The Book of Azrael: Chapter 32

THE SILENCE IN THE DINING ROOM WAS HEAVY AND FILLED WITH TENSION. I stabbed at my food, the fork piercing the tender meat and hitting the plate. We sat at a long polished table, the light from the chandeliers glittering in their glossy tabletop. Ethan sat at the head and I sat next to Liam at the other end.

I knew the moment I’d entered the room, I’d made a mistake in wearing the beautiful gown. Ethan and Drake had looked at me then glanced at each other. It hadn’t helped that Liam held my chair out for me and even pushed it in. I knew what they were thinking, but Liam was just trying to be nice.

‘Lovely dress, Dianna,’ Drake said, raising his glass to his lips. ‘Definitely not one of mine.’

Yup, bad idea.

‘Nope, not one of yours,’ I said.

‘Where did you get it?’ he asked before taking a sip of his drink, hiding his grin.

I took a breath, knowing he was trying to bait me. He wanted information, but he should have known not to play games with me.

‘Liam made it because all of the ones you left me showed my ass.’

He laughed and nodded in defeat. ‘It’s a nice ass.’

‘So I’ve been told.’

Liam’s eyes flicked between Drake and me as we bantered. For a moment, the air became charged. and the light dimmed as the room fell silent. Ethan glared at Liam and I felt my body tense as the aggressive male power in the room increased. I sighed, this dinner and our information gathering was going nowhere fast.

Ethan, the Vampire King, was every bit as beautiful as Drake, if not more so. His gorgeous dark curls were thick on the top of his head, but shaved in a close fade at the sides. He wore a black coat with red lapels over a black shirt and matching dress pants. His shoes were probably more expensive than mine. I was sure that the clothing Liam was wearing had come from Ethan’s closet. They were about the same height, with a powerful muscular build. Both men radiated power, and were currently staring daggers at each other.

‘How is Gabby?’ Drake’s voice broke the silence.

I swallowed a bite of meat before saying, ‘Great. I spoke to her earlier. She was recently promoted at the hospital. Well, before I—‘ My voice trailed off as I thought about how I’d uprooted her once more. We had made up from our fight, but her words still stung. It’s okay, though. She would have the life she wanted, no matter what I had to do.

He cleared his throat, and I knew he sensed that it was a touchy subject and was going to push. Before he could say anything, I turned to Ethan and asked, ‘Where is your wife? I haven’t seen Naomi in ages.’

Drake stopped mid chew and stared at his brother as Ethan’s eyes danced to mine ‘She is away. She wished she could make it, but she has more important things to attend to.’

I nodded and turned back to my plate. I was curious about what could be more important than Kaden trying to end the world and Liam returning, but I left the subject alone.

Silence fell once more and Drake and I seemed to be the only ones eating.

‘Vampires eat?

Liam’s voice caught me off guard. He had been silent and had not touched a bit of his food. My eyes widened as I looked at him, shocked by his bluntness. He didn’t meet my gaze, his eyes trained on Ethan.

‘Yes. Shouldn’t you know that given your reputation?’ Ethan quipped.

Oh gods, this was going to be terrible.

‘Incorrect. The vampires who ruled long before you were quadrupedal, vicious creatures.’

Ethan’s gaze didn’t waiver as he tapped his fork against his plate. ‘I’m sure they are all gone now?’

‘Yes. The vampiric bloodline originated from the Ig’Morruthens, but evolution turned into—well, you.’

‘Evolution? Interesting. And what happened to our predecessors?’

‘War. Something I plan to not let happen again.’

‘Is that so?’ Ethan said, raising his glass to his lips and taking a sip.

‘Is that not the goal here? Why you betrayed the one they call Kaden? There is no victory in war, only death, even the winning side loses.’

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I sat slightly back. Ethan smiled softly, but I knew it wasn’t a pleasant one. Drake rested his elbow on the table and watched the back and forth of the conversation.

