A tinge of sadness crosses his face at the mention of home. I don’t think Torque ever considered the Mortal Realm to be his.
I belt Hubris to my side, then make my way out the door. A furious Mammon sits at the table, tapping his foot.
“You’re that bothered by a small group of rebels?” I ask, watching him get up and pace to the door.
“They’re not only rebels. Apparently, the Blood Law has attempted to take the capital and nearly succeeded. It is in our best interests to get back now. I won’t see my homeland destroyed.”
“I’m not arguing with you, Mammon. Please find someone else to pick a fight with.” I push past him out the door, leaving Torque to deal with him.
“Anima, I didn’t mean it like that. Being here in battle has my blood boiling. There isn’t a time where I haven’t been a general in this realm. It’s making me anxious.”
I stop my stride and pivot toward him, putting my hand on his shoulder. “I may not know what it’s like to be at war, but I know what it’s like to care about something so much you feel like it’s your own. Torque will travel with you to the Bloodlands.”
Relief spreads on his face as he pats my hand on his shoulder.
“You’ll make a good queen.”
“No labels, Mammon, or we’ll be here for a week. Everyone wants to call me something new. I’m just Anima. Nothing else.”
Sixteen
ANIMA
The dining hall is filled with demons. I saw some the night of the ball, but others here are foreign to me. A page runs up to Torque and me, leading us over to a dais similar to the ballroom's thrones.
Nox and Uriel sit side by side with Umbra and her men to their left. I’m glad to see them all unharmed. A knot I didn’t know I was carrying loosens in my chest.
Torque and I take a seat to the right of Nox. He stands and gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek before returning to his seat. The entire dining hall has eyes on us. I squirm at the scrutiny.
“How are you feeling?” Uriel says, leaning over Nox. His gaze runs over me, checking for injuries.
“Better. My magic is back, and I’m feeling more like myself. How did everyone fare? How many casualties?”
I take a sip of the wine a servant gives me. It takes like regular wine but with a chocolate aftertaste. I prefer the demonwine from the ball.
“We lost fifty soldiers. I would say that’s a good number for the attack we faced. We could have lost a lot more,” Nox says, picking up his own glass and taking a sip.
“I’d like to know more about strategy. If I’m going to take Rahna down, I have to assume she’ll have an army. My strength is in the killing, not in planning.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. If you were at court when you were a child, you’d have taken classes in it.”
Wishing what could have been isn’t something I want to dwell on. I don’t know if my life would have been easier here. A lot of things could have gone wrong.
“I must go back to the Bloodlands,” