“Jesus, what did they do to you?” A crease forms between my brows. The loneliness here was brutal, but it seems to be nothing in comparison to whatever he’s endured.
“I’m fine.” He looks back at me, forcing another smile for a few seconds before noticeably changing the subject. “Are you heading to breakfast?”
“I am. Will you be joining me?”
“Not today. I have some business to attend to first.”
My eyes search him for answers. Whathappened?Was he tortured? How badly did they hurt him? “Are you sure you’re?—”
“I’m fine, Kae. Don’t worry about me.” My hope plummets as he walks away, leaving no room for argument. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Then he’s gone again.
Whether or not he left me on bad terms, I still consider him to be afriend. He’s suffering, clearly, and all I care about right now is helping him. But if he won’t talk to me about it… I can’t force him to.
Maybe he just needs some time to recover.
I sigh, beginning my trek to another breakfast alone. The King could occasionally grace me with his presence, but no. He seems content to avoid me for all of eternity, leaving me only with the company of the locusts that never seem to leave my peripheral.
I barely make it a few paces outside the building before another angel lands just in front of me—if he can even be called an angel.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that thing is called a harpy.
Massive talons stand where his feet should be, and no arms are to be seen beneath his oversized wings. His body is short, somewhere between the height of a small human and an eagle, covered in fur and feathers. But his face, in contrast, is perfectly human.
It’s a decidedly horrifying combination.
Before I can push past my shock, though, he suddenly shifts into a normal, winged humanoid. In a matter of seconds, he grows to over twice his original height. The white robes that once draped over his talons now only barely cover his groin area. And his expression… Well, he almost seems offended to be standing in my presence.
“Have you never seen a shifter before?” He scoffs, his face souring. “How utterly mannerless you are, staring at me like that.”
Definitelyoffended.
“I’m sorry,” I stammer out. “I’ve just never seen a… harpy… before.”
“I’m not aharpy.I am Stev of House Telantes.” His scowl deepens, his voice fluctuating in anger with an unusual lilting accent. “You are Kaelene Lambros?”
“It’s—” I stop myself, taking a breath. I don’t need to upset him further. But seriously, where does everybody keep getting my full fucking name? I have never gone by Kaelene! Not even as a child! “Yes. I am.”
“Hmm…” His eyes skim over my body in the most judgmental way imaginable, and I suddenly wish I’d taken the chance to have some armor crafted by now. My training attire seems entirely too bare for the company of such a hostile entity. “I don’t see what’s so special about you.”
My eyebrows jump to my forehead. “Excuse me?”
“I expected more of this human everyone’s talking about,” he sneers, his posture stiffening with superiority. “But you’re just another basic bitch. What a disappointment.”
I’m shocked and appalled. I take a step back, working my jaw to find words. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m not exactlywell-versedin your kind, if you can imagine.”
Stev ignores me entirely, pulling a messenger bag around his waist to retrieve an envelope. “Your letter.”
The moment I take it from his outstretched hand, he takes a step back, shifts again, and bursts into the air. It stirs up a cloud of dust, sending dirt straight into my eyes like little tiny razor blades. The asshole probably did it on purpose.
“Perfect little angels,” I mutter, ripping into the seal. “The chosen people. So divine. So Holy…”
Kae,
You better be glad I love you, because if not, I’d fly to Israel just to slap you in your lying ass face. Why couldn’t you TELL ME where you were going?! I mean, yes, I would have told you how absolutely idiotic it is to go to ISRAEL right now, but your dumbass could’ve used it. I looked up Urim, Kae. It’s right fucking next to the Gaza strip. Everyone knows those two are a breath away from all-out war with each other, and with this new "144k" doomsday cult coming out of nowhere to antagonize everyone… I mean, what in the actual Hell have you gotten yourself into?! I swear to God, if you die, I’ll bring you back to life just so I can kill you myself.
You’re starting to sound like my sister. Don’t tell me you’re convinced those Global Peace Objective people are trying to take over the world, too? They’rejust a bunch of Nordic countries worried about climate change. Why else would they want to buy the Amazon rainforest? They’re only trying to prevent further deforestation. That’s it. I highly doubt it’ll cause a world war, especially one on American soil. People here will turn a blind eye to anything to avoid lifting a finger for the greater good… Or did you mean something else? Why can’t you talk on the phone? I have lots of questions for you, girl.