‘I want to believe you, but your reputation makes me less inclined. You have slaughtered countless creatures like us, like Dianna. Even if you two parade around as friends, she is Ig’Morruthen, your sworn enemy for eons Of course, it was not by choice, but she is a beast, nonetheless. We may drink blood to sustain life, but so does she. She has to consume mortal flesh.’

‘Technically, I haven’t in a while,’ I said, raising my hand in the air. Drake snickered, but Liam and Ethan didn’t look away from one another.

I had tried to make light of it, but my heart sank at the comparisons. I knew Ethan didn’t mean it in a negative way, but I didn’t need to be reminded of the darker sides of my nature. He was right though, Liam was everything we were taught to fear. Yet I looked at him, and I saw the man who trembled at night over the world, family, and friends he had lost. I saw the man who asked questions over the most basic things and thought he was saving me when we first started this trip. Liam was my friend.

He was quiet for a moment as he stared at Ethan and my nerves skyrocketed. ‘Dianna is different. I have seen evil, seen it born, what it craves, and how it acts. She may be stubborn and erratic. At times she is rude or crass, even violent or dangerous, but not evil, not even a little bit.’

I blinked a few times, completely shocked at his words, especially after everything I had done since we met. I took a few shaky breaths and curled a piece of hair behind my ear. Liam didn’t look at me, but he didn’t have to. I knew he meant everything he’d said, even the less than nice parts. He didn’t think of me as a monster. I didn’t know that I needed to hear those words from him. It was such a relief I almost felt lightheaded.

‘Are you in love with her?’

My mouth dropped open. ‘Ethan!’ I snapped, turning toward him as Drake spit his wine halfway across the table.

‘No,’ Liam said, completely ignoring Drake and me. ‘She is my friend, nothing more, nothing less.’

Ethan arched one aristocratic brow. ‘Perfect because we do not need another powerful man obsessed with her. However, Kaden is still obsessed, and he plans to rip everyone to pieces to get what is his back. You understand that, right?’

‘Kaden is not in love with me,’ I snapped at Ethan and caught Drake quickly looking down at his place to hide his expression. ‘What?’

‘Kaden has tracked you as far as the eastern border. Every contact that has helped you has met an untimely demise. The ones closest to him that have been sent out and not returned you to him,  have been slaughtered. His legion has crumbled since you left and killed Alistair.’

My mind reeled at the information, but it made sense. It was why the shades had come after Gabby. He wanted to lure me back by using her as bait. I had fooled myself into thinking he would eventually give up, but I knew he was hunting me. It was why I’d been careful not to over use my powers or teleport on our journey. I didn’t want to alert him to where we were. I gripped my knees underneath the table, my heart pounding. I’d just spoken to Gabby before dinner. She was finishing up a job, and Neverra and Logan were with her. She was fine. She was safe.

‘That’s not love.’ I lifted my head and looked at Ethan. ‘I am a possession to him. I always have been.’

‘A weapon, a possession, a lover. You are all of that and more to him. You were the only one that survived being turned by him, and please believe, he has tried again since you left.’

My blood pounded in my ears. If he had, that meant he had even more of those beasts. There I was, joking and helping Liam, when Kaden was creating an army.

‘You coming here risks everything you set out to do for us, and yet we agreed to help you. Do you wish to know why?’

I held Ethan’s gaze, and when I didn’t respond he said, ‘Because he is afraid of him.’ He pointed toward Liam. ‘He won’t attack or risk coming for you directly as long as he is on this plane. We heard of the attempt on your sister and now that he knows she is out of his reach, he needs to find that book. For some reason, he believes there is a code or answer in it on how to stop him.’

Liam sat still, taking in every bit of information Ethan threw out. His hands were underneath his chin as he continued to stare at Ethan. I couldn’t read his expression and couldn’t gauge the thoughts formulating behind his hazel eyes.

