Shamed, Graves had taken the opportunity. It had been agony, hiding such an intrinsic part of himself away, but the pain had been merely mental, not the physical agony of his wings ripping free from his back on the rare occasions he allowed himself to give in to the temptation. The worst agony had been their first emergence, when he had been a youngling. The Fallen were not born with wings, but they emerged in blood and pain upon one’s maturity.
And to see Luella, as she walked through the same in the Temples… It had reminded Graves all too well of the emergence of his own wings.
His secret was out, now.
He was a Fallen—the Prince of the Fallen Isles.
Prince Sorren Graves Damaris.
Yet, all he could fucking think of was Luella.
His boots scuffed over the stone floors as he walked to one of the walls, placing his hands on it. Was she on the other side?
He sent a thought through the open link—they had been talking in their mind since they had first interfaced with the Fallen. Bastian still did not bring Luella into the fold.
Are you all okay?Graves thought.
Vale was the first to answer.We are all in our rooms. Luella is in the one next to yours, and I am on the other side of hers.
Pissed but fine,Tharen interjected.Why the fuck do we have to lose time like this?
Graves knew why. The Fallen that had escorted them here had said no Umbra had attacked the Isles in centuries. The last time would have been…
Graves ran a finger over the scar on the side of his face, feeling memories assault him with ferocity. A flash of a sword, the shadowed eyes of his father, the burn of steel against his face,narrowly missing his neck. The tip of his sword plunged within his father’s gut, blood bubbling, the shadows in his father’s eyes flickering as he breathed,My son, I’m so sorry.
The aftermath, strangely enough, had been even worse than his father nearly beheading him and Graves being forced to kill him.
A strangled roar ripped free from Graves.
"Dammit!" He slammed his fist against the wall, a sob trailing in its wake. "Gods damn this."
Graves…Bastian’s voice pierced the agony of remembrance.We are stuck for one week. Don’t spiral.
Have you checked on Luella?Graves was desperate to know. The way she had looked at him last…
I cannot,the vampire responded, a low whisper, echoing in Graves’s mind.
Why the fuck not?Azgorath snarled.
I made a promise.Bastian paused.And I cannot break it.
Graves wanted to fucking strangle the vampire. He seethed against the wall, his forehead digging into the smooth stone, as his fingernails curled into it.
Vows have no merit when we’re all threatened like this,Vale asserted.Enter her mind. If it eases your worries, tell her that I ordered you to. She knows you will not disobey an order from your King.
Fine,Bastian replied.I will leave the link between us open. Perhaps I can ease her into joining us.
A whisper of humor floated from Tharen, icy and cruel.Please do. I would love for her to join us. But she may not need much easing from what I’ve heard.
Graves curled his lip. Bastian had told them all about what she had done with him and Azgorath.
You’re lucky we’re trapped within stone, Prima,the demon threatened.
Like you’d even fucking try to fight me if you could get to me…Tharen cajoled, his voice trailing off as he pulled away from them all, done with the conversation.
He’d pay for that. Vale always liked to have the last word in meetings.
Bastian left next, the link between them open, as always. Like a hollow chasm, dark and endless, that he could scream his thoughts down, knowing the others would hear the echo.
