Nope.
That isnothappening.
Zero fucking chance.
The voice cannot be right. There’s no way that after everything this man put me through, we could have that kind of connection.
He was hunting me, for the gods’ sakes.
Frustration bubbles in my veins the longer I look at Gabriel, so I drag my eyes to Maia. She’s significantly less infuriating, although admittedly, that isn’t a difficult feat to achieve.
“Thank you for bringing us supplies,” I say as calmly as I can manage. “I’m sure coming here was dangerous, and I appreciate your putting yourself at risk for us.”
Maybe that’s what they were arguing about earlier?
Maia smiles tightly, lines bracketing the sides of her mouth. “You’re welcome, and I assure you: I’ll do everything in my power to make sure your sisters remain unharmed.”
A rushing, roaring sound like waves crashing against a shore fills my ears, and for a moment, time seems to slow.
What did she say?
Surely, she didn’t . . . She couldn’t mean . . .
I search Maia’s face for a hint of amusement. This must be a joke, right? Some kind of trick that’s only funny to people who live in the capital. Maybe making cruel jests that even Tarna, the goddess of humor and frivolity, wouldn’t find funny, is their way of amusing themselves?
But no.
There is no sign of humor on her face, no twinkle in her eyes because...
Because . . .
Because . . .
Understanding is a thousand-pound weight smashing into me, crushing my chest. My lungs constrict. I gasp, desperate for air, but it’s nothing but a distant memory.
This is the true reason Gabriel sent for Maia. The supplies were nothing more than an excuse. My head shakes, and I stumble back. Wrapping my arms around my sisters, I hold them close.
“No,” I rasp, the word cracking as it hits the air. “No!”
I’m not sure whether I’m yelling at Maia, Gabriel, the gods, or this fucked-up world in general.
All I know is that thiscannotbe happening.
I cannot have gone through hell and back, snuck into the Winter’s Eve Ball and rescued my sisters from the king’s clutches, just to have them ripped from me the very next day.
“Wren—” Gabriel tries to say.
“No!” I shout again, speaking over him. “Youcan’tdo this. You can’t split us up.”
This can’t be fucking happening.
“What?” Marie exclaims.
I tighten my hold around the twins, glaring at Gabriel. “I won’t let you.”
Not now. Not after everything else.
Kadyn’s body flashes before my eyes. Blood everywhere. A radiant pulse of green light. The way he landed at my feet, dead.
