I swallow the roar threatening to rip from my chest. I don’t know what happened yet, but Mercy’s tears threaten to shred every bit of my restraint. Lately, my emotions—especially where she’s concerned—have been harder and harder not to act on. But I can’t lose control. She needs me to be steady.
My fingers drift up her spine, weaving wisps of shadowed courage into her. To my surprise, she arches into the touch, nuzzling her cheek against my chest. “Keep going,” I murmur. You can tell me.”
She takes a shaky breath. “When he came home, he was angry and said I’m not allowed to leave the house until my wedding. Blamed me for possibly ruining everything. He said all the bribe money I lost him has to be paid back.”
A shudder rolls through her body. The magic in the air snaps, sizzling where it clashes with mine. But it’s not my magic—it’s Mercy’s. I can feel it as clearly as my own—wild, untethered. I don’t dare tell her. Not yet. If our magic feeds off one another, we could have a serious problem. Instead, I fight hard to keep my anger in check.
“Paid back how?” I ask through gritted teeth.
She doesn’t answer. Her sobs break free, wracking her entire body. Minutes later, when her cries quiet, she sniffles and whispers—so low I almost miss it—“He sometimes sells—” A shudder tears through her. “He sometimes sells my body to cover his debts. He sold my virginity to pay off what he owedthe tavern when they threatened to kill him. My mother doesn’t know. She can’t.”
Rage floods every inch of me. My vision edges to black as I clench my jaw. I’m going to fucking kill him. I’ll drag his soul to the Kingdom of Agony and Penance myself and make certain he suffers for everything he’s stolen from her. And then I’ll move her into the manor where she belongs. Like I should have done years ago. Fuck the Ringmaster’s wishes. I’m not his puppet. She’s my soulmate. I don’t doubt it anymore. I was meant to save her from this life, and there’s no future where I don’t.
She draws back, shame thick on her face. “I…I’m sorry,” Mercy stammers. “I shouldn’t have come. I know you told me not to, but—as hard as it might be to believe, there’s more.”
“What do you mean, there’s more?” I ask, gritting my teeth.
She wipes away a tear with the back of her hand and looks up at me through soaked lashes. “When he told me I’d never be able to leave again and put my mother in charge of being my jailor,” her voice wavers. “I snapped. And then something bad happened.”
“Mercy, what happened?”
She gulps. “I froze them. Or maybe I froze time. At least, I think I did, because judging from your reaction, it wasn’t you.”
Tears stream down her face, painting salty rivers. All I can think about is how I want to kiss them away. There’s nothing stoppingme. I take her hands in mine, step closer, and bend to press a kiss to each teardrop that falls.
“Mercy,” I mumble. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll ask Zora to help unfreeze them.”
She looks down, guilt spreading across her face. “Um,” she stammers, hesitating.
“What is it?” I ask, concerned.
“It wasn’t just my parents I froze. I didn’t see a single living thing that wasn’t frozen until I arrived here and ran into the girl who brought me to you.” Her confession catches me off guard. I blink, stunned.
“You froze the entire town?”
“I think so,” Mercy replies. “But Azrael, why aren’t you frozen?”
Shit.
I knew this day might come—sooner rather than later. “Mercy,” I say, “I think you already know the answer to that question.”
She bites her lip, looking away from me. “Azrael, what are you?”
I sigh. “I can’t tell you. But I think you can figure it out if you try.”
“Why can’t you tell me?” she presses.
“Because, my angel, I’m bound by bigger things than this world.” I drop my voice as much as I can.
“Are you a monster?”
I feel a part of me breaking. That’s how she sees me. And the worst part? She’s right. I’m death incarnate. Slowly, sadness seeps over me, engulfing me in despair.
It’s my turn to hang my head. “You could call me that,” I rasp, tasting the truth like poison on my tongue.
“Well then, I guess I fell in love with a monster. What does that make me?”
“Foolish,” I reply, my tone dark and foreboding.