‘We wished for you here. Once we learned what he was really searching for, and that the legends were not just legends, we planned to secede from his legion. I began to research you on my own, pulling from sources long buried by my people. Drake took my place at meetings, gathering any information he could get. Then something changed, and Kaden became obsessed with this book, committing dark acts in his desire to obtain it. He is holding meetings, slaughtering and torturing celestials, in hopes of finding this book.

‘I am aware,’ Liam said finally. ‘The only issue is that the Book of Azrael is not real.’

‘He is killing because he believes it is.’

Liam sat up straight and waved away Ethan’s words. ‘He is wrong. Azrael is dead. He never made it off Rashearim.’

Ethan’s brows furrowed. ‘You must be mistaken.’

‘I am not. I saw his body in tatters after he helped his wife escape. We were overpowered by the Ig’Morruthens. He was ripped to shreds and burned to ash when Rashearim fell. How could I ever be mistaken?’

I felt the room charge, the plates on the table and the pictures on the walls slowly vibrating. The guards looked at each other then toward Ethan. ‘Would you like to see the stardust of my home world?’

The lights flickered, a sign of his growing agitation as the heavy chandeliers above us began to sway. Drake watched the two men, his body tense. I moved my knee underneath the table, lightly bumping Liam’s. The brief contact shook him from the grasp of his rising anger and grief. He looked at me and his eyes softened as he held my gaze. He released a breath and the room stilled.

‘My apologies,’ Ethan said, sitting up slightly. ‘If that is true, then someone has made a replica or copy. Camilla has found something in El Donuma and is offering it to the highest bidder. Kaden wants it.’

I almost choked again. ‘Camilla?’

Drake nodded, jumping in, ‘Yup, she found someone a few days ago. Won’t give any information, only that she found the book, knows where it is, and is offering a huge lump sum for the one who wants it most.’

‘Why hasn’t Kaden stormed her coven, destroyed it, and taken it?’ I asked.

‘If he kills her, he won’t get the information, and you killed the one person who could rip it from her mind. So I guess he is waiting to see who gets it first and he’ll kill them and take it.’

Liam leaned forward, locking his fingers together. ‘How do we meet this Camilla?’

The room fell silent once more.

‘I can try and get a meeting arranged. She will probably agree to meet you if she knows you are here and interested, but she will not let Dianna step foot in El Donuma.’

Liam looked at me. ‘Why?’

‘Let’s just say she hates me’

‘We really need to work on you having better friends in your life.’

‘Hey, I’m sitting right here!’ Drake said, his tone offended.

Liam turned to him and said in all seriousness, ‘My point exactly’

I snickered as Drake burst out laughing. It was a nice release after hearing what Ethan had to say about Kaden, and the fact that our search for the book just became even more complicated.

For the next hour we discussed battle plans and what we would do if Camilla accepted our request and we were able to enter El Donuma. How we would meet and persuade her to give us the book and so forth. Liam had finally eaten his food, but I had long since abandoned mine. My stomach rolled each time I thought of what Ethan had said. Kaden may have failed at creating another me, but that just meant he had more soldiers for his army.

Liam was downing his food, not really paying attention to what he was eating as Ethan continued to talk about the obstacles we might face. Drake added a detail from time to time, but mostly was focused on listening. I couldn’t sit still any longer and pushed my chair back, the men at the table turning toward me ‘Dinner was great, but I’m tired. I’ll see you all tomorrow,’ I said.

Not waiting for a response I swept from the room. I didn’t care how the guards in the room flinched and reached for their weapons as I moved a little too quickly. My blood felt like ice water in my veins as my brain ran in a million different directions. Liam was right. This was taking too long.

My hope that no one would follow me was quickly dashed when I felt Liam’s power rolling toward me, thick and heavy. His large calloused hand grabbed my arm, just above my elbow and spun me around. ‘Dianna. I have been speaking to you.’

