Shattered Souls (Guardians of the Maiden Book 3)

Dyna smiled drowsily at the moonlight spilling past the curtains. She was sleepy but she wanted to wait for Cassiel to return with the food they both desperately needed. Pushing off the blanket, she rose off the couch and stretched, shaking herself awake.

The floor length mirror by the wardrobe held my reflection. Dyna’s hair fell in messy waves around her face, her skin was flushed and her lips were swollen. The evidence of everywhere Cassiel had been. Clutching her wrinkled nightgown, Dyna closed her eyes, still feeling the phantom caress of his hands. Then she traced the black trails left behind by his vows. Some were already beginning to fade and would be gone by morning. Invisible, but always present in their bond. Permanently sealed once she was ready to join herself to him.

Dyna blushed when she noticed her nightgown hardly hid anything. He wouldn’t mind if she borrowed some clothes. She went through his wardrobe and pulled out tunic and trousers.

The soft sound of a door creaked open in the drawing room when she finished dressing.

“Was there anything left?” Dyna teased as she buttoned the trousers.

There had been piles of food at the wedding but hundreds of guests. The kitchens were closed by now, and the servants would have long retired for the night, so expectations were low. She folded up the long sleeves up her arms as he entered behind her.

“Please tell me you at least found some bread.”

He didn’t answer.

The hairs stood on the back of her neck at the missing roiling energy that belonged to her mate. She fell completely still, facing the balcony where moonlight glinted over the polished stone floors.

Cassiel

Patience, lev sheli. She could hear the smile in his voice. His affection in the bond. I reached the kitchen, but no one is here. Who thought it was a great idea to put it so deep in the castle? I had to descend three levels of stairs.

Dyna filled her hands with magic, but a cold blade met her throat.

“If you struggle or shout for help, I will plunge this knife through your skull,” a voice snarled in her ear. “Your death will break him first. When he is writhing on the ground, I will hack off his head and throw him off the side of the mountain where his filthy blood will be buried beneath the snow.”

Horror rocked through her at the vivid picture that created in her mind. Whoever stood behind her wasn’t someone she had met or heard before. But his hatred was real. Dyna could feel exactly what he thought of Cassiel and the half-breeds.

But his rough voice didn’t match the hiss Zev described the night of the festival. There had to be more people involved. The only way he could have snuck in her room past the Valkyrie was because he had help.

This was her chance to find out who was behind the plot. She wasn’t the main target, otherwise he would have killed her.

“I won’t struggle,” Dyna said.

The assailant wrapped black fabric over her eyes, tying it around her head. He grabbed her arm next in his large grasp and slapped something cold on her wrist. Essence vanished from her veins and she bit back a gasp at the witch’s bangle.

After quickly tying her hands together, he yanked, and she tripped blindly over her bare feet as he half dragged her across the room at a quick pace. She felt the warmth of the hearth fade when they reached the drawing room. He moved past the main door, and she knew where they were going before he shoved her into the hidden corridor. Her feet landed on the dusty cold floor.

I found some bread, Cassiel said, sounding rather proud of himself.

She coughed on dusty air catching in her throat. Cassiel, please stay calm. His alarm rang the bond. When you return I won’t be here. They’ve come for me.

His panic hit her and she sensed he was running.

It’s all right. I’m choosing to go. I will find out who is behind this.

What? No, Dyna!

Be prepared for anything. She threw up her shield and layered it with steel.

Cassiel banged against it, and the castle seemed to shake with his full fury. His Seraph fire convulsed through the bond. It was clawing its way out, and nothing would hold him back.

“He’s coming,” she said. “Take me where you planned and quickly, before he finds you.”

The assailant pulled her through another doorway. The stuffy corridor was replaced with fresh air and an icy breeze slipping through her clothing. He hooked her under his arm and she heard the beat of wings. The whoosh of wind stole her into the air. Dyna dug her fingers into the assailant’s clothing, clinging on for dear life. The bitter air pricked at her like a thousand needles. She wasn’t properly dressed for the weather. It was so cold, it stole away all of her body heat, and she was beginning to go numb.

How far was he taking her?

The answer came when he let go and she fell through the air. Dyna’s shriek cut off when she landed on frozen rock, and pain throbbed against her scraped palms and knees.

“Where are we?” another voice sobbed. “Who are you?”

Dyna pushed off the ground and sat back on her heels. “Sarrai?”

The celestial female cried harder. “Why are we here? Did you do this?”

“Where are you?” Dyna stretched out her bound hands and searched blindly for her. Why was she here?

“I can’t see,” she cried. “Why is this happening?”

“Come to me. Follow my voice.”

“Silence,” the assailant barked.

Across from her, came the soft scuff of boots. Someone else was here.

“My uncle is Gadriel Nephele, the Lord of Nazar,” Sarrai snapped. “He will not stand for this. You will be punished if you—Don’t touch me! Let me go!”

 Sarrai’s voice cut off with the sounds of a struggle, feet wildly kicking at the ground. There came a brutal snap and an excruciating scream that pierced Dyna’s ears.

“Sarrai!” A body hit the rock wall beside Dyna and a dusting of snow dropped on top of her. “Sarrai?” She reached out and felt soft feathers. Sarrai quietly sobbed. “I’m here. I’m here. It will be all right. They will come for us.”

“No one is coming … My uncle must be the one behind this. I know he wanted to be rid of me…” she cried weakly. “I didn’t tell him…”

Dyna blindly felt for Sarrai. “Tell him what?”

