Page 70 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

I nodded. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

Ros inclined her head. “You got it. Ring. Secret. I like jewelry and withholding information. Perfect task for me.”

I gave her a weak smile as Darragh boosted me up onto Astorath and mounted behind me. The ridiculous pink dress, now splattered in my blood, spilled around us. My body relaxed against his, the back of my head resting on his chest, and he wrapped one arm around my waist to secure me against him. “I’m sorry for the contact,” he rumbled against my ear, “but you are not steady. Astorath would be upset if you fell off him.”

“I would hate to disappoint Astorath,” I weakly quipped. I glanced down at a small braid left in his mane from my previous time spent atop the massive horse.

We took off in the opposite direction of the destruction, the smells and sounds weakening. As I caught sight of the castle, Darragh veered Astorath off toward the edge of the city. It was quiet, and barely a seraph was around.

We stopped in the same copse of trees he brought me to after our last trip to the library. After he helped me off the horse and walked me a short distance into the trees, he stopped and stared at me.

“This doesn’t seem like the castle,” I joked.

His eyes were soft and scanned my body. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

I blew out a breath. “Yes. I’m just a bit jumpy after the bombing and finding my father’s ring.”

“Tell me about the ring.”

I launched into every detail about what happened at the blacksmith and finding my father’s ring with our family crest.

“Did you tell Gabriel where you heard the initial rumors?” Darragh asked, his eyebrows raised.

“No! I lied and said I heard it in passing from some seraphs in the market and that I thought they were talking about Cora and me initially.”

“Thank you,” he responded. “So, it’s true then. Humans are being trafficked into Tironaill from Edenalee.”

“You believe me?”

Darragh’s dark brows pulled together. “Why wouldn’t I believe you?”

“Gabriel didn’t believe me that it was my father’s ring. He called my reaction hysterical.”

He shook his head. “Gabriel wants to believe in things that only align with his preconceived beliefs and thoughts. Everything else is labeled hysterics and blasphemy.”

I leaned against a tree, my head still aching. Darragh’s large hand wrapped around my upper arm for support. “Yes, I got the blasphemy lecture today, too.”

He stiffened. “In what way?”

I told him about the old woman in the market, what she said, and how I told Gabriel my theory on why angheals could not produce younglings.

“Rory, you must tread lightly with those conversations. Not with me, but with any angheal. It’s best to never bring it up to Gabriel again.”

“I won’t. I learned my lesson.” I paused. “Gabriel wants me to give blood to Themis to atone for what I said.” My eyes hardened. “I think I gave enough blood today in the market. If Themis wants my blood, he will have to scrape his offering off the street.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Gabriel will be busy playing the hero for hours and will forget all about it.”

I looked up to his rich eyes. “I hope so, and in the meantime, I pray to Clotha that Ros can find my father’s ring. I can’t believe he has been here this whole time.”

“How long has it been since he went missing?”

I swallowed. “Eleven years this past spring.”

Darragh shook his head, eyebrows raised. “I am so sorry.”

I blinked away the tears forming behind my eyes. “What do we do now that I have proof humans are being brought here?”

“I will speak with Gabriel about it and see if I can devise a team to go search the west valley for anything strange.”