Page 54 of Blood of Two Crowns

Azrael’s eyes narrowed again, this time with concern.

“Are you feeling ill?”

Fuck me, why am I smiling again?

I cleared my throat as I took my seat across from him and made eye contact with about a dozen fucking effigies of Azrael’ssoulboundthat all seemed to have been sculptedto boast the most judgemental expression fathomable. Twelve of them surrounded us in a circle from their columns only feet away from where we sat beneath Vassileo’s fiveAkash-forsaken red suns. Despite Azrael keeping his courtyard a balmy 72 degrees thanks to his magic, sweat trickled down my back.

Why am I so nervous?

What if he’s done nothing wrong, and I’m just losing my fucking mind?

Awkwardness settled between us. The food, though undoubtedly delicious, held zero appeal to me despite my immense hunger. My fangs ached, and I couldn’t help but shift restlessly.

Why are we even here?

“Is there… Something in particular you’d like to discuss with me?”

Azrael gave me a polite but notably forced smile. “I realize that, while your desire in coming here is due to your desire to protect Bellorum and Avernus, but… I feel I owe you a great deal of gratitude…”

Oh…

The tension in my body that had been building for over a week, eased slightly.

Maybe I am just insane.

“… Despite theastronomicalnumber of people you’ve killed here, which bears its own consequences that I won’t bore you with, your power is… breathtaking in magnitude. The wards holding the realm together feel stronger than they have in millennia. I’ve been working closely with the alchemist who created the rhyton, and I’m certain that soon, we’ll find a way for you to feed as much as you need while also helping me hold the fabric of this realm together. I’m not afraid to admit, I owe you a great debt, and… I hope that one day, I’ll be able to repay you.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little speechless.And wildly disarmed.

No one had ever expressed gratitude so freely to me. Or at least as far as I could remember. Internally, my mind battled with his seemingly sincere kindness and my rapidly dwindling sanity. From beneath the table, my thumb found it’s way to the scar on my arm bearing Malekai’s name, and it instantly grounded me.

“Thank you… Though, it’s not like I had anyone or anything tying me to Bellorum, and my father’s been ruling Avernus on his own since time immemorial. If anything, I just wish I’d been able to spend more time with him and my mother before coming here.”

Azrael gave me a sad smile. “Perhaps they can come visit sometime.”

Right. You’re officially insane.

Magic crackled through the air moments before a male with giant wings and golden, iris-less eyes stepped through the garden doors. His mouth opened to speak, but his words were cut short when they landed on me. Both his astounding beauty and a strange familiarity to him that I couldn’t place stilled the breath in my lungs.

Azrael’s body went rigid at the sight of him. “Asterion. You’re supposed to be travelling to Creshmir to meet your new squadron.”

“I was, but there’s another riot. They’ve set fire to Malovada city.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

MAREINA

If it weren’t for the oppressive heat of the suns, the flight to Creshmir might have even been enjoyable. Instead, my boob sweat was enough to tempt me into flying naked. Just when I decided in favor of it, the sound of wingbeats behind me snagged my attention. Tendrils of red magic were already pouring out of me as I whirled around, shocked to discover the male who’d blessedly interrupted lunch with Azrael.

“Don’t you have a squadron waiting for you?”

A rueful smirk tilted his lips, otherworldly golden eyes glinting in the sunlight. “No one waits in Vassileo. Not even the nephilim. And Azrael might feel comfortable sending someone to quell a fiery riot in Malovada alone, but I don’t.”

A surprising swell of appreciation burned bright in my heart. I’d always fought alone, even if it was beside a whole company of soldiers. Survived a war alone. Served Zurie alone. Lived alone. My life in Atratus had been utterly bleak at best.

So, for this male to be concernedfor me…

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