“Asiel…I didn’t tell him that I love him … but now I am surely unwanted…”

Dyna’s fingers met bloodied feathers and broken bone. “Why?” She screamed at whoever brought them here, trembling with a fury that banished the cold. “Merely because she is different? Well, we all bleed the same color.” Dyna looked out at where she guessed they stood. “Remove these bindings and let me show you.”

Someone moved toward her and a faint citrus scent drifted in her nose.

“That’s enough.”

Dyna stiffened at the sound of that voice. She should have known.

“Leave us,” he ordered.

The flap of wings in the wind signaled their assailants were gone. Only then was the blindfold removed, and Dyna met Malakel’s sneer. He had been behind everything? No, not completely. Otherwise, they would have recognized his voice.

His mouth curled at the paint on her neck. “What is it like to bed a Nephilim?”

Dyna spat in his face. If he wanted to be revolting then she would give it right back. Malakel cursed and moved away. She took the opportunity to check on Sarrai, but she wasn’t moving.

“Sarrai?” Dyna pressed her fingers to Sarrai’s pulse and exhaled in relief when she found it.

Sarrai’s lashes fluttered weakly. One of her grey wings was broken at the arch. She must have fainted from the pain. With only her nightgown on, Sarrai was pale and frozen to the touch.

Dyna looked out at where they were. At first, all she saw was snow and wind. The white glow of the Hyalus tree was far below. They were in a shallow cave on the side of the Hermon Mountains.

“You are vile.” Malakel wiped his cheek with a handkerchief. “Like him.”

“You call me vile? Look at what they did to her!”

His cold blue eyes barely flickered at Sarrai’s bloodied wing. “She will heal.”

“Why is she even here? What do you want with us?”

“From you? Nothing but Cassiel’s downfall.” Malakel leaned against the rock wall opposite of her and crossed his arms. It was then she noticed he no longer wore his usual robes. He was strapped with grand golden armor and a sword rested at his hip. Beneath his arm, he held a melted molded with the shape of wings on the sides. “We both heard the same thing outside that door,” he said, each word cutting. “I refuse to allow him to take my throne. He has stolen enough.”

Gods.

With everything that happened in the day, she had forgotten about Malakel.

Dyna shook her head. “Cassiel doesn’t want to be king. If you would only talk to him—”

“You don’t reason with abominations. You erase them.” His mouth curled. “This was probably your plan from the beginning, wasn’t it, witch? Why have a prince when you can have a king?”Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Before she could reply, another Celestial dropped from the sky and landed on ledge outside of the cave. Snowflakes coated his blond hair and clothing. He was also dressed for battle.

Asiel’s wide eyes locked on her. “What is this?”

“This is bait.” Malakel pushed off the cave wall. “How else did you expect to get him here?”

Asiel stormed to them. “I didn’t agree to this! Cassiel would have answered the challenge without the abduction of his mate.” He stopped short when he spotted Sarrai’s unconscious form, and his chest heaved at the sight of her bloody feathers. “What have you done?”

“I said they are bait.” Malakel sneered. “You don’t want Hermon. You want her. Near and dear as she is to you. Well, you cannot have one without the other. Did you truly think I would trust you to go through with our plan without the proper motivation?”

Sarrai moaned weakly as Dyna worked to reset her wing. The bone struggled to heal. Those cretins brutally snapped her wing nearly off.

Malakel twirled a knife in his hand “Challenge Cassiel and retake the Realm. I will take everything else. Defy me and I will defile Sarrai’s blood by mixing it with this witch. Then you will never have her.” He shrugged. “She is beneath you, anyway, cousin. Better to find yourself a pureblooded female instead.”

Asiel was shaking. There was nothing but pure wrath etching his face. Dyna had seen that look on only one other person. And when she was harmed, all he wanted was blood.

“You’re not very smart,” she said, scooting out of the way. “Or you would know better than to harm someone’s mate.”

Asiel threw himself at Malakel.

The princes crashed into the wall. Asiel drove his fist into him with a blind brutality before Malakel kicked him off. They drew out their flaming swords and took their fight to the skies.

Sarrai’s wings twitched under Dyna’s grip. The flesh was working hard to reattach itself. She tore a strip of her tunic and tied it around the wing for better support.

“Asiel?” Sarrai’s lashes fluttered weakly.

“He’s here,” Dyna said. “They came.”

In the distance, a blaze as bright as a blue sun was cleaving through the vast night toward her with the speed of a comet. A force that turned everything in its path to ash.

Malakel saw him coming.

He disarmed Asiel with one skilled move and slashed through his stomach in the next. White feathers trailed after him as he plummeted from the air and crashed outside the cave. Dyna ran out to Asiel. Smoke spiraled from his torso scorched black. He was unconscious and terribly wounded, but his blood was already working to heal him.

“I hereby challenge you, Cassiel Soaraway!” Malakel’s voice boomed in the night.

The blue comet halted in the sky.

Her mate was unrecognizable. A creature of pure flame with molten blue eyes fixed on his brother. Embers drifted off him with every flap of his wings.

Cassiel hovered among the stars, his face expressionless. A cool mask that didn’t betray a hint of emotion, while his writhing fury coated the air, falling over her protectively like an entity poised to strike.

He only came for one thing.

To kill the one who took her, and he had his target.

“I challenge you for everything you own,” Malakel continued. “Including your life.”