Chapter Fifty-One
Azazel
“Father made me sleep in the dungeons last night. He said it was important to understand what captivity truly feels like.”
Nova was gone.
One moment she was atop the cliff, a burst of silver dust surrounding her as she seemingly controlled the fucking volcano, the next, she was disappearing in shadows.
All around me, the lava began to close in, whatever Nova had been doing before to ensure it didn’t reach me suddenly absent.
I had little time to wonder where she’d gone or who had taken her, because the burning hot liquid quickly neared.
The others weren’t far, only around the corner where I’d left them to find Nova.
I could try to shadow walk there, but what if I landed right on the encroaching magma?
If I went to the hilltop, would they follow?
Out of options, I shadow walked, my feet meeting the crisp dirt outside of my cottage. No one seemed to be anywhere near, a distinct absence of life that made my heart race. I bolted through the front door, finding Desi and Celeste gone as well. Even Death didn’t come running to greet me.
When I heard the creak of the door behind me, I found myself stupidly hopeful. Why, I wasn’t sure. Hope was a waste of energy. A fool’s emotion. I knew that much when I turned.
Father stood in the doorway, his mask off and his hood down. Everyone always said we looked alike. Almost twins, save the dimples I got from Mother. I hated how much I saw myself in him as he grinned at me.
“Time to go home, son,” he boomed, and then something hard slammed into the back of my head.
***
All around me, a musty, thick moisture clung to the air.
I could simultaneously smell, feel, and taste it as consciousness slowly found me.
It was a dreary scent, one that reminded me of death and torture.
Not that it was particularly common for me to be near such things, but I knew a dungeon well enough.
Blinking rapidly, I allowed my eyes time to adjust to the blazing tech above me, the light so bright it burned and blinded.
When I did find my surroundings coming into focus, I wished I could somehow fall back into the blissful purgatory that was unconsciousness, where neither dreams nor nightmares could find me.
I was, in fact, in a dungeon, my arms shackled to the base of the stone wall at my back, my feet chained together. On either side of me were my friends, each of them awake but none of them daring to speak. Probably because Father loomed beyond the bars.
“Oh, good. You’re awake. Now we can get started.
” His voice held no love or affection, no signs that he even cared that he had his own son chained like a beast. I doubted any of our parents would care much.
“Let’s just get straight to the point, shall we?
The four of you have defied not only our laws, but our traditions.
You have broken sacred oaths you took upon your first breaths in this world.
An agreement that was made the day you were born. ”
Oh, great. The speech. Fun.
Father didn’t pace. Nor did he so much as blink as he spoke.
“We were put on this planet to worship and serve our mighty rulers above. What you four have instead done is taint the planet below. Poisoned it, even. You have set in motion a plague I fear cannot be stopped. One worse than fevers or shits. You bred hope. Defiance. Rebellion.”
So scary. Freedom, ahh.
“What you have now are two choices.” He reached his hands out from behind his back, lifting them to wrap around the bars.
He wore his signet ring. The thing that marked him a core.
That signaled he was somehow better than everyone else.
At least, he convinced himself it did. “You all can either swear your fealty to me once more and own up to your actions by facing the consequences, or you can die right now.”
Choices, choices.
“Azazel?”
I stared at my father, loathing how he said my name like he owned it. Like I was his pet. That really was all I had been for so long. I wouldn’t die licking his boots though. “I say suck my cock.”
Without hesitation, he bellowed, slamming his fist onto the bars.
I could feel the way whatever ward had been placed upon the cell seemed to quake beneath his wrath, my magic there and gone.
“You test my patience, boy! Do you understand how hard I have worked to replace you? To make up for my mistake in daring to father such a defiant disappointment?”
“Then where is your new heir? Have him bark and roll over instead.” Shrugging, I theatrically settled into the wall, shimmying and letting my eyes flutter closed.
A growl seemed to bubble up his throat, coming out almost like a murderous purr. “Apparently, I can no longer sire children.”
That had me opening my eyes, my mouth falling open as I took in the words.
Father was…sterile? I couldn’t hold back my laugh, the force of it so strong my head flew back into the stone as I shook with mirth.
Father was fucking sterile! “Of course you’ve spent decades blaming Mother for something that is entirely your fault. How very you.”
“Laugh all you want, but this only makes your situation more dire, doesn’t it? This hurts you more than me.”
“How so?” I asked, my chuckles fading as his grin grew. Fuck, I knew that smile. That was victory painted across his face. At my sides, the others grew impossibly still, their fidgeting gone in the face of Father’s might.
“Not only will I kill your friends if you dare to leave me without an heir, but I’ll kill your little akhata too, and I’ll force you to watch before keeping you alive to suffer for centuries.
” This time, I was the one growling, my arms yanking forward as if I could somehow break the chains and strangle the bastard before me.
“Yes, there’s the emotion I was hoping for.
That’s the problem with useless things like love.
They only hold you back. We all learn the hard way at first. Fortunately for me, that means there’s something you want. So let’s make a deal.”
I stilled, my head involuntarily cocking to the side as Father pressed his palm into the door, a burst of light seeping from his skin after. The hinges creaked as the iron parted, his shiny black shoes clicking against the stone floors with each step towards me.
But it was Cal he turned towards. I watched in horror as Father yanked Caleb up by the hair, bringing their cheeks side by side. “Join me, and I’ll fetch him a medic.”
Abruptly, Father ripped out his dagger and shoved the blade into Caleb’s side, the metal seeming to stick within his ribs. Cal screamed so loudly a ringing began in my ears. I watched as he let my best friend fall, the way Caleb’s body crumpled beside me making my stomach turn.
“Caleb!” Priya screamed, squirming and writhing at Caleb’s other side. On my right, I heard a groan of agony from Quinn, but I didn’t dare look away from the man looming above Cal.
Father approached me then, leaning down and wiping the blade across my cloak before sheathing it once more. “Join me, and I’ll let them live. Join me, and I’ll let you keep your little of eadi. I’ll give you all you’ve ever wanted, so long as you win this war with me.”