‘What?’ I stared up at Liam and realized I had moved a lot faster than I thought. We were halfway down a flight of winding stone steps.

‘Where are you going? This is not the way to your room.’

‘Oh? You have that memorized now?’

His gaze narrowed, his hand still lightly shackling my arm. ‘I know that face. What are you planning?’

Damn annoying god man. ‘Nothing.’

‘You cannot go to her. We have a plan, and you flying off to demand answers by firebombing a city, is not one of them.’

I let out an exasperated sigh and shook my arm out of his grasp. ‘That’s— not what I was going to do?’

He placed his hands upon his hips, his suit jacket flaring around them. ‘Oh? Then where exactly are you going?’

I had planned on finding a couple of mortals to feed on so I would have enough power to fly to El Donuma. Once there, I find Camilla’s estate and force her to give me the book. But I wasn’t going to tell him that and prove him right.

Frustrated, I groaned and picked up the sides of my dress. I pushed past him and stomped up the stone steps. He didn’t say a word as he followed me back into the main foyer.

We were silent, the words spoken at the table hovering between us. Kaden was training to build an army. He was desperate for me to come back. He was obsessed with finding a book Liam claims didn’t exist. And then there was what Liam had said. I was both touched by his words and at the same time they left me feeling empty. It was made even more awkward by Ethan asking him if he loved me. We were friends, just friends.

I stopped before the front door and stared at it for a moment before looking back at him. ‘Do you want to get out of here? Just for a little bit?’

He tipped his head and gave me a questioning look but agreed.

We walked along one of the cobblestone paths at the back of the castle. The forest was alive with the sound of insects and the occasional yip of some hunting four-legged predator.

He had given me his suit jacket to drape over my bare shoulders, even when I insisted I didn’t need it. My body temperature ran a few degrees higher than most people’s, and I was completely comfortable. Nonetheless, it was sweet and was a break from the extreme coldness of his attitude earlier in the day.

I wondered if his sudden change in demeanor was a sort of apology for being a dick after the nightmare he refused to tell me about. Another part of me told me it was something deeper. Or maybe I was just feeling unnerved by what Ethan had said about the lengths Kaden was taking to get me back. I knew he wasn’t acting out of love. Love didn’t exist in our world. I was nothing more than a possession to him, and he wanted his toy back. It made my stomach clench to realize how deep we were in.

‘Dianna. Have you heard anything I’ve said?’

I shook my head, not even pretending. ‘Sorry. Dinner has my nerves rattled.’

‘Understandable,’ he said as we continued on.

My feet whispered over the stone path, my gown swishing around my ankles with each step. ‘You seem happier.’

He gave a low snort, the sound forced with a hint of agitation. ‘At dinner? How so?’

I glanced at him and nearly stumbled, the male beauty of him taking my breath away. The moonlight cast his features in silver and set his eyes aglow. His power was nearly visible in the air around us, encompassing me. I felt it as an almost physical caress, and in that moment I felt safe. It was such a foreign sensation, it took me a moment to find my voice again. ‘No, sorry, not then. I was just thinking in general. You smile more. You weren’t like that when I first met you. Although, I was also trying to kill you.’

‘Yes, well that is accurate.’

‘You also don’t look as frumpy and untamed as you used to. The haircut and clothes that actually fit, greatly.’

His gaze swung to me, his brows furrowing. ‘Is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, it is absolutely terrible.’

‘No, I’m just saying you are coming out of your shell, so to speak.’

‘Ah,’ he said and we continued our stroll. ‘I suppose it’s easier to be that way around you. You give me no choice.’

I bump my shoulder against his, the light tap not even moving him. ‘Is that supposed to be a compliment?’

