Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
“That’s certainly one way to open a portal.” Alek frowns and his hand tightens in mine.
“My Nexus loves it. She said it reminds her of old times and other gruesome shit.” I stare at the two Vians who are kneeling, their heads covered with dark red cloaks.
I can’t see their faces or even make out if they are female or not, but my senses tell me they are Vian.
Judging by the strange symbol of a mask on the back of their cloaks, they are students of this academy.
Their arms are outstretched, displaying long lines cut from their wrists all the way up to their elbows.
Their metallic-smelling blood freely pours down into a puddle between them, and from that puddle, a red swirling portal holds steady.
Dante stands to the side of the students, his black cloak moving in the warm breeze. Everything else about him is too still. Silent. My Nexus watches from my one eye. “He is like us, death and life mixed as one by the stars. Not our stars…something else. We should kill him.”
“No,” I mutter. “No murdering people who have helped us.”
“Why not?” she asks, with nothing but seriousness in her voice.
Alek looks down at me, likely hearing my muttering.
He arches an eyebrow and I shake my head, making his lips twitch before we both look forward.
Rhodes stands on the other side of me, his gaze flickering around for danger.
Finn has his sister in his arms, carrying her while she doesn’t move or say a word.
Hollis has his son. Onyx is watching for any danger, even though Dante said there would be none.
Severi walks over to Dante. “Thank you for all your help saving my mate and protecting us here. You can consider our old debt settled.”
“I already did,” Dante smugly answers with a smirk on his face.
Yeah, I can see why Severi likes him. “Now go, before they bleed out and I have to explain this to my brothers.” He sounds impassive, like he doesn’t really give a shit whether they die.
He is a good teacher, for sure. He and Severi nod at each other, but Dante looks straight at me.
There is a darkness in his eyes that reminds me of my Nexus, but I cannot see the rest of his face.
“When you come for this world, don’t touch our academy.
Destroying it would make the world fall and my brothers rise.
We don’t take kindly to Goddesses messing in death. ”
“Unlucky for you, I am the Goddess of death.” I walk past him with Alek. “But my Nexus seems to respect whatever you are. You are not Vian.”
“No,” Dante answers, his tone as cold as ice. “Well wishes, Gwenieve.”
I nod back, slightly unused to the strange fact that he seems to know exactly what I am.
Alek’s hand slides around my waist possessively, and he walks me forward.
Severi goes through the portal first. We follow only to come straight out to a guard of Morriganis City putting his knife to Severi’s throat.
Severi just smirks, his hands in the air, a cocky smile on his face.
He doesn’t even move to disarm the guard.
We both know he could easily and is playing nice for me.
“If you could remove that knife from my mate’s throat, it’d be appreciated.
” The guard turns, his eyes widening when he sees me, and he drops his knife instantly, before taking several steps away.
The rest of the surrounding guards do the same, the hundred or so here, until there is a gap and I see her.
My aunt. “Gwenieve!” she shouts. I hear the relief in her tone as she rushes over to me, throwing her arms around me as the others come through the portal.
I hug her back, slightly unsure about this new hugging family thing, but she clearly needs it.
“I received word that a portal had opened—a blood portal—and it’s been, well, a long time since I saw one open.
I’m sorry about the knife to your throat.
” She glances at Severi. “But you are a Vian prince known to be an enemy.”
“Severi’s going to play nice because he is my mate, and he has no loyalty to his father,” I quickly explain.
“A prince of the Vian playing nice. Interesting.” My aunt walks to him. She offers him her hand, and Severi shakes it.
“You already house my brother. What’s another prince?” Severi looks at me, his eyes softening. “But my mate is correct; I am on your side in this war. I’m on any side that Gwenieve is.”
“Annie? Is she okay?” Onyx asks, stepping forward.
“She’s here, safe. Annie got back to the city with Issan—came with the refugees from Starlight City.” She pauses. “Things have changed here and we need to discuss them. Perhaps indoors.”
I glance at the city that I love and how different it is. The park in front of the apartment that we called home is crammed with tents, people camping and walking around. Humans. They are all mostly humans. “You’re taking refugees in?”
