temporary theft, but I don’t. She’ll be thanking me when I return with Mammon’s head.
“You’re one lucky woman,” David chirps, taking a seat at the table.
Silas, Aziel, and Valeria are already seated around it, the three of them deep in conversation. Aziel is still in his lounge clothing, so I assume Silas hasn’t told him of his suspicions. If he had, Aziel would’ve been waiting in his office alongside the fate.
“Where’s Gray?” I ask, looking around.
It’s David who answers. “That’s none of your concern.”
I turn to snap at him, but Mom beats me to it. “He’s taking a shower.” She shoots David a sharp look. “Leave your sister alone.”
He should take Mom’s advice, lest he find himself with a broken neck.
“Are you staying for breakfast?” Mom asks me.
“No—”
Aziel interrupts. “Yes.” He points to the spot beside him. “Sit with me, Cassia.”
His tone leaves no room for argument, and I suck my cheeks into my mouth as I shift my focus to the table. Calm, Cassia. Be calm.
The table is a beautiful oak, with thousands upon thousands of knicks and dents from my siblings and me stabbing it with our cutlery over the years.
The spot beside David is empty. It has been since Luca’s death. He was too young to use an adult chair, but his baby one was pushed into that spot. The baby chair is gone, but the empty spot remains.
Along the wall is a buffet. The drawers below are filled with coloring books and a plethora of toys that David used to insist on playing with while he ate.
He could never sit still long enough to enjoy a meal, and the toys were the only way to keep him from slinking out of his seat and finding trouble.
My budding anger calms, settling into a slow simmer rather than a rolling boil. I unclench my hands, and somebody kisses the top of my head. I turn to the side just as Gray squeezes past me into the room.
“Good job, Cassie,” he coos. “So proud of you.”
He should be proud of me. These grounding exercises are a technique from the therapist he practically begged me to begin seeing last year. I’m still unsure how I feel about the woman, but the exercises are helpful.
I hate not having control of myself. Aziel says it’s because I’m a Wrath, and a powerful one, at that. He says it took him hundreds of years to restrain and manage his power, but I don’t have hundreds of years to wait.
I want to lead Wrath.
I want to take Aziel’s position and become the Queen of Wrath, and I’m tired of waiting. David has already taken Gray’s position, and Valeria is constantly sneaking off to fulfill tasks from the fates.
It’s my turn.
Everybody settles at the table, and I linger for a moment longer before taking the empty seat beside Aziel.
I have things to do, plans to prepare and work to complete, but I knew this was a risk coming here.
One meal with my family isn’t going to kill me.
If anything, it might help get Silas off my trail.
I don’t need him digging around my personal business.