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“No.”
“Stalling won’t delay your execution, Domenent.” Her eyes narrowed. “Spit it out.”
“Not even if you bucked me for it.”
Nèrvanya snarled, revealing pointed teeth. Her winged ears twitched. Then her wings unfurled. An act of intimidation.
Like I gave a rot.
“Fine.” The clenching and unclenching of her fists. “Rot in here.” She floated back, chest heaving, eyes ablaze. “I’ll have you know, the faeretheth you thought you were protecting, have long since moved on after your exile.”
I flinched. A serpentine grin stretched her face.
“Aww. The mighty Zhèmson didn’t think the fae were down there mourning his absence? Did he?”
I said nothing.
This only egged her on.
“They dance, and Bond, and feast, and build, and carry on with their lives as though you’ve never existed.” The cruel curl of her lavender stained lips shoved a dagger in my chest and twisted. “Your little charity assignment failed. You’re stuck in this Alpha-forsaken tower, forgotten, where you’ll remain until your execution.” She leaned in. “Unless you reveal the secret to your ethèr.”
“Päästä lanfè,” I spat.
Nèrvanya's sweet smile was enough to make graves shudder. “I’ll be back, mighty and terrible, Zhèmrazraèl the Strong.” With a wink and a burst of light, she was gone.
“Traitorous fae,” I grumbled, bitter.
I came to this cosm to reign judgment on the Domenents for abusing the faeretheth. Instead, the conniving creatures they sent me to defend had betrayed me. To corrupt Sky Watchers, no less. I left the chamber, and skulked through the tower, passing sympathetic Vèrtu.
I floated down to the carpeted floor. Dragging my wings behind me like a veil, I stormed up the crystal stairs and into my suites before finally reaching my balcony.
I gazed upon a sea of motionless clouds. If I couldn’t get back to Avari, I’d give anything to at least be in the atèmos, flying from one cosm to another.
Rot.
How did I get here?
I was once powerful and feared. The dread of both angels and fae. Then the Sky Watchers chained me to this hellish tower. I vibrated with fury. One dawn soon, they would all pay.
I slammed my body into the railing and let out a roar. In anger, in resentment, in anguish, in defeat. I roared for my shackled freedom. For this mockery, I had to call my existence.
Tears fell down my cheeks as heaviness weighed me down. Brokenness cloaked my shoulders like a tattered garment. I kneeled, at a loss for what else to do, and wrapped my arms around myself, whimpering in the void.
Daliah
“Do you want him to make you sweat, scream, or both?”
The faeretheth flushed. Biting her bottom lip, she rolled the vial in her delicate hand.
“Well,” she glanced around the parlor. “Both,” she whispered. Her pointed ears twitched beneath the straight strands of her long, sandy hair.
I tapped the glass in her palm with a nail.
“Then this will do the trick.” My lips curled in mischief. “Promise.”
“But Daliah, darling, are you certain?” The lady fidgeted, trying to calm her nerves. “He hasn’t touched me in… gods. Months.”
“Months!” I blurted. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Ayla. You should’ve started with that.” I tapped on the vial again with confidence. “I guarantee you, this is the one. It will work.”
