Page 66 of Voices in the Stars
Atlas shook his head. “One of us needs to be able to blend in with the people of this city.”
“Remind me again of why that is,” Eris questioned, staring at Atlas over the rim of his drink. A drink that looked oddly thick as it sloshed against the edges of the glass.
“Who would’ve been able to bring Nari here when all of Feycrest ran from them in fear?” Atlas asked instead.
“Your sister. Who would’ve returned days ago.” Eris glared at him. There was a pause in their conversation as the two of them stared at each other. It didn’t last long until Eris turned his attention back to me. “All that matters now is that she is here.”
His slow smile sent chills racing down my spine. The fire in me pooled at my hands, just waiting for the moment I needed to call on it. My breathing came easier with its response. Even if I felt alone, I was no longer defenseless. Hopefully.
“I sure hope you’re ready,” Eris commented.
“I’m sure I will be, once you tell me why I’m here,” I remarked, bracing myself for another slap.
It didn’t come. Instead, a laugh bounced around the room. It seemed foreign as it came from Eris. His face was twisted in what was the closest thing to joy I was sure he could’ve managed.
“What happened to the scared little girl from before?” he asked, leaning toward me.
“Crazy what watching your family burn can do to someone,” I remarked instead, feeling the years of anger I had taken from me come rushing back.
One moment I was standing on my own, the next Eris was in my face. His fingers were wrapped around my throat, holding me up. My toes barely touched the ground as my hands clawed at him. My breaths were forced gasps that I could barely suck down. No one else around us moved. Ivy stayed on the couch, her own twisted grin forming as she watched. Atlas was grinding his teeth as his eyes were glued to me.
Just as quickly as I was picked up, I was thrown onto the ground, gasping for breath. My neck throbbed as I glared up at the smirking man.
“Hopefully you’re done playing stupid now,” Eris commented as he sat back down. “Call them.”
“Who?” I questioned, standing on shaking legs.
My eyes were glued to him as I waited for any more quick movements. Instead, he rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t care who you pick. Just call one here.” He ground the words out between his teeth.
The tension weighed heavily in the room as we all waited in silence. He was watching me, waiting for me to do something. I couldn’t help just standing there, blinking at him as I waited for him to say anything else.
“The gods, witch,” Atlas finally chimed in. “Bring one of them here to us.”
My mouth dropped open as I looked over at him. That’s why I was brought here. The laugh that came from me felt like it was ripped out. I could barely control my fire, and they wanted me to rip the gods from their homes and bring them here?
“How do you want me to accomplish that? Ask them nicely? They won’t listen to me,” I said, hoping they would see the truth in my words.
There was a loud crash from behind me, causing me to jump forward. The glass Eris had was now in pieces along the ground. A metallic smell wafted from the red liquid that slid down the wall.
“Enough!” he yelled, pointing a finger at me. “That is the one thing your damn coven was good for. They will listen to you. I expect you to call them to you.”
“I don’t know how,” I tried instead. If he was telling the truth, that knowledge was still locked away.
“Then we’ll help you remember. I’m nothing if not a patient man.” He nodded his head to Ivy before reclining back on the couch.
A smile once again twisted along his face as Ivy stood. She danced around me, her own smile growing as she looked over me. I ripped my attention from her to look at Atlas, pleading for his help. He was watching his own sister, arms tense. His body jerked forward the same moment searing pain burned down my back. A scream tore through me as I crumbled to the ground.
I wasn’t allowedto fall far. Hands grabbed my own, wrapping them behind me to keep me standing as the pain kept radiating through every part of my body. My breaths were short gasps as my body jerked away from Ivy. The pain would ease momentarily before my back was sliced open in a new spot. It felt like it lasted forever. My entire back felt like it had been set ablaze before I was finally allowed to fall to the floor.
Ivy was standing above me. A red-stained shard of glass was clenched in her fist, blood dripping from it into the puddle of blood on the floor. Her finger traced along the glass, covering herself in my blood before putting it in her mouth with a cheery grin on her face. Once her finger was clean, she leaned down toward me.
“You look so pretty with my name in you,” she whispered.
It sent chills down my spine that only caused me to whimper. The shiver sent a new wave of pain through my back down to my legs. Ivy laughed down at me before standing. Eris spoke to her, but my mind was too busy reeling with the pain to focus on what he was saying. Dark spots danced across my vision as I tried to breathe through it. I was tempted to reach out to trip her as I was stepped over, but my body felt like it was paralyzed. All I wanted was to keep laying in my puddle of blood.
The room started to spin as Eris followed his daughter out of the room. I didn’t know how long I was left alone on the ground. It could’ve been mere heartbeats or days between him leaving and Atlas joining me on the ground. A hiss left me as he cradled me against him.
