Page 37 of She Who Holds My Wrath

“Next time, it will be in your chest. Do not underestimate what I am willing to do in order to protect my wife. It will be your funeral, Duskwalker.”

“Enough of this. Kaelith, sit down. Velentha, speak,” Sariya demands, slamming her palm against the table.

It’s strange seeing the sun goddess like this. No soft warmth, no serene composure, only irritation and tightly-leashed anger. I admired her before. But somehow, seeing her steel, only deepens those feelings. She inclines her head to me in a silent command to speak, her honey eyes offering a sparkle of encouragement. I clear my throat and slip my hand from Aran’s. I need stand on my own. He’s risked so much for me already. If today is my end, then so be it—but I will meet it standing strong on my own two feet.

I turn to face them all—Virena, Kaelith, Sariya, Elyistria, Vor’Khar, Maelkar and Lucifer. I notice Vailith is missing, but she rarely leaves the children alone unless absolutely necessary. Every single person is staring at me with gazes so intense my body involuntarily shudders.

“I know many of you would like to stick a blade in my throat right now,” I begin, my voice much steadier than I feel. “And I understand why. But hear me when I say: I am not your enemy.”

Lucifer scoffs and I clench my fists beneath my cloak. “Fifty thousand years ago, I was approached by a queen of another world. While I can’t reveal everything, I can tell you that she is Korithax’s mother. She was sent to this world by her gods to create the Child of Ruin.” Soft gasps echo through the room.

I tell them how I was given a purpose, a meaning to life. My centuries of silence, the visions I fed to the Six to make them arrogant, the hidden war I’ve been fighting to help take down the dictators who rule with iron fists. As I speak, disgust shifts in some faces to pity, and to something almost like sorrow.

“That is why I’m here now,” I finish. “I do not know how they discovered that I’m a traitor to them. But my mission has, and will remain to be, to watch the Divine fall. They are nothing but power-hungry cowards, who are using stolen magic to try seize a universe that does not belong to them. Daisy needs us united. And whilst you may not trust me, I can give you my word, that I despise those controlling bastards just as much as you do. And I will stop at nothing to watch them suffer.”

I nod once to Sariya and Elyistria, my throat bone dry and my palms slick with sweat. Aran steps behind me, arm encircling my waist as he presses a soft kiss to my hair.

The goddesses rise to their feet in unison and look around the table. “Questions?”

Virena’s mis-matched stormy eyes narrow as she speaks. “We’re supposed to just… believe her?”

“Yes,” Elyistria responds calmly. “We have seen more than enough evidence that Velentha and Aran are telling the truth. They have no malicious intent towards this universe.”

“Why are we only just learning this now?” Lucifer asks, leaning back in his chair with his hands entwined behind his head.

“Because the attacks show The Divine are starting to make their move,” Sariya replies, voice even again. “You needed to know the gravity of the situation. The magic they have stolen, the strength of their armies. You needed to hear it from them,” she gestures to Aran and I, “not us.”

The room falls quiet again, and the tension is a living thing. Something feels, wrong. Like how the atmosphere feels just before a brutal storm strikes.

“I don’t believe her,” Kaelith mutters. “It’s suspicious that she’s here and we’ve had two attacks on Hell in one day.” Murmurs break out, heads nodding in agreement.

“She was locked in her chambers,” Aran snaps.

“And you can prove that?” Kaelith fires back. “Because last I checked, you were with Daisy when the attacks happened, not your wife.”

My body stiffens involuntarily at the way he spits the word wife, the syllable twisted with open disgust. The reaction is instinctive; I brace myself for the inevitable eruption, muscles tightening as the air in the room grows thick with brewing violence. But before it can break, another voice slices through the noise.

“She was in her room,” Maelkar speaks, his deep voice rumbling through the space.

Every gaze shifts to him. Lucifer’s especially. Something dark flickers in his expression. “And how the fuck would you know?” he asks, raising a brow.

“I was watching her,” Maelkar responds simply. There’s a glint to his eyes as he winks at Lucifer.

“Excuse me?” Aran and I blurt in unison.

“What do you mean, watching me?” I ask, my cheeks heating.

He lets out a low chuckle. “Not like that, Time Witch. I followed Daisy when she was summoned from our sparring lesson. Being the nosy bastard that I am, I wanted to see what was so urgent. I hid within my shadows as she was brought down to you and lover-boy in the cells.”

“Spying on the Queen is an act of treason,” Sariya warns. “This admittance might have you hung, Maelkar.”

“That won’t happen,” he laughs, leaning back and propping his boots on the table, shadows writhing around his ankles. “You need me. Daisy needs me. If I’m going to train your Queen, I want to ensure she’s not up to any shady business.” He shrugs lazily.

“So, why were you watching me in my room?” I ask, my tone a little more demanding than I meant it to.

“Because I noticed you’d been left by yourself, and I didn’t trust you. So, when I knew you’d be left alone, I kept an eye on you.” He places his hands behind his head, grinning at me. “Think what you want, but I’ve just saved your ass from a pretty big accusation. You’re welcome.” He blows me a kiss, and I feel Aran stiffen.

I hate the fact he’d been watching me in the shadows like a creep. But he’s right, he did just save me. I had no other way of proving I was in my room since no other person knew I was there. Lucifer’s shoulders ease and I notice Maelkar rolling his eyes at him. My eyes flick from Maelkar to Lucifer, watching as a silent conversation seems to happen back and forth between them. Odd.