Chapter Six
CASSIA
MOM LOUNGES ON my bed as I pack my suitcase, her brown hair pulled into a messy ponytail and Gray’s shirt hanging off her shoulders. I’m leaving for Greed tonight, and it’s hard to mentally accept that this very well could be the last time I ever see her.
I’m grateful we have this time together, and I can’t help but smile as she grabs and inspects one of my throw pillows.
I have quite a collection, much to her enjoyment.
The ones in our family home frequently go missing—Silas often gets angry and throws them away—but we pretend not to know it’s his doing.
Silas’s hatred of throw pillows is our family’s worst-kept secret.
My half-packed suitcase sits on the foot of my bed, and I set a few pairs of shorts inside before meandering toward my closet.
Mom shoves my pillow under her head and lies back, her hands resting over her stomach.
After seeing Aunt Vanessa at family dinner, I can’t help but wonder if Mom intends to have more children.
Her bonds with my fathers grant her a longer lifespan and an extended fertility period.
She has hundreds of years to bear children, but she stopped with Luca.
I clear my throat, drawing her attention. “Do you want more children?”
I don’t know why I’ve never asked. My siblings and I are adults, and I wouldn’t blame my parents for wanting to fill their home with childhood laughter again. I might even offer to babysit. Maybe.
“I do,” Mom admits. She absentmindedly rubs her stomach. “But we aren’t ready. Aziel was… He was devastated after Luca, and he needs more time.”
I frown. “It’s been over twenty years…”
“You can’t put an expiration date on grief, Cassia.”
I disagree, but that’s not an argument I care to get into right now.
I don’t want to ruin this time with Mom.
My plan is risky. Committing regicide is risky.
I may return to Wrath in a body bag—assuming Mammon allows my body to be released to my family.
There’s a chance she’ll keep me just to spite them. I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Why didn’t you retaliate against Mammon?” I ask.
My heart is pounding, and I’m grateful my fathers aren’t here. If they were, they’d hear it and sense my nerves. It would make them think, and I don’t want them thinking about me and my relationship with Mammon.
Mom can’t detect my heartbeat, though. She doesn’t have the hearing.
“It’s complicated,” she says. “I had a close friend, Rock. I’m not sure if you remember him—” She pauses, and I shake my head. I don’t know whom she’s talking about. “Well, he was infuriated by Luca’s death, and he took it upon himself to get revenge. He disappeared into Greed after the attack.”
Mom’s voice cracks, and she clears her throat before continuing.
“He never returned, and it was eye-opening. Your fathers and I felt that enough blood had been shed. If we had killed Mammon, one of her children would have taken over and made us a target. It’s a cycle, and we needed to end it.
You and your siblings were too young to protect yourselves, and it wasn’t worth the risk. ”
I have no recollection of this Rock Mom’s speaking about, but fuck him. They probably would’ve gone after Mammon if he hadn’t taken it upon himself to venture into Greed and take on Mammon himself.
“Is he dead?” I ask. “Did Mammon kill your friend?”
“I’m not sure. I assume so.”
I hum, but I keep my thoughts to myself. He failed, and in the process, he ruined my parents’ confidence.
“Why do you ask?” Mom asks.
It’s time to pull back. It’s not uncommon to ask about Luca, but we rarely talk about Mammon or his death. My parents refused to discuss it with us when we were children, which I suppose makes sense. I’ve never worked up the courage to ask about it as an adult.
Nothing Mom said has changed my mind. I’m still going into Greed, and I’m still going to slaughter Mammon. I don’t care if it angers the fates. I don’t care if they punish me. It’s a risk I’m more than willing to take.
I grab a shirt from my closet and shove it into my bag.
“If you do decide to have another child,” I say, changing the subject, “you have my support. I’ll watch them so you can go out.”
Mom laughs. I shoot her a dirty look.
“I love you with my whole heart, Cassia,” she says, still chuckling. “But you will never be asked to babysit.”
I frown. “I’m great with children.”
“You’re not.”
“That’s bullshit.”
I rip open the top drawer of my dresser and grab a handful of underwear, and Mom snorts as I unceremoniously dump them into my suitcase. She made it sound like she wanted to help me pack, but all she’s done is watch and loudly judge. It’s not appreciated.
The air around me ripples, and Aziel appears a second later. He’s grumbling about something or other, but he stops as he fully emerges inside my room. He has a bad habit of disappearing in the middle of conversations, and this must be one of those times. I feel bad for whomever he was just with.
