A golden longsword materializes on his back, and he slips his hand around the hilt of it—an unignorable movement, impossible to miss.
Fuckingshit. This has to stop. I have to do something!
Before I have the chance to second-guess myself, I dive forward, ducking under Dusk’s wings and forcing myself into the small space between the two angels.
“KAE!” With all the strength I can muster, I shove both of their armored chests away from each other. Of course, it doesn’t do shit to actually move them, but they do take the hint to stumble back some. “My name isKae,goddammit, and I speak for myself!”
I try to hide my trembling and heavy breathing, but it’s likely still noticeable. I feel like I’m breaking up a vicious dog fight, but so much worse.
Dusk’s hardened expression falters, glancing at me with surprise before pinning Abaddon with a glare. “See? The human is capable of her own decisions.”
The fire inside me grows even hotter, encouraging me to be bolder. I’m trying to defuse this situation, yet he’s stillrunning his mouth like a fucking idiot. “You too, Dusk. Shut up and?—”
“Dusk?” Abaddon scoffs. “What an inappropriate name for an angel of light.”
Oh, this asshole…
“It’s called irony,your highness.” My voice is all sarcasm and zero respect. I whip my gaze to the King, glaring right into his nearly white eyes. I’m so close that I can see my fuming, furious reflection in them, and it’s not a pretty sight. I’m almost scared of myself. “Can we talk like civilized adults now? I would think that a bunch of supremely old men would be capable of doing such, but apparently, you two need thepuny insignificant humanto mediate.”
Abaddon stares at me without saying a word. He stands there, observing me with a blank expression, just looking at me in this fucking eerie way that makes my skin crawl. If I had to guess, he’s probably appraising me like livestock for his farm of curiosities.
The longer it goes on, the less afraid of him I am, and the more frustrated I become.
Even if the Judge, Jury, and Executioner is an immortal beingthat could slaughter me with a mere thought, I can’t simply sit here like a pinned animal. It’s not pure recklessnessto speak against him; I’m simply accepting a higher risk in exchange for my dignity.
Or, at least, that’s what I tell myself.
“Malak is right.” I tilt my chin up, steeling my voice. “If you want me to open the Abyss, he comes with me. If you’d be so kind as to invite us both into your city, we can put this behind us and move on.”
His creepy stare never leaves me or decreases in its intensity, but an eternity later, he finally releases a breath. “As long as the girl grows?—”
“Kae.”I correct him, again, with spite and venom. One time should have been enough.
A hint of a wrinkle forms between his eyebrows, his only sign of annoyance. “As long as Kaeis preparing to open the Abyss, then I see no reason why you shouldn’t be allowed to stay here and assist her for the time being. Assuming the Council is appropriately consulted and approves of the assignment, that is.”
Abaddon’s gaze momentarily flicks to Dusk before coming back to me.
I can’t help but wonder what’s going through his head. Perhaps he’s curious, trying to understand what would cause me to recklessly throw myself in the middle of them. I’m sure the emotionless demon can’t even fathom what would drive such behavior. Things likeempathyandaffectionare likely beyond his paleomammalian, ghastly understanding.
“I accept,” Dusk says, finally folding his wings in again.
With one quick nod, the King turns around and starts walking away. “Follow.”
It takes me a second for the recognition to set in.
It worked. I can’t fucking believe it. I fully expected to have my ass handed to me. Is that what I have to do to be respected around here? Put my life on the line by mouthing off like a raging bitch? I’m going to get stress ulcers if this becomes a regular thing?—
Dusk nudges me, grabbing my attention from my stupefied state. “Let’s get back on the camels,” he whispers. “Before he changes his mind.”
“Right.” I follow his lead, quickly climbing onto the back of Sally and settling in. Thankfully, Dusk seems to have finally learned to stop trying to assist me when I don’t want or need his help.
We take up a decent pace, heading down another rocky tunnel for a mile or so. Eventually, it brings us to a massive wrought iron gate, where Abaddon breaks away to speak with the particularly large locusts standing guard.
I’m still reeling from how alien they are.
It doesn’t seem physiologically possible for such a creature to exist. The little skin they have around their head is about as wrinkly and dried out as a raisin, making me wonder how they even have blood and muscles hiding underneath it. But they’re plenty animated, so there must be something flexible inside them, even if their golden armor acts like a turtle’s shell. Maybe it’s something completely unheard of anywhere else in the natural world. I could be standing on an entirely new frontier of biological discovery?—
One turns its beady, unblinking eyes directly to me. As if it can sense how I’m imagining myself dissecting it, and it is very muchnot pleased. Its scorpion tail shifts behind it, pointing more in my direction, and I fight back a wave of nausea.
