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Shock gripped Cain by the throat, scattering his thoughts, leaving him unable to process what had just happened. But then the monster inside him reared up in a blinding rage, driving the shock from his mind. Reality slammed into him like a fist to his gut and—that fast—a savage, explosive fury whipped through him, pulling his lips back in a snarl.
Blanching, Ishtar stared at him, shaking her head. “Cain, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know she was here. I didn’t kill her on purpose, I swear.”
Inanna stepped in front of her sister. “It was an accident, Cain. The blast wasn’t meant for the witch.”
No, it wasn’t. And yes, Ishtar had aimed for Azazel—who’d have no more than flinched at the impact. But the bitch wasgloating.Cain could sense it. So could his monster, who wantedout, wanted to kill. Cain’s skin rippled as the change began to—
“Ow,” muttered Wynter.
He slammed his gaze on her, shock once more stealing his breath as she awkwardly sat upright. His monster stilled, not understanding what it was they were seeing.
At her side, Maxim gawked at her, looking lost.
Wynter’s gaze went straight to Ishtar and narrowed dangerously. But that wasn’t what made Cain’s stomach drop. It was the black trails that began to slink over her eyeballs.
Wynter blinked rapidly and took a deep centering breath. And another. And another. Finally, the black ribbons gone from her eyes, she shot Ishtar a put-out look while pushing to her feet. “Well, that was uncalled for.”
Cain could only stare at her. He might have wondered if Maxim had been wrong; if he’d mistakenly missed that her pulse was still beating. But the mark that had appeared on the side of her face told him a different story. It was one he’d recognize fucking anywhere. A metallic blue snake in the shape of an S, its mouth open wide near the corner of her eye.
The mark of Kali.
If the deity felt that the death of a witch was an injustice, Kali occasionally sent the witch back long enough to get their revenge. To aid them with that, She placed the soul of one of Her many netherworld creaturesinsidethe witch’s body—together, the two wreaked vengeance on those who’d caused the injustice.
Cain slowly crossed to Wynter, so many things now making sense. And yet,nothingmade sense. Not really.
She met his gaze as steadily as always—no uncertainty, no nerves, no sheepishness despite the situation. Cain couldn’t help but admire that.
He slanted his head. “How? How can you be … you? Revenants aren’t even really people.”
They didn’t sleep. They weren’t sane. They didn’t have a heartbeat. They were literally undead witches that acted as a temporary vessel for something monstrous. Wynter might have an undead soul, but her body wasn’t a walking corpse.
Lilith looked from Wynter to Cain. “You knew nothing of this?” she asked him.
“No.” And he hated that he’d made the discoverythis way.That it hadn’t been a case of Wynter trusting him with her secret. That he’d had to watch her fucking die. “When did Kali make you a revenant?”
“When I was ten,” Wynter replied. “And yet you still live?” Ishtar shook her head, scoffing, “Impossible. Absolutely impossible.”
“Evidently not,” said Dantalion, staring at Wynter with renewed interest. “You saw her monster try to surface, Ishtar. We all did.”
Cain squinted at Wynter. “So it was Kali who brought you back after those boys killed you.”
Wynter nodded.
Seth frowned. “You said your mother brought you back.”
Wynter cut her gaze to him. “No, I said she was accused of, and exiled for, bringing me back using forbidden magick. I never said she actually did it.”
Thinking back, Cain realized she was right. She’d let them make their own conclusions. And they had, not bothering to question her further.
“It was your monster who eviscerated your murderers,” Azazel guessed, to which she nodded. “If your death was avenged, how is it that you’re still here? It is only a need for vengeance that tethers a revenant’s soul to this realm. After they attain it, both the witch and the monster return to the netherworld.”
“All I know is that there’s something Kali wants me to do for Her,” Wynter told him. “She never said what. Or when. Or anything else. Only that I’d ‘one day know.’ She’s never bothered to expand on that.”
Even as Cain heard the ring of truth in Wynter’s voice, he couldn’t understand how she could be in the dark about so many things. But then, all things considered, it wasn’t really all that unbelievable. He’d encountered deities before. They were cryptic beings who were so secretive they made the Ancients seem like open books. They’d think nothing of keeping even one of their Favored ignorant of any facts they didn’t wish them to be aware of—and they’d see no real wrong in that.
Seth wandered closer, tracing her mark with his eyes. “How do you hide it? Why would you? And why would Kali allow it?”
“I don’t conceal the mark;Shedoes,” Wynter replied. “And no, before you ask, I have no clue why. She makes it visible occasionally, when it seems to suit whatever purposes She has.”
