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“I finally had it all,” I sobbed against his chest. “I didn’t know it, but I did. I had everything. My parents. All of my parents.” I looked at Calli. “So of course it was too good to last.”
“The Guardians do this.” Cadence’s melodic voice penetrated my veil of misery. “They break apart alliances, families, friends… We have to stop them.”
“But how? I don’t know where they are.” I shook my head. “None of us know where they are. We’ve been looking for them for the last three years, and we’re no closer to finding them now than we were at the start.”
“We don’t need to find the Guardians,” Damiel said. “If they are truly working with Ava, all we need to do is find Ava. She will lead us to the Guardians. And then we will stop them now and forever more.”
“You think Ava is really working with the Guardians?” I frowned. “I’m not sure that makes sense.”
“Temporary alliances of convenience rarely do,” replied Damiel. “They will use each other until they have no more need of each other.”
I wiped my tears away. “Ok, so how do we find Ava?”
“No need to search for me. I’m right here,” Ava’s voice echoed.
And the next moment, she was right there, standing in Calli’s living room, looking enormously pleased with herself.
“You,” I growled, moving toward her.
“Watch your tone with me, child.” Ava lifted her hands in the air. Her loose sleeves slipped down her arms, showing off her full complement of sparkling bracelets. “I have an immortal artifact for every occasion.” A slow, predatory smile curled her lips. “And for every spell.”
I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off her face. “Well, if you’re so powerful, then cure Bella and Stash.”
“I didn’t do anything to Stash.” Ava’s shrug rolled off her shoulders like oil. “That was all Zarion’s doing. He has to be the one to fix your unfortunate cousin.”
“Zarion is dead,” I said flatly.
“Then I suppose you’re out of luck,” Ava said, unsympathetic.
“This has nothing to do with luck. It has to do with you.” I glared at her. “Zarion is dead because you cursed Bella to kill him. Why?”
“I never did like Zarion,” Ava said, like she was crossing his name off a list. “He was always so arrogant.”
Angry tears burned my eyes.
“What’s this?” Ava’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me that you actually miss your ill-tempered Uncle Zarion?”
“No, he was terrible.” I shivered at the memory of him; his life was almost as disturbing as his death. “But that doesn’t mean he deserved to die.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Leda. You think everyone can be redeemed. You think everyone can be good.” Ava shook her head. “I knew Zarion for thousands of years, so trust me when I say everyone is better off with him dead.”
“Is that how you feel about your sister?” I demanded. “Or maybe you haven’t heard that Grace is dead?”
“I see. You’re crying for your mother.” Her smile turned scornful. “How touching.”
“You really are heartless,” I growled at her. “Grace was your sister!”
“Yes, and I knew her better than anyone!” she shot back. “Better than you, Leda Pandora. Did you think a few brief encounters with Grace made you know her as I do?” She made a derisive noise. “Grace was as wicked as the rest of us. Eventually, you would have seen that.”
“So you’re happy she’s dead? Just one more competitor down in your quest for ultimate power! You disgust me,” I hissed.
“I loved my sister!” Anger bled into Ava’s voice. “More than you ever could! And her murderer will pay for what he’s done.”
“Stay away from Stash!”
A terrible, foreboding feeling twisted into my gut. Sonja had taken Stash. Was she bringing him to the demons’ council—or to Ava?
“Stash didn’t kill Grace,” I said. “He’s cursed. It was Zarion who programmed him.”