‘I suppose.’ He paused and I knew he was thinking. I had become used to the mannerism when he was trying to formulate the words behind what he thought or felt. ‘There is a saying in my language, on my world. It doesn’t truly translate to your language, but it means to calcify. The gods before me and before my father, were able to reach a certain point in their lives where emotions dissipated. It often happened after what you would consider a traumatic event. They would lose a part of themselves, and cut off from their emotions, they ceased to care about anyone or anything. It was as if the very light inside of us goes out, and we turn to stone.’

I stopped and he turned toward me. ‘Stone? Like actual stone?’

He nods, the muscle in his jaw clenching. ‘It is impossible to tell when it will happen. I always assumed it was from great loss. Loss of something they valued more than anything in the universe. I feared my father would go cold after my mother’s passing. The signs were there, but he didn’t. A part of me feels that’s what’s happening to me.’ He looked down at his feet, and I could see the pain in the lines of his body. Which was a good sign, but I had been with him for almost three months now. I knew there were parts of him he had closed off.

We had shared the same bed multiple times, but it was never intimate. His hands never wandered, nor did he rub up against me in the middle of the night, seeking release. If he did press against me, he kept his hands to himself. Sometimes he would mov, shiver as if lost in some dream. Those were the nights he would wake up in a sweat, look at me, and go back to sleep. I assumed if he wanted to tell me about his nightmares, he would. It helped me, though. I didn’t feel so alone, not that I would ever admit that to him. It was just nice to have someone there, and I thought it helped him too.

I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder, keeping my touch light so as not to overwhelm him.

‘I promise to not let you turn to stone.’ I smiled reassuringly.

His eyes danced across my face. ‘I doubt I could be around you long term. You are far too invasive and intrusive.’

I pop his shoulder this time with enough force to make him jump slightly but not enough to hurt. A smile formed on his lips, and I knew he’d said it mostly to irritate me ‘And much too forceful.’

I swatted at him once more, but he took a step back. He was playing with me. I liked this Liam. He was different when he was with me, when he was away from the others who demanded a king. He was almost normal.

‘Well you’re not terrible.’ I shrugged, glancing at him once more. ‘At times.’

‘I’ll take that.’

We fell back in step once more, matching smiles on our faces as we walked. I glanced up and realized we had reached the garden. I’d forgotten how much Drake loved that garden. Although the reason why was less than happy. An ex-lover, no that wasn’t the right word. He had loved her as much as anyone could love another, but she had chosen another. I think that broke him. Even though she designed and built it, he had kept and maintained it. With his care, it had flourished.

Twin statues flanked the entrance. They were of two women holding ceramic bowls, tilting them as if pouring out some invisible solution. I placed my hands in Liam’s jacket as I looked up.

‘What is this?’ Liam asked as we stopped near the entrance.

‘A garden. Did they not have those on Rashearim?’ I asked, looking back at him. His face had grown cold. Was he mad? Over a garden?

‘This is a garden? It’s terrible,’ he said, his face scrunched with disgust.

‘Liam, you haven’t even been inside yet,’ I said with a sigh before walking into the garden. I knew he would be close behind. He always was. The path opened up, splitting off to the left and right, thick, gorgeous flowers lining the walkways. Small lights were strung above, casting a lush glow over the plants and creating deep pockets of shadows. It was absolutely beautiful even if Liam’s lip curled at everything we passed. I headed toward the center, drawn by the sound and smell of fresh running water. Knowing Drake, he would have a fountain here, and I wanted to see it.

‘Even their plants are atrocious,’ he said, reaching out to touch an assortment of purple flowers.

‘Why do you find offense with everything associated with them? It’s like you want to pick a fight.’

He dropped his hand and rubbed it against his pants before turning to look at me. ‘I do not like them. Even the energy surrounding them feels disturbed. Something just feels off.’

‘They are probably just on edge because you are here. Remember, you’re kind of a big deal, Liam. Drake is one of my oldest friends, and don’t forget his family is currently helping us.’

He put his hands in his pockets as we continued on. ‘Yes, they are helping us. Which does seem peculiar given their fear of Kaden and what would happen if he finds out they betrayed him. What makes these powerful friends want to take that risk? I do not trust them, nor do I want you alone with them for too long.’

