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I was so shocked, so surprised that I didn’t fight her when her soft lips pressed against mine, her clever tongue sweeping in and dancing along my teeth, my own meeting hers before I remembered Raziel wasright thereand pulled away.
“You truly don’t remember?” She rocked back onto her knees, her hands sliding off my shoulders, a resigned smile curving her mouth. “You really don’t, do you?”
“Remember what?”
“Deepwood.” Raziel squatted down beside us, running his fingers down Anaria’s tear-stained cheek. “You don’t remember these past few days, do you?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t been to that shite town in twenty years. Maybe more.” Gods, when was the last time I’d been there? Once more, I reached for a memory that taunted me but wasn’t there.
Anaria wiped her face dry, her smile reigniting, eyes shining. “Actually, you…”
The air in the forest grew still.
As if something deadly prowled these woods, and the entire forest held its breath as the trees and rivers waited for the threat to pass. Even the sun dimmed down, the dancing, dappled shadows turning murky, and I pulled Anaria closer, Raziel protecting her other side as the entire forest paused.
45
ANARIA
The moment the air went still, I did, too.
The Oracle was back.
I felt her creeping power arrive before I ever saw her. I pulled out the knife, when I really just wanted to shove both Zor and Raziel behind me until she slithered back into whatever hole she’d crawled up out of.
Day turned to dim gloaming, a hideous black slime oozing over the newly birthed ferns and bracken, turning the tender, fledgling shoots rotten and withered. All around us the forest died, as if she couldn’t help but snuff out whatever life she could.
Anything beautiful shriveled up, a thick layer of black dripping from the trees, drooping branches dropping dead, moldy leaves in drifts. They settled on the ruined, blackened ground, the smell of decay and mold shoving up my nose.
She stepped into sight.
No, sheappeared, floating on the air, suspended by a breeze none of us could see or feel, her appearance sending shockwaves through me.
And then I knew something else as well.
This great rebirth—the prophecy she’d dangled before us like it was our great destiny—hadn’t just been about restoring this realm to its former glory. This had been her restoration, as well.
The Oracle was beautiful.
In the way death can be beautiful.
Long black hair hung past her waist, and her face was carved from ivory, set with eyes of the darkest onyx. The odd, misshapen dress was an insult to her curves, half hidden by writhing shadows crafted from the deepest darkness. Her gleaming smile was as cold as the white tipped mountains around us, as empty as the sky above.
She kept running her hands over herself, and something about that preening caress made me want to gag.
“You have done well.” Even with the guttering horror of having her this close, a glimmer of selfish pride went through me. This forest, this entire realm—her—I’d done this.
All of this.
“A thousand years of careful planning has finally paid off.” Her eyes drifted to Zorander, her smile faltering. “There were sacrifices to be made for this to work.Bloodsacrifices.”
“Sacrifices I was not willing to make.” I jerked my head in the direction of the city. “Carex is dead.” I didn’t bother telling her I wasn’t the one who killed him. Beside me, Raziel’s arms captured my waist.
“We did your bidding.Now give us back our friends.” My voice narrowed down to a hiss, my anger so intense I could barely contain myself.
Raziel vibrated with the same rage as me, Zor with utter confusion, yet both of them were ready and willing to launch themselves at her in a heartbeat should this come down to a fight.
“Still so defiant.” She had the fucking nerve to tsk me. “We shall have to do something about that attitude, little thief. Perhaps another lesson is in order.”
