But, no, they’re not the root of the problem. It goes deeper.
She is still heavily connected with the Messenger. Her beautiful human empathy is likely concerned for his pesky little feelings, and it needs to be corrected immediately. He needs to have his heart crushed, to know there is no possible future where Kae will be his.
My claim is absolute, and I am inevitable.
Showing it to him may be more sloppy than I had originally planned, but my patience is wearing thin. Kae will have to forgive me?—
She clears her throat. “I’m going to keep, uh, looking for the Aether.”
“Good,” I offer, placating. “Keep searching. You will know it when you find it.”
32
KAE
I’m in the middle of a very shitty session of weapons training when someone suddenly calls my name from behind me. Knife in hand, I whirl around, only barely stopping myself from throwing it on instinct.
“Jesus Christ, Abaddon! Don’t you know to never sneak up on someone when they’re practicingthrowing knives?I could have taken your eye out!”
He tilts his head to the side, puzzled. “I am wearing celestial armor. It would not have even nicked me.” Then his eyes slip to the target behind me—along with the litter of knives lying on the ground around it. “And I highly doubt your knife would have found purchase.”
“It’s… it’s the fucking principle.” Scowling, I sheathe the knife in my belt. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve come to escort you to the cavern for training.”
I glance up at the sky before checking my watch, confirming my suspicions. “It’s very early. I thought we were going to wait for Semyaza and Dusk to join us today?”
“With how long it takes you to walk there, we’ll be lucky to be on time.”
My legs are still killing me from yesterday. I wince to even think about all those stairs. “Actually, uh… I was thinking I might take you up on your offer to fly me.”
An awkward silence stretches between us as he blinks a time or two.
“If you’re still willing, that is,” I add quickly, taking in his scrunched brows and still posture. “You know what? Forget I even asked. Let me grab my things.”
Squatting to the ground, I throw my water bottle and other assorteditems into my backpack. It only takes me a moment, and I turn around—then jump as I find he’s snuck up behind me, standing right there.
“Are you ready?”
“Fuck—yeah, sure, let’s go—” My legs are swept out from beneath me, and I swear again. “No, I meant to walk!”
Nope.
We burst into the air with a G-force that makes my stomach feel like it collides into my spine. Clenching my eyes shut tight, I clutch his armor like a cat desperate to get out of water, cursing him under my breath.
Flap. Flap. Flap.
I could almost count how many powerful beats of his wings it takes him to get to the hole in the wall, where the light behind my eyelids darkens.
Howisthis part of the Abyss lit?
I didn’t notice it yesterday, so I allow myself one little peek out—finding a roof is covered in tiny glowing dots, imitating the night sky. And Abaddon looks down at me in a faint reverence, clutching me closer to his body, just before we descend towards the river. He slows us into a controlled fall, tucking his wings in to drop elevation, then flaring them back out to slow us with the draft… Until, finally, we land just outside the cave. I’m returned to my feet, and I resist the urge to kiss the dusty ground.
“You kept your eyes open longer that time,” he remarks in a very matter-of-fact way, walking into the cave without looking back. “That’s an improvement.”
“Did I?” I hum to myself, pausing, then proceed to follow him in.
He takes his place on the same boulder, crossing his legs at the ankles, leaning back onto his palms. However, I’m not sure exactly what to do with myself now that we’re here earlier than we’re supposed to be. Maybe we should go over yesterday’s results?
