I wanted to snap his neck.
Ice spread across my fingers, and I tucked them behind my back as I stood at attention.
“Unclear, sir.” I kept my eyes dead and expression blank. “Most likely a large number. There were multiple Xs on the map.”
The angels murmured to one another with discontent.
“There are only twenty of you left.” Dick enunciated each word like he was thinking. “And because of the peace accords, we can’t recruit additional soldiers.”
Lothaire looked worried.
“All of you will RJE to the valley and hike to the mountains. You’ll eliminate the last ungodly, and this war will be over. We can’t give them time to escape. You’ll go tomorrow.”
Rina gasped.
The corner of Dick’s lips pulled up in a sneer, and he turned to Malum. “Since you’ve found all your mates, you’ll activate your powers to ensure this battle is won. You’re the kings of the sun god for a reason—prove it.”
Malum made a noise of disbelief. “But, sir—”
“We’ve paid for your therapy,” Dick said harshly, “and we’ve been informed that you’ve been practicing—is that not true?”
“It’s true,” Corvus said. “Howev—”
Dick interrupted, “Then it’s decided. Good luck, soldiers.”
The screen went dark.
“See you tomorrow on the battlefield,” the angels sneered at me as they left the room.
From their tone, they thought this was my fault.
Sadie and Jinx both turned to me with worry.
“You guys go ahead. I need to speak to my legion.” I tried to sound reassuring, but I shivered with nerves and ice spread across the floor beneath me.
They reluctantly left the room.
Seven men stared at me expectantly.
“Um, you two can also go,” I said to the demons.
Vegar rolled his eyes and sat down in a leather chair. “No, thank you,” he said. “We’ll stay here where it’s safe.” Zenith nodded as he sat down next to him.
“It was an accident,” Malum mumbled petulantly, referring to the bathroom he’d destroyed in a fit of rage. “No one got hurt.”
Vegar scoffed. “We’re staying.” He turned in his chair to face Zenith and gave us his back, a clear dismissal.
“Whatever.” I stomped out into the raging blizzard, and five men ran to surround me.
John threw his arm over my shoulder and tucked me against his side as he turned to protect me from the harsh snow.
Luka wrapped his hand around my curls and leaned close. “Are you okay?” he whispered, dark circles stark under his worried eyes as snow gathered on his lashes.
“I think so,” I said honestly.
He pressed a soft kiss onto my forehead.
Like personal guards, Scorpius and Orion fell into protective positions in front of me. Malum walked behind me, his flames shedding warmth that fought against the icy wind.
They formed a wall of protection.
When we got back to the sleeping barracks, Scorpius dusted snow off my hair while Orion helped me out of my coat.
Malum knelt at my feet and pulled off my combat boots, and I opened my mouth to complain that I could do it myself, but he gave me a death glare. “Let me serve you. Your leg is still healing.”
“It’s healed.” I smacked my leg to demonstrate and nearly threw up. It burned with agony.
Malum grabbed my wrist. “What the fuck? Don’t hurt yourself.” His eyes widened like he was panicking.
“Let me clarify,” I said calmly. “It’s almost healed.”
“No. It’s not.” He dragged his hand over his shaved head and breathed shallowly.
I accidentally (on purpose) kicked off my combat boot straight into his gut to show him how well it worked.
“Don’t hurt yourself!” Malum barked with concern as he caught my boot.
Yet again, he missed the point.
The twins grabbed the blanket off my bed and wrapped it around my shoulders.
When they were content that I was warm, the men stepped back.
Malum raked his hands down his face and paced. “Fuck, what are we going to do? Arabella fell asleep every time we tried to have her stop us. The ungodly seem mostly immune to fire, and there’s still a chance we could kill the angels and assassins.”
He was spiraling.
“Or they might be fine and we’re worrying for nothing,” Orion whispered. “At least the infected would die.”
Luka played with one of my curls. His attention was fully on me, and he acted like the other men didn’t exist.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t do the same.
“We could always just kill them all,” Scorpius said dispassionately. “Who cares if the angels or assassins die?” He smirked like the idea excited him.
I grimaced. Sometimes I forgot how cavalier he was about other people’s deaths.
It was creepy that I didn’t find it disturbing.
The men looked around like they were waiting for someone to come up with a solution, and my stomach plummeted as I thought about everything I’d learned.
“I’m missing a piece of my soul,” I blurted because apparently, I was in the mood to trauma dump.
“What?” Luka asked as he stared at me. “We told you we don’t thin—”
“I confirmed it. I have sources,” I said quickly before I lost my courage. “I’m missing a piece of my soul. The High Court took it from me when I was fourteen.”
I left out the part about Jinx taking it and giving it to Sadie, because some things in life were personal.
Knowing the men, they’d probably get jealous.
There was a long pause, then Malum went up in flames. “Who did this to you? I want names. Now.” Scarlet exploded from his mouth.
I pushed my pipe between my lips and closed my eyes as the first drag of enchanted drugs calmed me. “I’m not sure,” I lied. “We can worry about that later.” It was partially the truth because I didn’t know who the other leader was.
Luka moved closer, his features contorted in pain.
All the men stared at me like they were grieving for me.
I shrugged because I honestly wasn’t that upset about it. A part of me had always known something wasn’t right.
I no longer felt crazy.
Chuckling awkwardly, I said, “I always had a feeling I was a soulless bitch.”
No one laughed.
Tough crowd.
“We’re the lost princes from the Olympus realm,” John blurted, and darkness glittered around him and expanded. “We kept our identities a secret from the realms because we struggle with our—people skills.” He glanced over at Luka. “Our powers form a portal to the underworld, the maximum-security prison run by our father, King Hades. We’re not supposed to tell anyone. Ever. It’s a family secret.”
I blew out a puff of smoke. “I know. You already told me you were the Princes of Darkness?”
John frowned. “But we didn’t tell you we were from the Olympus realm. We didn’t explain who we were—or what we could do.”
It hit me. “Oh my sun god!” I exclaimed. “Is that where our truth journals are from?”
“What?” Luka asked.
Orion nodded and whispered, “I think so.”
John flashed his dimples and punched my arm. “Really. That’s all you have to say?” My bicep went numb, and I lost feeling in my fingers.