I almost tripped over my own feet as I caught the hem of my gown, coming to an abrupt stop. I picked up my skirt and faced him. ‘Excuse me? You can’t tell me who I can and can’t be around. That’s not how this works, nor do you have any say over me. I am not your possession, just like I am not Kaden’s.’

‘It is not about possession.’ His brows furrowed as he looked down at me. ‘I worry about you.’

His words caught me off guard, and the snarky comment I had prepared, died on my lips. I didn’t know what to say, and that was a first for me. His eyes had softened as he looked at me. They were no longer hard or mottled by anger and irritation. His gaze moved from my face to my chest, a pained expression flashing across his features before he turned away. Confused at the change in his demeanor, I checked the fancy silk gown he had made me, thinking I had spilled something on the bodice, but there was nothing there.

‘You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve been alive this long.’

‘Barley,’ he grumbled, still avoiding my gaze.

I snorted and spun around, heading deeper into the garden.

‘And no, you don’t have to worry about them. They have slowly been trying to secede from Kaden for a while now.’

‘And Kaden doesn’t suspect?’

I shrugged. ‘He watched me kill Drake in Zarall. Well, the image of Drake, at least. He thinks he is dead.’

Liam’s gaze flicked to mine. ‘And the brother? The one who calls himself king? Kaden would not fear retribution for a family member lost?’

‘I assume he thinks he is in hiding. No one would blatantly go against Kaden. They are not stupid. It would be a death wish. Despite your ego and what you think, Kaden is strong, powerful, and psychotic.’

Liam made that grumble grunt sound again that I had grown accustomed to. ‘I do not fear him.’

It was my turn to grunt in annoyance. ‘You should.’

I sighed as we fell into step with each other again, the creatures of the night filling the darkness with their song.

‘There has to be at least one thing you like here?’

‘No.’

I snorted. ‘Okay, just say one nice thing about them. The mansion,’ I said, gesturing toward the beautiful structure.

‘Over cumbersome.’

Was he joking? Joking with me? The laugh that escaped me prompted a genuine smile from him. He seemed to enjoy this even if he was still surly.

‘Okay, what about their outfits?’

‘Too confining.’

‘Oh come on, there has to be something you like?’

Liam tipped his face up, nodding as he considered. The corner of his mouth pulled up as if he was trying very hard to find one thing. I was about ready to ask him another question when he said, ‘I like the language here. It’s the closest thing to my mother’s.’

His mom? My heart lurched. He hadn’t spoken of her, and now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen her in any of his memories, either. The only thing I recalled was the mention of her death. I remembered his father’s words and how sad Liam had been in that blooddream, but I had seen no memories of them together as a family. Could it be so terrible that he’d blocked it? I was afraid to ask, a part of me not wanting him to hide that rare playful side again, but he’d opened up to me, and I wouldn’t waste it.

‘What was she like?’

His throat bobbed before a muscle in his jaw clenched.

‘If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. We can discuss the fun dinner.’

A part of him seemed to relax as he huffed. ‘No. You have already seen and know so much of me, there is no reason not to tell you this, as well. And as you have said, perhaps talking about this will help.’ He inhaled deeply as if gathering his words. ‘She was kind and sweet from what I remember. She got sick after I was born. I was too young to see it at first, but as I grew, I noticed the changes. She was a warrior, a celestial under the rule of an old god, but her the light in her began to dim when she was pregnant with me. She moved to the Council once she grew too weak to lift a blade. That’s the problem with gods being born. The fetus takes too much, requires too much energy and power from the mother as they develop. The risk is too great. That’s why I am the only one.’

‘Liam.’ I didn’t want to apologize again because he didn’t need it. He needed something else. ‘What happened to her is not your fault.’

His eyes met mine, and I saw the burden of sadness that he carried ease.

