Jinx’s face twisted with confusion. “How can you say that? I mutilated your souls?”
Acceptance was a foreign emotion in my chest as I replied, “It happened a long time ago. Crying about it now won’t change anything.”
Sadie sobbed harder and whispered, “I have a confession—once in the beast realm, I enslaved Aran with my blood when she was asleep, and I made her get me food from the kitchen because I was so sore from training, and she doesn’t remember it.”
I rolled my eyes and replied, “Once I found a kitten and gave it to Sadie as a gift, and it kidnapped her.”
Sadie barked with laughter and hiccuped as she remembered how Xerxes had spied on us. The sound was so ridiculous that I chuckled.
“What even is our lives?” she asked between gasps.
“I think we’re lucky,” I whispered, and Sadie looked at me with confusion.
I explained, “At this rate, we probably shouldn’t be alive. But here the three of us are—it’s a miracle.”
Sadie’s lower lip trembled as she thought about it, then she let out a half scream, half sob. “You both are so special,” she wailed loudly.
“You’re ridiculous,” Jinx grumbled, but she reached up and grabbed my frozen hand. Her fingers were heavily bandaged.
“What do we do now?” Sadie asked as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Jinx said, “What we’ve always done.”
“We survive,” I said with conviction.
I pushed Sadie off me so I could sit up. She clung to me dramatically, and I swallowed more laughter because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Something about watching her sob was so funny to me.
Yes. I was a bad person.
Sadie moaned dramatically, “It’s so much work. I’m tired.”
Jinx glared at her.
I looked back and forth between the sister who’d stolen my soul and the sister she’d given it to.
I felt so sun-god-damned lucky.
My soul had been gifted to the one person I was closest to in all the realms. It had made her stronger and helped her survive.
I shuddered to think what Sadie would be without me. I was literally her best friend and the analytical voice inside her head that allowed her to fight well.
Ever had an impact on someone’s life? Same.
“You would be so lost without me.” I grinned at Sadie.
She punched me in the tit, and I yelped.
“Don’t be insensitive.” She sniffed. “This is a very emotional time.”
“Is it really?” I dodged another punch.
The door slammed open, and a towering shadow entered. My adrenaline went through the roof. Without thinking, I flung myself out of the bed and stood protectively in front of Jinx and Sadie.
“Um, sorry to interrupt,” Malum said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, pink staining his cheeks. “A worker just told us that the High Court is looking for us. They want us all present to debrief in the strategy room.”
My chest deflated, and I looked back at the girls. Jinx’s panicked expressions reminded me of what was at stake.
It didn’t matter how much I hated the High Court; we had to wait and plan.
We had to pretend we didn’t know.
We had to survive.
Jax pushed into the room behind the blushing king, he looked over Jinx like he was making sure she hadn’t gotten injured while in the bedroom with us (a very real possibility).
“Are you okay?” the towering shifter asked with concern as he reached down and hugged her like she might break. The golden chains in his long braids tinkled as he held his sister.
Jinx hugged him back. “I’m fine. Sadie and Aran are being weird.” She inhaled and rested her head on Jax’s shoulders like she was taking strength from him.
Sadie made a face at her.
I blew her a kiss.
“I don’t care what’s happened in the past.” Jax’s expression was serious as he stared down at Jinx. “You’ll always be my baby sister,” he said fiercely. “I will always stand beside you protectively.”
Jinx sucked in air shakily.
“I need to hear you say it—please.” His voice cracked.
“You’ll always be my brother,” Jinx whispered. “You’ll always be there for me.” She gently kissed his cheek.
They continued to embrace for a long moment, then they pulled apart. Jax draped one arm over Jinx’s shoulder and the other over Sadie’s. He nodded at me as they left.
I tipped an imaginary hat.
Warmth dethawed another portion of my heart.
Dick was projected onto the screen. The cloaked man and Lothaire flanked him on either side.
Lothaire stared at me and mouthed discreetly, “I heard what you did.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Good work, daughter.”
Pride swelled.
“There were no foot soldiers left,” Knox said grimly as he stood at the front of the room and gave the battle report. “None survived.”
Holy sun god.
My smile slipped.
With everything happening, I’d forgotten about the rest of the battle.
I lifted my head and locked eyes with Sadie, who also looked stunned. The rest of the men looked resigned. They’d already known.
“You’re telling me,” Dick said harshly, “that all the soldiers stationed on the perimeter are dead. All of them?”
Knox nodded. “The twenty of us who went inside are all that remain. The academy, shifter, angel, and assassin legions are all that are left.”
“How?” Dick spat.
Knox swallowed thickly and said, “There seems to be a large group of infected that rushed outside as soon as the battle began. It was not a handful like usual, it was dozens.”
“Why the change in behavior?” Dick’s eyes narrowed, and his tone was poisonous. “Where did they go, soldier?”
“I’m not sure, sir. It’s our belief, however, that it wasn’t that many and the war is over. We’ve wiped out most of the ungodly. The last ones can be eliminated as they’re found.” Knox bowed his head deeply and stepped back from the screen.
Dick stared down at where he’d stood with disgust on his features.
I inhaled fortitude and lifted my head high. “I know where they went,” I said.
Dick’s head snapped up.
It took every ounce of control I possessed not to flinch as he looked at me.
The angels turned around and glared.
Lothaire nodded at me, like he was encouraging me to continue. He believed in me.
His approval gave me strength.
I took a deep breath.
“In the battle, we found another map of the realms,” I said calmly. “However, this one contained a key—the red Xs on the mountains by the third valley are villages. It’s likely that the last stronghold of infected is located there.”
Silence.
The room exploded in murmurs. In my peripheral vision, the angels gave me death glares. They wanted the war to be over, and so did I. But I wasn’t going to pretend the threat was eliminated when it wasn’t.
This war would haunt me for the rest of my life.
I needed it over.
For good.
Once I left this sun-god-cursed realm, I was never coming back. The corrupt High Court would have to drag me kicking and screaming.
“How many infected are suspected?” Dick asked.
My heart thumped erratically in my chest as I thought about what he’d done to Jinx. What he’d done to all of us.
He was a leader, and we were his pawns.