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“How?” I breathed. Zuriel looked like a lethal warrior despite his aura of otherworldliness, from the strong set of his jaw to the lithe frame that he carried with a lethal type of grace.
He released a sigh, his icy eyes disappearing momentarily as his white lashes brushed his cheekbones. “Ithuriel and I were locked in battle with the Demons, who outnumbered us two to one, and we didn’t notice the wispy smoke curling around our ankles until it was too late. It appeared from nowhere, and the six of us fell to our knees, coughing and choking, as we were smothered in the sickening fog. Everything went dark, and then I awoke here, beneath the citadel, along with Ithuriel and the four Demons. We formed a temporary truce in order to escape, which we did, but when we reached the icy shores of the Iron Realm, an overwhelming pain screamed through us, only relenting when we backed into the mountains, where Rares waited for us along with a retinue of Iron soldiers. It was then we learned a tracking spell had been cast over us, and we were trapped in the Iron Realm until we proved ourselves useful or trustworthy.”
Tears pricked at my eyes as Zuriel’s lips pinched momentarily, but he was not finished with his tale. “Ithuriel and I tried our best to produce offspring, but to no avail. You see, Angels are a lot like Fae, and conception takes a long time, unless you are very lucky. The Demons remained our allies, and slowly, we grew accustomed to life here. While at first I hated them for capturing me, I learned over the years how lucky I was to speak with so many people from other continents. I had grown rigid inmy beliefs, and the others opened my eyes to new ideas that I would have never been exposed to otherwise. And then Queen Liessa came to the Iron Realm, and my world was turned upside down yet again when Ithuriel’s mate bond snapped into place.”
My breath hitched, and I hung on every word Zuriel uttered.
“That month was one of the most tumultuous times of my life, and I hated that King Zalan forced them to lie together while he watched. It was disgusting, and once again my hatred for the power-hungry ways of the kings flared. When Liessa was carted away after she fell pregnant, I knew it was the last time either of us would see her, and I clung to Ithuriel as much as I could over the next year, for I knew the moment you burst into the world would be his last.”
Zuriel paused, steepling his fingers in front of his mouth and staring absently at the padded floor beneath us. “He died in my arms with a request on his lips – that I take care of you, no matter what. I promised him, and I bided my time, waiting for the day you arrived on Ryza’s doorstep.”
Our eyes locked, though mine were overflowing with tears, and his softened as one spilled down my cheek. With a gentle brush of his hand, he captured it, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a half-smile. “Your grandmother’s gift in full effect. You have her eyes, too.”
Choking back a sob at that knowledge and the overwhelming emotions that had hooked me as I listened to his tale, I said, “So I am an empath?”
He nodded slowly. “And a powerful one if I am correct in my assessment. You have the unique ability to absorb others’ emotions, like you are unconsciously doing with my sadness at the moment, and you can push emotions onto others as well. You said you had influenced a soldier’s actions before?”
“Yes, with my mate, Kazimir, and some of the others who rescued me from the cave.”
A flash of something I couldn’t name crossed Zuriel’s face, but he interrupted my thoughts before I could follow them. “What exactly did you do?”
“Well, the first time I did it instinctively, and I filled Kazimir with strength, helping him beat back his opponent and regain his footing. After that, I tried to stop Viktor from moving forward, and his feet stuck to the ground despite his struggle.” I shrugged, hoping Zuriel could shed light on my powers.
“Did it drain you?” He cocked his head to the side, studying me.
“Yeah, quite a lot actually. I nearly fainted with the effort. It also took a lot of concentration.”
“Mind magic usually does, because the slightest slip of attention breaks the connection. In time, you will deepen the well of magic you can pull from, but wielding it will always take effort. I have some lessons to help you develop that unbreakable focus, but they are for another day.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and dropped his voice. “For now, I want to discuss what you should and should not say around Rares.”
I nodded, dipping my head closer.
“Rares collects us like prized possessions, and you and Ruslan are his crown jewels. But you must keep the full breadth of your abilities from him for as long as possible, because if he knows that you can freeze people in place, there is no telling what he and King Azim would do with that level of power in their arsenal.”
“I don’t even want to use that type of magic. I spent too long powerless and chained against my will to do that to others. I refused to practice it with my friends, and I will continue to refuse to use it in the future,” I hissed.
“Then we won’t. It will be easier to hide it that way.” He paused, a question poised on his lips. “Will you tell me what happened to you?”
Drawing a shaky breath, I nodded, then launched into my tale, not sparing my cousin any details of the abuse I suffered. The Angel’s unearthly facade gave way to anger, his icy eyes darkening and wisps of magic escaping his fingers as he listened, until finally, I arrived at the point in my story that led to Ruslan snatching me from Este Castle.
Zuriel blew out a breath. “Izidora, there are no words to express the injustice of your abuse. From what I know of Ruslan, he would never have allowed it to take place, and he would have burnt down the whole Iron Realm to get to you had he learned of it sooner. I’ve known him his whole life, and ever since the day you were conceived, he’s been nothing short of obsessed with the idea of you.”
“But why? He didn’t know anything about me.” This question had plagued me over and over, and I had learned nothing that satisfied my curiosity.
“Ruslan was born in these tunnels, to one of the Demons captured with your father and me. She died giving birth to him, which meant he was parentless, the only affection available to him from Rares and King Azim – neither of whom are the nurturing type. Rares took it upon himself to twist Ruslan into a weapon for his own ambition, while his siblings had their mothers to look after them.”
“Siblings?” I interrupted, furrowing my brow.
“He had eleven.”
Had. The words landed like a boulder rolling off the sheer face of a cliff.
“Where are they now?” My voice was barely a whisper in the cavernous space, yet my words seemed to echo beyond the walls.
“About twenty-three years ago, King Azim announced a competition for the title of heir apparent – a fight to the death. Ruslan won.”
Despite freely supplying information previously, Zuriel offered nothing more, which only served to horrify me, my mind painting in the details with nightmarish strokes.
How could King Azim stomach killing all of his offspring?
