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Chapter1
“You will not treat me this way.”
My heart thunders a crescendo as gold dust glitters off my skin, reflecting off the fallen snow that tangles with the ash raining from the sky. Both ash and snow muffle my movements as I steal away closer to the Tenth Court blood farm.
Like bitter fangs, the frigid wind sinks deep into my blood, causing my bones to shiver. Though it’s not yet nightfall, the sky is dismal with no sunlight—only a perpetual tapestry of shadow-gray. My inner Halo light warms my skin, but lament weighs down my chest.
When Neo returns from his “holiday”, I might just stake him for the second time.
Tax season finished the night after I returned to the Tenth Court. And the Court O’ Nines took Neo away for continent-wide business…for the past couple ofmonths. I bite back the tears burning my throat.
Our Hallowtide night as husband and wife seems but a dream within a dream. Especially when I spend my nights curled up in a shadow-wrapped ball inside his enormous bed, drunk on venom wine, empty and cold, except for Spitfire nestling next to me to prevent my skin from freezing.
Neo took Lux with him.
Thanatos hasn’t summoned me since that one night.
Maybe I could poison Neo’s morning blood. Or whatever Lux drinks. Both are incredibly tempting.
Sighing a ghostly breath, I focus on my mission. The Underground takes the edge off because the Princess smuggler will always be a part of me. Over the past couple of months, I’ve trained my Halo powers with Nita while transporting children just like the night I rescued the Father’s reaped girls.
Like a funereal shroud to a host of ghosts, my black cape mates with the ashy snow as I weave around the iron trees. The Father must suspect the missing children are my doing—but since he’s more interested in accompanying Neo on his Court O’ Nines business and using my mother as his personal weapon for his lazy ass, he has little time or concern for a few handfuls of missing Tenth Court farm children.
Bonus for me.
As long as those ruthless blood masters don’t catch me, which they never do and won’t tonight, the Underground will claimtennew children. I duck behind a tree, pressing my back ramrod-straight against the iron body. Breath hitching, dry lump lodging in my throat, I’m thankful for the black venom disguising my pure blood from the overseer patrolling the area.
For the past few weeks, I’ve embarked into Thanatos’ Tower to kill a ghoul…or three and claim their venom. They’ve seemed more subdued lately, and I imagine it’s the Prince of Death’s doing.
Not that I needorwant his help, I wrinkle my nose, almost snorting. Asshole bites me, marks me, sings a lullaby from the shadows every night, but can’t bother to show up for a chat or breakfast. Or something.
“I’ve got a jar of black venom. I’ve got a jar of black venom!” I remember channeling my inner pirate as I tore off the bloodied clothes and thrilled in a bath after hacking at the skulls. Neo left all his baby scythes at home. A smile tugs at my lips from the memory of Spitfire gnawing on a ghoul feast. He’d bring me fleshy treats, but I’ve disappointed him in my refusal to join him in the carnage. I’ve also passed a decent store of venom to Jesula, the Underground Queen, for her own use.
Just as the master scents the air about a hundred yards away, my Halo responds to my fear. That treasonous emotion betrays me with tendrils of light scattering.
On instinct, I gather the oppositedestructiveentities, pleading for their help. Whenever I leave Neo’s shadowy room, his baby-shade friends hitchhike all over my body. They caress my Halo tendrils, snuffing them out with tender whirls and wisps. I pull in a deep breath, eyes softening upon the little shades. Since they are byproducts of his subconscious, I have erred on the side of hope.
Somehow, he still loves me.
“This is Under Queen,” Jesula alerts me from my ear implant, causing me to flinch. “Do you copy, angel?”
As soon as the patrolling master passes, scenting the area and wrinkling his nose, I roll my eyes and open my mouth to correct my good friend and mentor, but Jesula does it instead, “Excuse me…Halo. Do you copy?”
“I copy. Diversion in place?”
“ETA: sixty seconds and waiting for your command, Princess.”
“Now, Under Queen.”
I imagine Jesula’s gunmetal eyes granting me strength and lunge into vampire speed, thrilling from the wind whipping and biting my cheeks.
After a few moments, I reach the iron fencing, arriving at the sixty-second marker—careful not to touch the burning metal. Sometimes, new children, who don’t know any better, will test the iron—only to have the punishing fence bite their flesh, warning them from trying to escape. Not that they could make it beyond the miles-long great Iron Walls that border the Father’s Court O’ Tens. How I want to lash out at every overseer’s harsh treatment, at Neo’s indifference, and the Father’s devilry.
They will make it beyond the Iron Walls tonight.
With ten thousand breath prayers gushing from my heart, I commend the parents for having their children ready. Only three at a time to ward off suspicion. As soon as the parents pass the children into my hands, I transport them to the other side of the Walls. The Halo’s power surges from my heart to swirl golden heat in my bloodstream, kindling my veins. Lightning pulses up my spine. All my nerves are hyper aware.
This is a leap of faith, even if it’s more like a half-blind step since Nita has aligned with our cause. Thanks to her binding me, binding my Halo to her strength and power, we can help more. Since Neo and she aren’t in the soul-capturing business these days, Nita has joined me instead. Though she delayed her return to Valhalla—something about permitting anarchy to make it more challenging upon her return—I know why she’s remained in the Court O’ Tens despite its traumatic memories. My heart radiates warmth from the knowledge: she’s here for me.
