Page 140 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

Bellamy’s eyes.

Moros’ eyes.

“Hi, sweet girl,” I breathed, my heart in my throat.

Beautiful, this precious little one.

Fear climbed around my heart like a vine up a lattice. This place would crush her. He would crush her. “I’ve got you,” I said, barely hiding my own sob as something inside me broke for her. For the pain this life promised. “I’ll keep you safe.” I brushed my thumbs over her round, flushed cheeks until, at last, she stilled and those wide eyes settled on me.

She gave a little hiccup, tracking me as I leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

Cold. Damp. Scaled?

I jerked back as the bundle in my arms unwound from the blanket and a black serpent sprang for me.

Gasping, I shot out of bed, hands flying to my throat. Heat flushed my skin; my clammy hands shook. I dragged down desperate breaths until they finally slowed, blowing air through my lips as one hand settled over my racing heart. Tears still pricked my eyes.

The plush rug was soft beneath my feet, the hardwood beyond it a welcome chill as I rushed to the window and stared into the dark, desperate to scrub the image from my mind. I quickly lit the candles on my altar—the baubles I’d spirited away over the last few months.

Gods.

My sisters used to make a practice of dissecting our dreams over breakfast. The baby was horribly obvious. Snakes, supposedly, meant change—or someone who couldn’t be trusted.

I couldn’t even muster a disgruntled laugh. The image of that baby twisting into a serpent was too vivid. Those fangs—gods, they were massive, already dripping with blood.

I was still shaking when a thud had me whirling from the window. My body locked as I scanned the room and found nothing.

I glanced toward the wall I now knew I shared with Adrastos.

He’d been right there this whole time?

For four exhausting months, the man had slept in the room beside mine. While I cried? Screamed? Swore at a sky that never answered?

Separated by stone and two thin layers of wallpaper.

I walked toward the bookshelf, gaze snapping to a brown leather-bound book on the floor.

That sure as shit hadn’t been there when I’d gone to sleep.

“H—hello?” I stammered, sweeping the room again as I threw my shields wide. Light burst from my solar plexus and slammed through the space, searching, prodding, hunting for anyone or anything that didn’t belong.

Nothing. Nothing between me and the wards. My power spooled back beneath my ribs while I chewed on my lip.

Nerves prickled along my neck as I bent to retrieve the book, turning the soft leather over in my hands while warmth seeped into my chest. A journal, maybe. My eyes flicked to the bookshelf and caught the gap it had left behind. Swallowing against the knot in my throat, I slid it back into place. Heat flared—light with it—and I jerked my chin down to find the ruby on my chest glowing.

The rune at its center had come alive, spilling soft gold across my skin. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Even as I said it, something clicked inside the wall. The stone shuddered. My mouth dropped open as the bookshelf swung forward to reveal… a godsdamned passageway.

“Nope,” I breathed, shaking my head. “Nope, nope, nope.”

Curiosity bullied me one step closer. I peered down a tight, spiraling staircase carved entirely from stone. A lone sconce flickered to life below, glowing more like a trapped firefly than flame.

“Nope,” I repeated, shaking my head. The ruby between my breasts pulsed in response. “Then you go in,” I bit out. It pulsed again. “Hell no, I am not marching headlong into a dark passageway alone because my enemies’ mother’s rock says to.”

Rugged terrain? I’d scale it in a heartbeat and enjoy the challenge. When Ansel and Aren offered rides on their bikes, I hadn’t hesitated to take the Old General up on it. Truthfully, there were some very questionable decisions I’d rather not recount within earshot of a nunnery.

This was… different.