“Good morning, Cassia.” He dips his chin in my direction, then turns toward Mom. His entire body softens as they lock eyes. “Charlie…”
Mom slides off my bed, and I grimace when Aziel kisses her with just a little too much vigor. I understand how I was created, but I don’t need the reenactment.
“That’s enough,” I say. “Stop that.”
Aziel chuckles. I don’t think it’s funny.
I shove my last few items into my suitcase. I’m getting nervous, but I can’t let it show.
“Are you about ready?” Aziel asks, eyeing my bag
I zip it shut. “Yes.”
He reaches for me, but I slink away. “I can take myself.”
My decision isn’t out of the ordinary. I stopped allowing my fathers to teleport me places the day I learned how to do it myself, and I don’t need them bringing me to the retreat as if I were a child being dropped off at school.
Aziel frowns. “But I want to take you.”
“That’s too bad.”
We stare at one another, but I know I’m going to win. I always win.
Several seconds pass before Aziel blows out a slow breath and dips his head, silently conceding. It takes every bit of inner strength I possess not to grin and rub it in. It’s something I’d do to Valeria and David, but Aziel doesn’t accept defeat the same way my siblings do.
Aziel may be old as dirt, but he’s still a Wrath. If I taunt him, he’ll retaliate. He’ll forcibly teleport me and my things to the retreat, and he might even go as far as to check me in. No amount of kicking and screaming on my end will stop him.
I can’t let that happen.
Mom steps between Aziel and me, breaking the budding tension.
“We’ll see you in ten days, then,” she says, pulling me in for a hug. I return it, still maintaining eye contact with Aziel over her shoulder.
“Ten days,” I repeat.
—————
I repack my suitcase the second Aziel and Mom leave, replacing the leisure clothing with functional items.
I’ve heard there’s a large market just outside the front gates of Mammon’s estate, and that’s my destination. I’ll post up there, and I’ll monitor her every movement until I find an opportunity to be alone with her. To kill her.
The air ripples, and David and Valeria appear.
Valeria’s in another red leather outfit, and she skips over pleasantries as she shoves two knives into the side pocket of my suitcase.
She’s nervous that I’m going to die. If I’m completely honest with myself, I am, too.
I haven’t been able to find much helpful information about Mammon or Greed, and I’m practically going into this mission blind.
“Is that what you’re wearing?” David asks.
I shoot him a look. “Don’t start with me right now.”
He shrugs, holding the glass container of black sludge in his hand.
The mere sight of it sends a shiver down my spine.
It always does, and I’m amazed I’m able to bring myself to drink it on a daily basis.
Assuming I don’t burn through the tonic, I should only have to drink it every few days once I’m inside Greed. That’s what David said.
I’ll play it by ear.
David sets the container in my bag, then pulls a necklace out of his pocket. It’s a thin, golden chain with a black vial dangling from the center.
“I got this for you,” he says. “In case you need an emergency dosage. It’s concentrated, so it should be a full dose.”
That’s actually thoughtful. David gestures for me to lift my hair and spin so he can clasp the necklace behind my neck, which I let him do. The gold chain is light, and the vial hangs low enough to easily tuck into a shirt.
“Thanks,” I say.
He pats my shoulder. “I didn’t know you were capable of uttering such a word.”
Asshole.
Valeria takes it upon herself to look through my packed clothing, and she goes as far as to remove and replace several of my items. I don’t particularly love her meddling, but I can tell it’s done out of anxiety.
“Where, exactly, are you going to be?” she asks.
“At the market outside Mammon’s estate,” I say. “I’m hoping there’s lodging in the area. If possible, I’ll get a room that overlooks the front gates.”
David clears his throat. “If we don’t hear from you after two months, we’ll come looking.”
“Don’t do that,” I say. I pointedly look David up and down. “You wouldn’t survive a day in Greed. You’re too pretty.”
Valeria snorts out a laugh, and I know my joke’s landed. She never finds me funny, so this is a rare victory. She zips up my suitcase, and I hesitate. I hate goodbyes, always have and always will, so I teleport to Lust’s border before Valeria or David can begin theirs.
There are a few places where Greed and Wrath touch, but it’s easiest to cross the border from Lust. David’s kingdom isn’t as heavily monitored as Wrath, and after weeks of research, I found the perfect spot. It’s far from Greed’s capital, but it’s the best way of getting in undetected.
The tree-lined border is unprotected, and I pull the black sludge out of my bag with a quiet huff. Here we go. I throw back a healthy swig. My body immediately hurts.
I shake out my limbs, taking a minute to adjust, before crossing the border into Greed. Mammon better count her fucking days.