Twenty-One
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Dianna. A Week Later.
“T here, all done,” Nora said, ripping the thin black cape off the front
of me. I stood in one smooth motion and leaned in to stare at my
reflection in the large rectangular mirror. The bright lights of the salon shone down on me as I twirled a long piece of hair from my face and then ran my fingers through it.
“I heard about Gabriella. I’m so sorry.”
My hand stilled as I focused on her in the mirror. She cleaned up her tools. Roccurem stood stiffly near the door, his hands clasped in front of him, watching the people in the salon. “Why?” I shrugged.
Nora paused in her tidying, taken aback by my question. “Because she’s your sister.”
“And? People die every day. Like your cheap father who made you pay back your college tuition instead of helping.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder, making sure the strands didn’t get caught in my earrings.
Nora scoffed, her jaw going slack. “That was rude, even for you.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Your price just went up.”
I smiled at myself in the mirror before turning to stalk toward her until I invaded her space. She tilted her head back to hold my gaze, her heart beating against her ribs hard enough to drown out the blow dryer in the back of the room.
“How about I don’t pay anything? In return, you get to keep your stupid little shop in your stupid little city, and I don’t eat every single person in here and toss your body in the dumpster in the back.”
This time when I smiled, I made sure my fangs showed. Nora gulped and nodded. She hurried away and disappeared into the back room without
looking at me or anyone else.
Everyone in the shop pretended not to have seen or heard what had happened except for Roccurem. He watched me intently, his alien eyes filled with secrets. I spun, taking one last glance at myself in the mirror. I adjusted the long sweep of hair from my face and headed out, Roccurem falling into step beside me. The weak winter sun beat down as the door closed behind us.
“Perhaps public displays of power are not good if you wish to remain hidden from the King of Rashearim.”
A few mortals passed us, bundled in coats and thick clothing against the chill breeze. Oblivious, they went on with their lives. Several small tables and stools were placed around the pavilion. People sat around, laughing and eating in the busy city of Kasvaihn.
“How many times do I have to say I don’t care until you realize I don’t care?” I said to Reggie. Reggie. That’s what his name was now, no longer Roccurem. He needed something normal while he was here, so I renamed him.
Reggie looked at me, a crease crossing his normal-looking mortal brow.
He wore the shape of a man wearing a casual all-black business suit. He’d seen one of those obnoxious male models on a moving billboard screen when we’d first arrived and taken his form. I told him he needed a disguise, and he’d found one. He was tall and lean, with a dark complexion and hair cropped close to his head in coarse curls. He looked normal until he spoke in tongues, and then his six all-white eyes appeared, two above the regular and two below.
“Yes, your actions seem to roar about your lack of care. Or maybe that is just another illusion to hide the opposite.”
I folded my arms with a close-lipped smile. I nodded, focused on the passing vehicles. A horn honked, but my attention remained on the approaching black truck.
“Okay.” I dropped my hands and walked away.
I bumped against a table as I passed. The couple shouted at me and grabbed for their drinks. Ducking under a low-hanging branch, I stepped off the curb, a white car swerving to miss me. I stood in the center of the road, watching the vehicle bearing down on me. Noises came from all around me as passersby stopped and watched. I heard the brakes squeal, the large truck skidding on the pavement. I stepped to my left and dropped to one knee.
My hand shot out, talons replacing nails. I ripped them through the tires and metal of the wheels. The truck rolled, glass breaking. I stood and smiled at Reggie, who watched from the sidewalk.
“Someone call for help!” a woman screamed as others came near. I strode to the truck and ripped the door from its hinges. Elijah looked up at me. He was half slouched, seatbelt still on. He shielded his eyes from the sunlight pouring in behind me.
As soon as his eyes adjusted, he began scrabbling at his seatbelt. “No,
no, no, no.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll help with that.”
I reached inside and ripped the seatbelt from Elijah before yanking him out and onto the street.
“You want to get out of here?” I smiled, not giving him a chance to answer.
M y fist connected once more , rocking E lijah ’ s head to the side .
“He is mortal. You may very well damage his brain before you get the information you seek,” Reggie said.
“I am aware, but he’s not talking.” I tossed my hands in the air.
Elijah sat up and spat blood on the floor, trying to smile despite his broken face. “New boyfriend already, Dianna?” He clicked his tongue, and my fist connected with his jaw again.
“I am not her boyfriend or a replacement for Samkiel.”
I hit Elijah maybe a tad harder when I heard Samkiel’s name.
“Elijah, stop stalling.” I patted his lapels after pulling him up and sitting him back in his chair. “Just tell me where Kaden is.”
“Can’t you feed off me and see? Oh, wait, you can’t.” He laughed, and I sent my fist into his gut, causing him to cough.
I snarled, my head still throbbing with the memory of the migraine from trying to read Santiago. I’d found the wolves quickly enough but Elijah was like a small bug that scurried too damn quickly. Apparently, Camilla’s little
water supply spell ended quicker than I could find Elijah, so we were back to the basics.
“I liked you better when you were scared.”
He spat to the side. “Yeah, well, then I remembered you won’t kill me until you get information, so I feel a little safer now.”
Sunlight shone through the cracks in the sheet metal at the abandoned old factory. I ran my hands through my hair, the blood on them coating the strands and ruining Nora’s work. Frustrated, I looked at Reggie.
“See.” I pointed at Elijah. “What’s the point of this? I am terrible at torture. I’d much rather beat him to a pulp and move on.”
“He will not speak if he is dead. Patience.”
“Patience? I don’t have patience.” I turned back to Elijah, who just stared at me. “Just tell me where he is.”
He shrugged, the split in his lip spreading. “No.”
“Fine.” I stomped forward, grabbed him by the neck, and twisted. His body slumped, his eyes open and unseeing.
“Your temper has increased even with your feedings and extracurricular activities.”
I grumbled as I ran my hands through my hair and closed my eyes, taking deep, measured breaths. Reggie was right. I was more snappy than usual, but I was wasting time. I wasn’t any closer to finding Kaden than I’d been when I started. He still hadn’t shown up, and I was running out of people to kill. I needed Tobias. If I could find Tobias, I would find him.
“It seems that killing Elijah and the others did not bring you joy.”
“Nothing brings me joy, Reggie.” I lowered my blood-stained hands, sighing.
“Samkiel has returned from the council and the remains of his home world, with Lady Imogen at his side.”
I kicked at the chair Elijah’s lifeless body slouched on and folded my arms. “That’s nice. It seems they are inseparable again.”
Did you love her?
I did not love her, nor is she my anything you previously stated.
Liar.
“Jealousy is a powerful emotion, too. An indicator of another.”
A small snarl left my lips, and I glared at Reggie.
“I am merely doing what you requested. You asked me to keep an eye. I have kept several. I know the current whereabouts of The Hand if you wish
to know.”
My gaze dropped. “No. I don’t need them.”
It had been days since I had returned with Reggie. We had watched him leave that night, his silver light burning across the sky perfectly in sync with a singular blue one. She had come back, and then they had left together.
“I hope you have a plan. You are making a god desperate, and it will not end as you wish.”
I rolled my eyes a fraction harder than normal. “I’m sure Imogen is helping all she can with his desperation.”
I felt Reggie’s eyes on me. “If you think Lady Imogen’s return will make Samkiel give up on you, you are sadly mistaken. He summoned Oblivion for you.”
I fought the instinctive shudder as the forest returned, along with the pain in my shredded legs and the stench of the gaping pit. The Irvikuva dragged me toward it, determined to return me to Kaden. Samkiel slammed to the ground, draped in the famed silver armor, the renowned king appearing to save me. An ache formed in my chest, and I struggled to
suppress it.
“How did you know about that?”
“I see everything,” Reggie said.
“Pervert.”
He said nothing as I wiped my hand on my dark leather pants, ready to change the subject.
“Indulge me, Reggie. How did you end up locked away in that place, anyway?”
“There was a prophecy of rebirth for an unraveled cosmos. A child born from celestial and one born from a god. They were meant to rule it all. Save it all.”
“And this prophecy wouldn’t be about a certain World Ender, would it?”
“Correct, you are.”
“We have time to kill, so tell me.” I folded my arms and nodded. “What happened next?”
“The babe meant to rule at his side was taken and destroyed.”
I shrugged. “Samkiel said he had no Amata and that the universe had been unkind. I guess he wasn’t lying.”
“The universe can be cruel.” Reggie cocked his head to the side. It was an oddly mortal expression. “Would you not agree? After everything you
have seen and lost.”
I ignored him.
“So, how did that get you locked away?”
“My family, the Moirai, spoke too soon about it. A god bent on ruling the cosmos heard and ensured their reign would be the only one. They slaughtered my brethren, and Unir saved me, keeping me away from those
wishing to use my gifts for evil.”
That got my attention. I strode closer.
“How can you use a fate? Every story I have heard shaped you out to be the ones that controlled all of our destinies.”
“Controlled? No.” All six eyes appeared on Reggie’s face, glowing an incandescent white as he lifted his hands. The room faded, and a wave of galaxies and stars appeared. I spun in the galaxy-filled factory, looking at every single passing star and planet. All alight with small orbs of yellow and green. I realized this was what Reggie was, everything and the nothing in between.
“We see a thousand different variables all shaped depending on your actions. I have seen stars born and stars die. A million and one worlds with a million and one actions with a tether that connects every single one of you.”
I reached out my finger, touching a planet and watching it shimmer beneath my nail.
“So, my question remains. If you were this powerful, how could you use a fate?”
The room sucked itself back in as Reggie retook his mortal form. The room, the world, seemed dull compared to the universe he’d just shown me.
“Power. Power to take away even the one's fates cares for.”
“And that’s why there is only one fate left?”
“Correct.”
I wondered if fates felt pain. I waited for him to show some flicker of emotion, but nothing came. Maybe fate and I were more alike than I thought. Had the world used him as well, chewing him up and spitting him out until nothing but a hollow shell remained? Or was I truly alone in that feeling, too?
“You know what I don’t get? You are this all-knowing fate, but you couldn’t see yourself getting locked up?”
“I saw several outcomes for my Moirai and myself.”
“You saw them die?”
He didn’t miss a beat, but I thought his voice faltered. “I have seen many die.” His face remained stoic, unchanging. “And before you become erratic, I have answered these questions already. Some things you must endure yourself. Some things are meant to happen. You see death and assume it is against you, but death is natural. It is not cruel or kind. Death takes no sides. Death does not discriminate or hate. It just is and has remained since the first living being existed and will be here long after. It may hurt, but it happens to all. Gabriella and you are no exception. You may have prolonged her life once, but her name was still on the list. You only delayed the process.”
“Stop.” I raised my hand, my migraine roaring back.
“You will have a choice. One you must make. Choose out of selflessness, and the path is set. Choose vengeance, and well, the outcome will be devastating.”
“Another damned prophecy?” I groaned, rubbing my brow.
“Not a prophecy, a path, a choice. One only you can make.”
“You literally just said that in different words.” I scowled, dropping my hand from my face. I turned back to Elijah’s slumped form. He had been a part of Gabby’s death, yet taking his life made me feel… nothing.
“Fates,” a deep masculine voice said, “they’re so damn tricky with their words.”
The air in the room suddenly felt condensed and suffocating. I turned and saw him standing there, all proud, smug, and soon to be dead.
Kaden.
He smiled at me, his hands in his pockets. “Miss me?”
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