Page 126 of Wings of Death

“You are no match for me,” she says, her voice strained.

I can sense her own uncertainty at her words. She’s worried, and that alone further feeds my strength.

“Actually, I think it’syouwho’s no match forme,” I say.

She chuckles and forces her body to straighten up. I hear her back crack as her focus zones in on the sword on my hip and then back up again.

“You are so much like your mother,” she says, as if it’s an insult. “You look the same. You act the same. You’re just as ordinary. I never understood what Harlum saw in her.”

I frown and grit my teeth while I listen to Hethenos speak lies about my mother, waiting for the right moment to strike.

“I enjoyed taking her life. She was so weak, so desperate to protect you, she didn’t even see it coming. Or maybe she did, according to her journal.”

My eyes grow wide with shock as Hethenos pulls my mother’s journal from her jacket pocket and holds it up in the air.

“You know, it was interesting reading all about when she became a guardian angel, who her second was, and how he was in love with her. More like obsessed, actually. Harlum didn’t like it, but they came to an understanding, and that’s when Harlum took her as his wife, and she ceased her guardian duties.”

She slowly walks around the edge of the clearing, and I follow suit, wanting to maintain as much distance as possible.

“I bet you’d just love to know who her second was, wouldn’t you? Too bad.” She reaches into her pocket, pulls out the torn pages from the journal, and then lights them on fire with a wave of her hand.

“No!”

I rush forward, but Hethenos has the advantage and fires a ball of power into my chest that sends me flying into a tree. There’s a distinct crack in my back at the impact, and I know I’ve broken a couple of ribs. I roll onto my stomach, groaning as pain radiates through my back and into my chest.

“Serona’s true love. Now he was an impressive male,” she says as she slowly paces the forest floor. “A god. She loved him more than anything or anyone. But he grew tired of waiting for her. He had desires he needed fulfilled, and I was there to fulfil them. I kept him company many, many times, until she finally gave herself to him.”

Disgust twists my stomach. Hethenos was jealous of my mother even then, wanting what she had.

“Long after Stavros forged Silanthia and Zarlin murdered him to take The Throne, Harlum learnt of the beautiful goddess Serona visiting friends in Zarquon. He and Amaros hatched a plan together to take her. Harlum didn’t care about her true mate, a powerful god. He had Amaros take care of it, like he always did, and had Amaros remove her memories of that inconvenience.”

She fires another ball of power at me, and I’m caught off guard. I cry out as it hits me in the back, and a fresh wave of pain cuts into my spine.

“Harlum had to have her at all costs, no matter what,” she continues. “He even resorted to imprisoning her within theKingdom to get his own way, and prevented her from seeing her true mate,” she says. “He had the most gorgeousgreeneyes…”

Her words take a moment to sink in, and then I remember my mother’s journal. How she described my father’s green eyes, just like mine. But Harlum doesn’t have green eyes.

Hethenos claps her hands. “You’re finally starting to get it, aren’t you?”

My mind races as I stare at her in shock. Harlum isn’t my real father? How is that possible?

No, don’t listen to her. It’s all lies,I tell myself. But somehow, deep down, I know that it’s true. I take a deep breath, using the dark magic to heal myself before I get to my feet.

Hethenos giggles in an evil way. “You’re wondering where your daddy is, aren’t you, Zarla? Well, truth be told, no one really knows. Harlum took care of it. Well, his lap dog did actually.”

Is she talking about Amaros? Heknows? And then a thought occurs to me.

“Is Harlum Astelle’s father?”

Her lips curl up at the sides. “I was wondering when you would put those pieces of the puzzle together,” she says, circling the edge of the clearing. “You’re smarter than I give you credit for. And no, he isn’t. But Astelle is your sister.Halfsister, to be exact. You do share the same father. Your mother’s mate filled us both with his seed.”

I cringe at her words. Despite not knowing my father, I already despise him. How could he do that to my mother? With Hethenos, of all females. Disgust swirls inside me as I clench my fists.

“I’m guessing you won’t tell me anything else about him, like his name?”

She laughs. “As I said, you’re smarter than I give you credit for.”

It’s a long shot, but I have to try. Amaros will know, and hewilltell me.

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