“Yes. At first, we only opened it to women and children, but it’s been complicated.
We’re stretching our capacity, but if you’re not out there destroying cities—” She stops herself.
“I’m sorry. That sounded—it’s been a tiring few months.
No one here blames you, as we know the truth of what the king and your twin made you do.
We are happy you are free, but to be honest, now it seems more important than ever to keep you from the king’s grasp. We will need to hide you—”
“No more hiding.” I shake my head, my Nexus agreeing with me. “I am not running, hiding or pretending I am not who I am. I’ve made my choice and I will stop the king even if it is the last thing I do.”
“Which it will not be,” Finnegan growls low at me. He changes the subject, and I’m thankful, with the concerned look my aunt has on her face. “This is my sister. She was also held captive by the king; she needs medical help. Mental help too.”
“Of course.” Her tone shifts immediately, all business.
“Why don’t you walk back to your apartment?
It’s been left exactly as you had it, same code to get in, and Annie’s there.
I’ll have healers come and assess your sister before we make any next steps for her recovery.
” She squeezes my arm. “I have to get going, but I’ll come and catch up with you. There’s much we need to discuss.”
“Like war,” I murmur. Not hiding. Not protection. That has never worked in the past.
She doesn’t agree with me, but I see it in her eyes; she is going to try to convince me to do things her way.
I stay next to Alek, Rhodes hovering near me, as we all walk together back to the apartment.
I stop and stare up at it, wondering how many times I imagined being back here.
It doesn’t feel like home. Not exactly. But for now, it’s something.
We go up in the elevator together, and the second I step out, I call down the hall. I hear a squeal.
“Annie?” A door slams open as I step in, and Annie comes rushing across the room, throwing herself at me so hard we both fall onto the sofa, but she doesn’t let go. All I see is a face full of blonde hair tipped red, and pale arms and legs in a red top and dark trousers.
“Oh, my God. I thought you were dead. Even worse, I thought the king still had you. We’ve all been going out of our minds!” she practically shouts at me. A few of my mates laugh low. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what they did to you. That bastard deserves his balls ripped off.”
“Don’t worry, Annie. I’m back and I have a less messy plan for his death.”
My Nexus huffs. I pause to hear her. “I don’t. Ball removal is painful, but forcing him to eat his cut off di—“
“Ew,” I cough on the mental images she sends to me. Annie looks in my one eye more, like she can see right through to my Nexus. “Annie, I missed you, but I’m pretty sure you just bruised my lung with your elbow.” We both end up laughing as we sit up. “How’s it been here?”
“Good as can be expected. Feyre’s here, right?” She looks over my shoulder at Finn. “Could you use some help settling her in? I’ve had spare rooms ready for you since…” She drifts off, looking at me.
“Feyre could use a bit of Annie’s joy and help right now.” I touch her arm. “I don’t know anyone who makes you want to live more and make even a monster feel like she could be a good thing in this world.”
“Because this world needs a monster to fix it.” She covers my hand with hers before she rises. She goes off, leading Finn to one of the spare rooms down the corridor.
All of them sit there staring at me for a moment. “I’m going to sit on the balcony outside. I’m sure it’ll be a while before the healers come, and my head could do with some quiet.”
“May I come with you?” Alek asks before anyone else can.
I nod. The others make themselves busy settling in, and Alek and I go out onto the balcony together in silence.
It’s cold out here, a chill to the air that is so different from Mexico.
There are still some cuddle chairs to the left with a blanket.
I sit down, and Alek sits next to me, holding his arm out.
I snuggle into his side, his arm slipping around my waist. Alek pulls the blanket over us, and we watch over the city for a long time, never saying a word.
I asked for quiet, and that’s exactly what Alek always gives me.
“I had a lot of time to think. With the king, when he was torturing me, it was better for me to go somewhere else mentally. To try to think of something else, imagine the good parts of my past. Sometimes the bad parts would demand their moment when I was weak and when I was pretty sure I was close to death.”
His arm tightens around me. “I wish I could have stopped it. It feels like I failed you by not stopping him. I was powerless to do anything but search.”