Blood of Two Crowns (Hallowed Fates #2)

Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

ZURIE

“ M y, my, how the tides have turned…” Truly, the sound of Azrael’s voice was the smuggest in all the realms, despite its otherworldly resonance. Still, hope fluttered in my chest.

“Aetra.”

The sound of his sigh had my despair returning as swiftly as it’d left. “We both know that’s not a good idea, Zurie.”

Despite my desperation, I was unable to muster any feeling other than pain , lying in a puddle of my own sweat and vomit as the withdrawals from aetra overtook me. I couldn’t even manage to turn around and face him. When I didn’t move, outside of my shivering, the sound of Azrael’s boots crunching the tiny pebbles on the cold hard ground that was my new bed felt like fucking blades upon my eardrums.

“Be nice, Az,” a rich, feminine voice murmured from the doorway.

Thalia. Scheming cunt.

One would think that the betrayals and manipulations of my entire family throughout the course of my life would have been enough of a lesson to last me a life time.

Alas, hearts are made to forgive. Even hearts as withered as mine.

There had only been two people in my life I’d ever truly trusted. The first had been my handmaiden, Beatrice, when I was a young female. Though now, I wasn’t naive enough to truly believe that she wouldn’t have betrayed me as well the moment she was given the opportunity.

One of my sisters had her killed when she realized how close we’d become.

Too close.

When one of my sisters discovered us in bed together, she immediately told my mother and father. She’d lied and said Beatrice had compelled me with her sanguinati magic and venom. She hadn’t. If anything, I had been the one to compel her.

My parents had Beatrice executed in front of me. This was followed by a ruthless beating before leaving me to rot in the dungeon for months, with no one but the rats to keep me company.

It was why now I always kept the dungeons almost always empty and rodent-free. A small mercy to whomever met my ire or my Irae.

The last person I’d trusted had been Rumiel. Nakoa’s father. He had been the one person with whom I thought my heart might be safe. He was a Nephilim, after all. They were made to trust and protect. To rely on. To be dutiful and good.

When I’d realized he’d only wormed his way into my life, my heart, simply to open one of the portals to Azrael’s realms, just so that he could leave me… It had nearly killed me.

I’d wanted to be everything for him. I loved him. Truly loved. At that time, I would have given my life to protect him.

Hence, I wasn’t much for this world. They were the only two people who lent joy to my life. Euphoria, even.

And look how it had ended.

When I’d discovered Rumiel’s manipulation, I’d sworn that he would never be able to leave me, and I put him in a tomb beneath the dungeons. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later.

How wildly serendipitous that as soon as I release Rumiel, the only other person who could return him to his home, the very guardian of his soul, would return to my home for the first time since he’d brought him here.

I whimpered through the grinding of my teeth, curling in on myself as Azrael squatted beside me. To my surprise, he didn’t comment on the stench nor my refuse. He simply stared down at me with pity. The cursed male was just as wretchedly handsome as he was the last time I’d seen him a few hundred years ago. His features weren’t classically handsome, but instead something striking and entirely their own: Pale skin, perfectly coiffed raven black hair, and eyes so amber they were gold set amidst features that were somehow both sharp and sultry. And just as it had been centuries ago, the suit he wore was tailored to some other realm’s strange, fitted fashion.

“What?” I croaked.

“I was hoping we could help each other.”

Typical.

That was all he ever wanted. More favors. Take, take, take, just like everyone else.

Light footsteps approached from behind until Thalia stood beside him. Or who I’d thought was Thalia. The female shifted to reveal Mors’ sister, the Goddess of Violence. I’d never met her before, but I’d seen her effigy and illustrations in textbooks. I might have been surprised if betrayal, lies, and manipulation hadn’t been the cornerstone of my entire fucking life.

Again, I could only manage one word.

“Aetra.”

Azrael and Keres exchanged a pitying look.

“I won’t be making the same mistake twice, darling,” Azrael replied coolly, “but if you’re amenable, perhaps I can procure something to help momentarily ease the pain.”

The compassion on Keres’ face almost seemed genuine as she caressed my filthy cheek with the back of a finger, gliding down to my throat. “How about we take off this pretty little collar, hm?”