“It wasn’t just your link to Oathkeeper. He cut your connection to the angelic divine at the same time,” Hazel whispers. “Then you scared the hell out of me and Annex. And I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought you to my family.”
That makes sense.
Without access to other harvesters, the next closest thing would be a reaper.
Hazel kisses my cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I frown as she climbs off me, but Annex extends a hand, helping me sit up. They each take a seat on either side of me, and it’s comforting to have them both so close when I have no idea what’s happening.
“I’m afraid I’m still having trouble comprehending what happened. I should be in agony right now,” I say, shaking my head.
An angel isn’t always cut off from the angelic divine when they fall, but they always lose access to any gilded weapons. Based on the crime, the council will vote on whether it’s necessary to cut their connection to the source, but that call never should have fallen to Nathaniel.
That asshole knew I was only offering Oathkeeper.
He had no reason to cut my link to the angelic divine.
Nothing outside of spite.
I have no trouble believing what Hazel said is true. I’m just genuinely confused how I’m alive and not in agony if that truly happened.
“As I was saying,” Wraith says, “your soul was in shock. It needed to be tethered. Nadia?—”
“That’s my mom,” Hazel cuts in, grabbing my hand and wrapping her fingers in mine.
“Yes,” Wraith agrees. “Nadia helped us tether your soul to Hazel. Don’t worry, there are no negative side effects. Knight and I are similarly tethered to Hazel’s mother. Blood witches truly are one of the more mysterious gifts from the universe, and Hazel has just enough blood magic that the process went off smoothly. Binding you to Truthseeker was slightly more complicated?—”
“Tell him about the baby bird analogy,” the sin eater says, laughing.
“Dad,” Hazel says, her voice lined in warning. “Don’t worry about that. Knight thinks everything is funny.”
“Itishilarious, but you’re right. It’s probably too soon.” Knight winks at Hazel and steps over, grabbing a box from the floor. He moves closer, handing it to me. “Here you are. Consider it a bonding gift.” His head swivels to Annex. “We’ll have to owe you one for next time.”
Annex laughs as I take the box with the hand not wrapped in Hazel’s.
“You needed a conduit to fuel your magic.” Wraith nods to the box. “And we only had one weapon not bonded to its owner.”
“Go on.” Hazel nods, squeezing my hand.
I lift the lid to find…
The tiniest dagger I’ve ever seen.
My fingers buzz as I slide them over the cool metal.
“It’s demonic in nature,” I say absently. “But I feel the pull to it the same way I did with Oathkeeper.”
“You should be able to store it in the ether,” Wraith says. “At the very least, it will keep you from starving.”
“We know the guy that made it,” Knight says. “If it works for you, we’ll see what we can do about having him forge something more appropriately sized.”
“Hazel can always stop time to give you an advantage against your adversary,” Wraith says.
“Come on, man.” Annex bumps my shoulder with his. “Your new dads are trying. Give them something…”
My eyes widen as my sleepy mind catches up.
I drop the box on Hazel’s lap and stand, but I’m wobbly.
