Prologue
CASSIA
A SCREAM TEARS from my lips, so loud and raw, it feels like my throat is shredding.
It’s all I can think to do. It’s the only noise I can think to make.
Dad’s here within a second. One blink and he’s in front of me, appearing out of thin air in the way I’ll be able to do when I’m older and stronger. My other fathers appear within two more blinks.
Somebody grabs me, pulling me away from the body.
Is it real? Luca’s body is twisted, and his leg isn’t where it should be. He should be crying. Why isn’t he crying?
That’s not right.
There’s another scream, this one from Mom. She’s running out the back door, tripping over my prized pile of rocks in the process. I like to stack them on the patio. I’m not supposed to. I don’t listen.
For the first time in my life, nobody catches Mom. She slams hard against the ground, but she’s up again in a heartbeat. I barely get a whiff of her floral perfume as she sprints past me.
There’s more screaming.
I’m pulled farther away, dragged inside by a shadow. The household servants are quiet, but quick. A slight turn of my headconfirms it’s my tutor. She’s not looking at me. She’s looking at Luca.
I fight against her, not wanting to go inside. I want to hear Luca cry. My baby brother is always crying, and I don’t understand why he isn’t now. What’s wrong with him?
Chapter One
CASSIA
I JOLT UPRIGHT in bed, my chest heaving as I take in the familiar sights of my bedroom.
Sweat drips down the back of my neck, and I’m mildly aware that I’ve soaked through my pajamas. It’s not the first time I’ve done this. That day haunts me, even twenty-two years later. I wipe my face, eyeing my furniture.
My chestnut dresser is directly across from my bed. The top is empty, free of any clutter or junk. Just the way I like it. The closet door is beside my dresser. It’s left open a crack, one of my bags in the way of the latch.
My breath hitches, and I squeeze my eyes shut before continuing my grounding.
An overpriced, sleek leather chair is to the right of my bed. It’s black. As black as my soul feels during long nights like this. There’s a handful of clothing, also all black, thrown over the cushion.
Beside it, tucked in the corner, is my vanity. I make eye contact with my reflection in the mirror. My sleep thrashing has turned my long, black hair into one giant knot. It will take forever to brush through tomorrow morning. I’m hoping the dark bags under my eyes will be fixed with another few hours of sleep.
I turn away from the mirror before my wrath gets the best of me.
My nightmares always put me in a foul mood.
I lie back in bed, staring at my ceiling. There’s a small water spot in the corner, but I don’t mind.
Aziel just about had a heart attack when I informed him of my plans to rent this apartment, but I love it. It’s located in the heart of Wrath, only a ten-minute walk from quick food and alcohol-filled establishments. I take advantage of both quite frequently.
I should at leasttryto fall back to sleep. I have a busy day tomorrow and need all the rest I can get, but it would be a waste of time. I’m never able to return to sleep after dreaming about Luca. I was only five when he was murdered, but the memory of that day still haunts me.
I slip out of bed, the creaky, wooden floor cold against my bare feet. It’s a welcome shock to my system. My nightmares put me on edge, and I should settle my emotions before meeting with Valeria later. My older sister gets on my nerves, and I don’t care to lose control today.
It’s better I lose it with Valeria than David, though. My older brother is an incubus through and through, and it’s infuriating. He can’t go ten minutes without making some sort of innuendo or joke, and he takes almost nothing seriously.
Valeria is the opposite. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen my older sister smile, and she spends most of her time wandering through the fated world.
I’m going to use that to my benefit today.
