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Adrien arched a brow. “Know something I don’t?”
“It doesn’t matter now.” I sighed, looking out at the room as the weight of the future of Sanmorte crushed me. Before the feeding frenzy began, I led Elizabeth out, along with Adrien, suddenly missing the princess, and even Sebastian. But he wasn’t dead, apparently. At least Astor was gone.
“Adrien,” I said, turning on my heel to take in his wide eyes once we were out of earshot. “Astor never returned either. Salenia always had him at her side and now she’s okay that he’s missing? Sebastian never returned for vengeance either, which I thought he would have by now.”
“Do you think it’s to do with the something I don’t know?”
“I’ll fill you in,” I swore as we climbed the stairs.
Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. “Great, but can you do me a favor first? Fly me up. These stairs are a killer.”
My brown wings extended, and my chest heaved as she wrapped her arms around me. Adrian shot me a wink, and I kicked off from the ground. Thoughts of the prophecy Azia had told me about were fresh in my mind. To save Elizabeth from here, I had to find Sebastian. He knew something, wherever he was hiding, or hopefully,plotting.
NINE
Sebastian
Themainstreetwaspacked with wild-eyed sangaree, laughter intertwining with music and intelligible chatter. I stepped over the colorful streamers and broken glass strewn across the pavement. The scent of liquor and fresh blood hung heavily in the air.
A few timid rays of sunlight broke through the dense fog, casting a soft glow on the cobblestone path below and painted the people's faces in streaks of gold.
The kingdom was supposed to be in mourning, yet conversations and laughter spilled out from doorways. Music sounded from taverns normally closed this time of afternoon, serving drinks to the masses. Street musicians arrived early to their spots, violins and flutes in hand.
Weaving between drunks whose drinks sloshed onto their mortal servants, I stopped. A bottle skittered away from Zach's shoe, clinking against a drain grate, rolling until it stopped by a group of women. Zach and I exchanged looks, his confusion expression matching my own.
Why the fuck is everyone celebrating?
An uneasiness settled over me as we glided into the shadows of the city. The music and chatter faded as we reached the entrance of the shadow market. Along the cobbled path, rats scurried between bags of garbage, their torn contents spilling out in front of us. The pungent smell of decay lingered in the air as I looked around the weathered, wooden stalls and hanging signs.
Zach shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t see her.”
“Azia said she’d be here at four. We still have time,” I said, glancing at my watch.
“If we can trust her.”
“Azia trusts her,” I said, but my stomach knotted. Putting the truth of Olivia’s so-called fate and the truth of her being alive into someone else’s hands made me sick. I glanced around, wiping my clammy palms against my pants. The sun glinted off the discarded newspaper, and my gaze was drawn to the bold headline. Gwen’s searing blue eyes stared out from the page. “What the fuck?” I snatched it up, straightening it out as the crown came into view.
Olivia’s crown.
The goddess is back, crowned Queen of Sanmorte.
“Salenia’s crowned herself queen.” I handed the paper to Zach, whose silver brows shot up his forehead.
“She didn’t wait long.”
I ground my teeth. Knowing it was coming didn’t help with the punch of seeing it. Killing her would be harder now. We shouldn’t have waited. “We need to hurry.”
His head dipped in understanding, a gesture that seemed weighted with knowledge of the thoughts I was holding back from voicing aloud. I knew what Salenia was capable of, and she had more reason than ever to want Olivia dead. My wife threatened not only the destruction of the underworld but also the crown that rightfully belonged to her.
So many sleepless nights I had spent entertaining the idea of taking her far away from here—as if forcibly dragging her from Sanmorte would guarantee her safety. Then I remembered Zach's words warning me against taking away her freedom and choice. But I couldn't let her walk willingly to her death. Because how could we go up against a goddess? Even if we wanted the throne back, I doubt the people would accept her. Olivia was anointed by the gods, but that didn't stand against having one of them as queen.
“Kalon’s dead too,” Zach said as I played tug of war with my conflicted thoughts. “Here.” He pointed at the second headline.
At least we were down one enemy, but our biggest one was still out there. Salenia was an ethereal being, one of the ones who created the world we lived in, and the same woman who cursed us. Yet, none of the sangaree seemed bothered by that fact. They drank into the day, finding any justification to throw another party as if this damned city needed one.
A woman caught my eye in the crowd. Green glinted from her neck, as an emerald hung from a silver chain around her neck. With a jolt of recognition, I realized it was the same pendant I had seen in a picture Azia had shown me—the one she said she’d be wearing.
The sorceress glided towards us, her silver hair in a long braid woven with wildflowers. Sunlight reflecting off her yellow eyes, her small face enhanced by her pointed features. She waved her ringed fingers at us, and I noticed the inky purple tendrils of a tattoo snaking up her arm, disappearing into the cuff of her gray dress.
