Page 70 of Blood of Two Crowns

“Where is she?”

“The mountains… With anothersoulbound.”

The words seemed to cut the air off in my throat as I anticipated a blinding stab of jealousy that didn’t come. Perhaps it was the dream softening the blow of what should have been devastating news.

“Who?”

“His name is Ataraxus. Another drakonati.”

I scanned my Knowingness and my heart, still waiting for jealous rage and betrayal to burn through me like the flames consuming the palace. Instead, I feltrelief.

She’s safe. Surely?

Somnus nods. “He guards her with his life.”

I have so many questions, but none are more important than the task at hand.

“Do you think Azrael will let her come home with us?”

Somnus frowns. “Not even remotely.”

Talons of fear sank into my heart.

“Will you help us get her back?”

Somnus’ frown hardened with regret and anger.

“Ataraxus will. And you need to ensure you take him back to Bellorum with you.”

“… That is not what I asked.”

Somnus heaved a sigh. “I cannot.”

My words came out as harsh as I intended. It was his niece forAkash’ssake.“Why?”

“Because I made a bargain with Azrael. And he will killmy soulboundif he discovers my betrayal. Eventhisrisks his wrath.”

“Are you not powerful enough to kill him?”

“If I were to be cunning about it, certainly, but killing—while sometimes necessary—is not always the answer. Azrael is suffering. And like you, he is not beyond redemption.”

The weight of Somnus’ gaze somehow grew impossibly heavier as though he waswillingme to feel the gravitas of his words.

“And…If he were to die, his hell realms would open up to all of Bellorum and, eventually, Avernus. His power would dissipate across the universe in which his realms exist, and the barrier that separates Bellorum from Vassileo would unravel completely. Our worlds would blend. The beings from Vassileo wouldn’t merely find their way to Bellorum via some portal— all of Bellorum would become a hell realm. And the divine realm of Ourinessa would be destroyed. There would also be no one to hold dominion over the souls of those in Ourinessa or Vassileo. The dead realms would merge with the living realms. I cannot even begin to fathom the consequences of such a thing because it has never happened. Azraelmustlive.”

My gaze returned to the flames, and it felt like I was reliving the nightmare for the first time. My guilt doubled down on me. Not because of how I hurt Mareina, destroyed our relationship, or played such an integral part in Mareina’s feelings of obligation to martyr herself, but because I realized then that I wasabsolutelyok with facing those consequences if it meant getting Mareina back.

“If you came here thinking that would be enough of a deterrent to prevent me from killing Azrael?—

Somnus’ laughter cut me short.

“Akash,no. I’d kill every last one of you if it meant saving mysoulbound.”

The nonchalance and honesty of his admission had me seeing him through new eyes and wondering how I’d presumed himinnocent.

Somnus offered me an easy shrug as if weweren’tstanding in a palace on fire, collapsing around us, and he hadn’t just blatantly admitted that he wouldn’t hesitate to murder us. “Nothing personal. You’d do the same for yours.”

The groan of metal and crashing of stone were stark reminders that time was of the essence. Somnus’ features darkened as he looked away to some distant point. I recognized the expression because I had worn it each time a vision overtook me.

---