‘Isn’t it?’

‘No. If it was known, then she knew the risks and still became pregnant. And you know what I think? I think she loved your father and you so much she didn’t care. I would bet all the money in the world that she didn’t regret it. A family’s love is stronger than anything, trust me.’

He didn’t say anything for a moment and I realized we had stopped walking. He stared at me as if searching for the truth of my words. I think a part of him had been desperate to hear that it wasn’t his fault.

‘You surprise me, Dianna.’

‘So you have said.’

He nodded and led the way as we continued our night time stroll. ‘What happened to your parents? Since I just bared my soul, I would like to know about yours.’

‘Well, since it is only fair,’ I half-heartedly joked. ‘Long story short, my mom and dad were healers. They loved helping others with what at that time was considered medicine. When the shards of Rashearim fell, it triggered a plague. They continued to help others until the illness consumed them as well. It has been Gabby and me since then. We have always looked out for each other.’

‘Did you have any other family? People who could help you?’

. ‘No, we didn’t. I kept us fed and gathered supplies.’ Liam’s face didn’t change as he waited patiently for me to go on. ‘I was a thief, more or less. I am not proud of it, but I did what I needed to for my family. I always have and always will.’

‘That seems logical. People tend to do what they feel is necessary in times of crisis.’

I was more than a little surprised. I had expected Liam to scold me but he didn’t. He sees my expression and smiles. ‘I am not justifying or saying it is right, but you do not know who you truly are until you have no options left. That is all.’ He shrugs, looking down at me. ‘Besides, I am not surprised. After all, you attempted, and failed, to steal from me.’

‘So cocky.’ I lightly popped him on the arm as he grinned.

We stopped as the path gave way at the heart of the dreamlike garden. The small glowing lights illuminated the large fountain. I had subconsciously been following the sound of the water. Stone statues rise at the center of the fountain, several people holding various containers, water pouring from them into the pool below. It was massive and breathtaking.

‘My mother had a garden on Rashearim.’ Liam’s words startled me and I turned to look at him, eager to hear more about him. ‘My father crafted this elaborate maze of the most beautiful artwork and foliage for her. It was magical and much better than this one. We never used it after she passed. My father left it to rot. I think it hurt him too much to visit it or see it again.’

‘I’m sorry.’

He shrugged as if it didn’t pain him. ‘There is no reason for you to be sorry.’

He took a step forward, bending slightly to duck beneath the curved, tangled-vine archway. My footsteps were light as I followed behind him. I sat on the edge of the moonlit fountain, giving my feet a break. Otherworldly or not, heels still hurt after a while.

Liam didn’t sit. Instead, he walked over to one of the large flowering bushes and ran his fingers over the delicate petals. He plucked a gorgeous yellow lily, slowly twirling it by the stem. It was a sight to see, the powerful World Ender holding such a small and fragile bloom.

‘Do you know how I got my name?’

I sat up a little straighter, adjusting the jacket around me and savoring the scent of him that lingered on it. ‘What? Samkiel?

He didn’t look at me, his gaze focused on the flower. ‘No, that name was given to me at birth. Although, it does carry more blood and death with it than I like. I have done so many things over the centuries that I regret. There are so many things I’ve lost.’ He finally turned, his eyes locking with mine as he said, ‘People I’ve lost.’

The somber expression I had come to hate so much flashed across features. It was always a prelude to the grief that hid behind those lovely eyes. So I did what I did best and annoyed him.

‘You mean Liam? Yeah I did wonder how you picked such a plain name.’

‘Funny.’ A breath escaped through his nostrils, his shoulders raising for a moment and I assumed that was the closet I would get to a laugh tonight. ‘In our world we had a flower that put the beauty of this one to shame. It had rings of yellow and blue that moved in waves across the petals when you touched it. It was called orneliamus or Liam for short. They were my mother’s favorite and a symbol of strength and protection. They could adapt to any climate and were so sturdy they were nearly impossible to kill. It took the death of the planet to eradicate them.’

