Page 12 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

Celebrating their victory, no doubt.

There.

I saw it again.

That golden thread that had wrapped around my heart when he plucked me from Bellaton.

His thread.

The thread that shouldn’t exist.

Rather than fading as it should’ve if Adrastos had spoken the truth, the glimmering rope had strengthened. Now it seemed to… glow.

Like the ropes of deities, it shimmered through the air and straight through my sternum. At its other end, it wrapped around the prince’s right wrist like a bracelet woven from golden silk.

A karmic manacle binding him.

Like a petulant teenager, the betrayer sprawled across a throne, watching the partygoers in their perverse masks—the same curling horns and gaping eyes that haunted my dreams—and slinky, sparkling dresses. I was almost certain couples were fucking behind the dais, an orgy of writhing bodies and hastily torn skirts. Laughter reverberated along the walls as hands wandered and drinks were thrown back.

But my eyes returned to the tangled anomaly.

Adrastos’ legs were spread wide, one elbow braced against the arm of his throne as he leaned into his fist, watching the debauchery below the dais as though he were too bored to participate.

His knotted threads were there, looming like a cloud of commitments.

And so was that one rope of fate that made no sense.

The third anomaly.

I carefully allowed my magic to caress the golden braid. Across the heads of dozens of dancing souls, those bored brown eyes flicked to mine, and a sly smirk slanted his mouth. My lip curled as rage heated my chest at the sight of the smug face I’d once considered beautiful. I had to fight to breathe instead of screaming my fury until the windows shattered.

Traitor.

Liar.

If the golden thread meant what I thought it did, that was clearer than ever as I stared at the fated mess of the two-faced man.

Liar.

He had to be.

I’d already moved from denial through the second and third stages of grief before I noticed the damn thing. It glowed where Ally wore her love for him like a necklace, and my mind churned, searching for another explanation.

It found nothing.

Liar. He’d lied that day while these sycophants clambered for his touch.

That, or…

His verbiage replayed through my mind, and I blinked.

Perhaps he hadn’t lied. Perhaps his words had been true, but… incomplete.

Because as long as Magnolia drew breath, there was no soul or entity that could pry her fingers from something she was determined to protect. I was certain she could wrap one hand around Death’s throat and give it a convincing squeeze if she decided to.

Barry said nothing as I gave the tether another tug, but Adrastos’ smirk widened. Looking so self-satisfied that I wanted to throttle him, he raised his goblet of wine to his lips.

His eyes fixed on mine, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod.