Chapter 33

Adrius tugged the hood back from his head and faced me. For a long moment there was nothing but white-hot silence rippling between us.

The elderly guard did not know quite what to make of the exchange, nor of the wordless battle taking shape.

Adrius took a step forward, and I caught the gleam of his sword beneath his cloak as he leaned against the open gate.

He broke the silence first. "I can guess why you have come."

"Then you can guess that I need to see her," I replied.

"She is fine."

"She is not fine. She's in danger."

"Then I will protect her from that danger."

I hissed through my teeth. "You will get her and yourself killed. There is only one of those scenarios I'm willing to let happen." I leaned in. "Care to guess which?"

Adrius smiled. "If it were that easy for me to die, I'd be dead by now, wouldn't I?" He shrugged one shoulder. "You won't touch me. And I will not let you near her."

"I'm not asking for your permission."

He pulled away from the wall, frowning. "No, but you should be. She's with me now, Zanthiel. If there is something you have to say to her, you can say it to me. I will deliver the message."

A muscle in my cheek twitched. For a moment my thoughts shifted to Sylos. Perhaps this exchange was well timed. If he was able to reach Lorelei, then possibly she would meet me regardless of Adrius’s objections.

"There are more beings hunting you than you know. And I can grant her access to the mortal realm."

His eyes narrowed. "How?"

"It’s complicated, and I don’t have the luxury of time to explain it all."

Adrius laughed. "Typical. Full of secrecy because your intentions are never what you claim. What are you really up to, Zanthiel? We’ve heard of your search for her. I want to know why."

I fought back a flare of anger. "I am here to warn you both. And to offer a way to stay alive. Quite probably your only way."

He extended his arms, spreading them wide. "Think I've done a good job of doing that myself."

"Yes," I conceded. "You have. But things are different now. You think you know who hunts you, but you haven't got the whole truth."

"And you do." He nodded, his lips curling into a smirk. Sarcasm dripped from his words. "Well, thank you for the warning and for your caring concern, but we are on our way to meet with Hawthrin. If there have been any changes in the status of the veil, he will know of them."

"He might, or he might not," I said, folding my arms. "Wizards do not necessarily familiarize themselves with the darker places of the realm."

Adrius was as stubborn and bull-headed as he'd always been. He would be of no use in this. My only hope was with Sylos now, that he'd been able to get the letter to Lorelei.

"That may be true, but at least we know we can trust him. That he does not have ulterior motives at play."

"Is that what you think?"

"It’s what I know. I know you, remember? I know that you heard she was unable to cross back into her world. And I know you would see that as an opportunity to claim her for your own again."

I chuckled at his ignorance. "Lorelei is no damsel in distress. Whether she knows it or not, she is the most powerful sorceress in this realm. No one can claim her unless she decides to be claimed. She will make her choice of her own free will." I shook my head, hating how vulnerable that knowledge made me feel, then flashed a half-grin. "But that's it, isn't it? You don't want her to have a choice. You want her to believe you are her only choice. That her world begins and ends with you," I said, my eyes narrowing. "You want her dependent on you, and you fear she'll leave you once she sees she can stand on her own. And you're letting your pride come before the safety of one you claim to love. Again."

Heat sizzled and hissed around us as cold air clashed with hot.

His eyes darkened. "Don't you dare bring up past events. Unless you'd like me to remind you of how they began in the first place."

"And who escalated them to where they now lie?" I countered.

His head dipped to the side. “On the subject of Venus, rumor has it she had help escaping Oberon’s tower.”

That caught me off guard, and my scowl deepened. “How would you know that?”

“It's none of your concern how I know. What matters is where she is. Do you even know?”

My jaw clenched as I fought to remain civil. “That is none of your concern.”

Adrius blew out a long breath. "I am leaving now," he said. "And I suggest you do the same."

He jerked his head to the right, toward the gate. "Whatever forces you used on the guard would only get you through the gates. This place is under many layers of protective magic. It is impenetrable. You would die a slow, agonizing death before you reached her." He smiled. "And while I would not find that entirely unpleasant to watch…she might."

I want to tear his heart from his chest. I want to encase his remains in ice, for all of eternity. I want to make him pay for seizing the one good thing in our world.

Imagining the infinite ways I could separate his head from his body only lasted a moment before the bad blood between us showed me the truth in the Gypsy's words. This was the path that had led to Venus's death. I was not willing to go down it again.

"We need to put our differences aside. For her sake," I told him. "Too much is at stake here." With more effort than one might imagine, I managed to extend my hand to him in a gesture of good will.

Adrius turned his face away, exhaled a loud sigh, then turned back and extended his hand.

I shook it, and he clamped another hand over mine. In a low voice he said, "This would never be for your sake."

I gave a sardonic smile. "I would assume nothing less," I said, waiting for him to let go before pulling my hand away.

He turned his back and walked through the gates.

Then he paused and turned to face me. "I think this belongs to you." He pulled out a scorched parchment—the only words visible were “Dear Lorelei”— then he crumpled it in his fist and tossed it at my feet.