His eyes flickered to mine before he strode over and sat beside me. He angled the stem of the flower toward me, offering it to me. I felt my heart skip as I reached out to accept it. He gave me a small smile before he rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together in front of him. ‘I wanted to be that.’

Liam gave me a flower. A simple, fucking flower, and my world tilted. It was the nicest, stupidest thing for me to obsess over. But this tiny yellow plant suddenly meant the world to me, and I hated the way my stomach flipped as I glanced at it in my hand. Gabby got flowers, not me, never me.

‘The great and powerful King of All named after a flower. How ironic.’

He grinned at me and my breath caught. With the glow of the small lights and the moon shining down, casting a shadow across his features, he was absolutely and painfully gorgeous.

‘I reveal so much and yet you do nothing but make a smart quip? You wound me.’

I scrunch my nose and playfully swatted him with my flower, not hard enough to damage it but enough to annoy him. ‘I’m sure I do, mister invincible.’

‘So many names for me, and yet, I have very few for you. I shall fix that.’

‘Come up with as many as you like as long as you don’t call me a worm again.’

His expression softened a corner of his lip twisting. ‘You truly do remember all I say, don’t you?’

‘Only the truly terrible things.’

‘I’ll fix that as well.’

I felt a flush creep up my face before I turned away, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. He didn’t mean the things he said the way they sounded. But his words, and the way he spoke to them, made me ache in all the wrong places. ‘So on a scale of one to five, how likely is it we are all going to die?’

‘Zero. The book itself doesn’t exist. No matter what anyone claims.’

‘Okay, but say it does. If it does on a scale.’

He shrugged, a small frown tightening his lips. ‘Maybe a one. If the book is somehow a real relic that my people never got a hold of then there may be pause for some fear, but the likelihood is extremely low at best. Azrael never made it off of Rashearim and anything he made died with him when the planet was destroyed.’

An upbeat melody flooded the air, interrupting our conversation. Liam and I both turned toward the castle. It wasn’t uncomfortably loud but with super hearing we could hear it clearly.

‘What is that?’ Liam asked, his lip curling upward in disgust.

‘Music.’

His head swiveled toward me. ‘I am aware but why?’

His guess was as good as mine. I shrugged before craning to look past him toward the mansion. ‘I don’t know. It’s Drake. They are probably just playing something for the house guests who have woken up.’

‘Are you worried?’

I focused on Liam to find him staring at me intently. I raised a brow. ‘About music?’

‘About dying.’

His question struck me as odd. Not just what he asked but the way he looked at me when he said it. I shook my head, the waves of my hair tickling my cheeks. ‘No. About my sister dying? Yes.

That cold expression returned to his face as if I had said something wrong. ‘You worry so much for others but not yourself. Why?’

I smiled but he didn’t. ‘Am I not supposed to? I mean I always assumed I would go out fighting, you know? That’s how I see it. Now Gabby? She is the one with the life and career and boyfriend. I don’t have any of that. So I’m not worried about me. I can survive almost anything. Gabby not so much.’

He didn’t say anything and just continued to stare at me as if I’d insulted him.

‘What?’ I asked. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

He shook his head slowly. ‘You are just not what I expected.’

‘What’s that mean? Ig’Morruthens don’t have feelings?’

‘Not the ones I have encountered.’

‘Oh yeah? What were they like?’

‘Powerful, dangerous, ferocious, and not nearly as annoying as you.’ That earned him a shove that barely moved him and yet he acted as if it did by grabbing his arm and rubbing it as he glared at me, a smile spreading across that ridiculously perfect face. ‘But equally violent.’

We continued to talk, moving comfortably from topic to topic, some heavy and some light-hearted, but we didn’t talk anymore about Kaden or the book. Time passed and yet it had no meaning when I was with him and that terrified me.