Page 173 of Living Legend

I pressed my lips together and took a breath, trying to steel myself for whatever came next. "Why are you doing this, Markus?"

Chapter Twenty-Seven

DANI

The golden cuffs bit into my wrists but the pain wasn't what had me scowling. I was scowling at the man who had finally let us see what he really was. Markus was free of his lies and deceit, but that just meant we all had to suffer for it. Despite the dampening powers of the handcuffs, I could feel the magic seeping off my dagger lodged in the table. I blinked away from it and up at Natalia, who had her own scowl on her face. Her scowl was aimed at Isabel, who was smiling slyly over at Markus.

I just didn't understand what any of this was about.

Markus walked into the room as if he didn't have a care in the world. The possessed sentries seemed to follow his every move. Every single step he took was accounted for.

"Why are you doing this, Markus?" Nick said from the floor, anger and confusion lacing his words.

Markus just chuckled, swiping at the lapels of his blue suit. “Hiding that beautiful weapon from me was a valiant effort.” His gray hair was slicked back now, as if he took the time to look his best just for this occasion. He sauntered over to the chair at the head of the table, pulling it back and taking a seat. He raised a hand, curling one of his fingers in acome heremotion. Three sentries stood in front of Nick, Elise, and Reese, grabbing them by their forearms, yanking them up.

Elise tried to shake her way out of their hold, but it was useless. They practically dragged her closer to Markus. Isabel raised her eyebrows at her as she passed. Nick and Reese both looked like they were surveying the surroundings, attempting to seek a way out. The sentries stopped when they deemed themselves close enough to Markus and he turned his head to Nick.

"You know, you really do remind me of your father. Always wanting to be the best, fix things, but really having no idea how to do it." He shook his head. "I really didn't want it to come to this, Nicholas, I swear."

“You don’t know anything about my father.”

Markus gave a curious smile. “I know enough.”

"So, you're working with Lilith?" Reese cut in.

Markus waved his hand dismissively. "Working for, working with. Depends how you look at it. The goal is the same, so it honestly doesn't matter. She isn't all that bad, you know."

Elise snorted. "Right. Let's not continue with all these fucking lies."

"I wouldn't be such a smartass.Sheisn't so happy with you," Isabel stated, leaning against the wooden table. She brushed the back of her hand along my cheek. "You let this one have too much free reign, but that's no matter. She'snotall that surprised you were a stow away on this little adventure."

Elise blinked her gray eyes over to me before she looked back at Isabel. The blonde Enchanter smirked at her. "Who knew you were such a softie?" Elise tried to shuffle out of the sentry’s hold, but he placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulsing out magic to choke her. She gargled out sounds between labored breaths. Isabel giggled next to me.

"Enough of that. You all had your fun on the lawn, alright?" Markus nodded towards the dagger stuck in the table. "Bring it to me."

One of the sentries at the far end of the room hustled over, ripping it from the wood and presented it to him. Markus stroked the smooth side of the blade, letting his fingers move over the grooves. "This all could have been so simple, Jonah. If you would have just listened to me, heard me out, I wouldn't have had to go to these lengths. Now look at us, at odds with one another. You even made me lock up poor Ariel, annoying prick that he is. " He pointed the dagger at Jonah, who had two sentries at his side, their hands on his shoulders. "You should have seen the look on his face when I turned against them."

"Jonah, Isabel, Lilith, my dagger, me–what the fuck do you want?" I spat out from my seat. I was frustrated and more than slightly exhausted at beating around the bush. All the secrets, all the lies; it was bullshit.

Markus gave me a small smile as he placed the tip of the blade on the table and twirled it. "You, precious one, you were living your perfect human life when this all started. You want to blame me for all of this? The man who started all of this is long dead." He lazily glanced at Jonah. "Your father would be so disappointed in you."

Nick furrowed his brow, trying to keep up with everything he was hearing.

Markus cleared his throat, letting the dagger lay flat against the wooden table. "We all used to live in peace.Allof us. There was always some strain when it came to demons and angels, but everyone knew their place. Oculus; Oculus was the place where you could run into anybody." He tapped the hilt of the dagger, leaning back in his chair. "Your mother was so adamant on making everyone feel welcome. Every. Single. Person." He locked his eyes on Natalia, who swallowed hard.

Markus raised his eyebrows. "Isaac Zuriel was selfish and a beast of a leader. He hated your mother, hated that she was so well liked, so powerful, so accepting. Angels would rather have spent time in Oculus than training here at The Skies. That was a fact; I was one of them." His hands wrapped around the ends of the armrests.

"I was never on his side, Markus!" Jonah yelled, wincing.

Markus let out a joyless laugh. "You didn't do anything about it, though, now did you?"

"I was a child!"

"You were a grown man! You could have stood up to him, but you didn't!" Markus pushed the chair back sharply, the skidding sound sharp in my ears.

"What do you want with my dagger?" I shouted, anger bubbling through my body.

Isabel yanked my head back by my hair, causing me to yelp. I noticed Nick shifting in the sentries’ arms, as if he wanted to rush over to me. "It's terribly rude to interrupt, Soul Seether. Wait your turn." She shoved my head forward, blowing a kiss towards Natalia, who just narrowed her honey eyes.

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