Page 93 of Forging Darkness

I tug at the ring around my wrist, planning to toss it away from me, but it feels fused to my flesh. Fantastic.

“I have one too. I’m not sure what it does because I can still morph, but I can’t get it off either.”

“It only does as I said. Shields you from Fallen.”

The words bounce off the walls from down the corridor. I may not be able to see into the cell next to me, but I can see down the hall a bit. Thorne comes striding into view. He stops on the opposite side of the bars from me. I stand and put several feet of space between us.

“How’s your head?”

A low rumble comes from Steel’s cell. Thorne’s gaze only flicks in that direction before returning to me.

“Where are the humans?”

“Back where they belong.”

“You’re a monster.”

The darkened lightning in his aura flares—the only indication he’s bothered by my words.

“I came to say goodbye.”

“Why don’t you save yourself some time and kill me already? All this,” I indicate the cell. “Seems a little pointless.”

Thorne’s gaze softens as he places his hands on the bars. His voice is quiet when he speaks. “We’re not going to kill you, Emberly.” I don’t have time to be surprised before he goes on. “At least not the way you’re thinking.” A ball of ice forms in my chest. I want to have misinterpreted his meaning, but I don’t think I have.

“Seraphim then?”

His lips press into a straight line as he nods.

“That was the arrangement I worked out with her. If I couldn’t make you one of us willingly, she was allowed to take you as her vessel. I once told you we could never be enemies. This way we won’t be.”

Something slams into Steel’s cell bars so violently, stone dust rains down on my head and the walls tremble.

“No!” he roars. He must be ramming himself into the bars, because it happens again, and again, and again.

I want to soothe him, but I can’t show any weakness in front of Thorne. I certainly don’t want to show Steel any affection and make him more of a target than he already is. Steel swears and throws insults at Thorne. I’d smirk at some of the more creative ones if I wasn’t so numb.

“What are you doing with him?” I have to raise my voice to be heard over Steel’s raging.

“There’s to be a tournament. The Fallen who is victorious can claim him as their vessel.”

Both of our fates, sealed.

“You can’t do this!” Steel yells.

Thorne turns his head, locking his gaze on Steel. Any softness on his face melts away, leaving an icy shell behind.

“So this is the infamous Steel, the angel-born who’s plagued our Silver’s nightmares all these years.” Thorne strides toward Steel, but his profile remains visible through the bars of my cage. “You look a bit worse for wear.”

Barbed wire tightens around my heart, squeezing painfully. What I wouldn’t give to be able to set my eyes on Steel right now. I let a bit of the pain leak onto my face since Thorne’s attention is elsewhere.

After his rampage, Steel’s deadly calm is eerie. “I know you.”

Say what now?

Thorne raises his eyebrows a half-inch. “Is that so?”

“You can’t have her.”

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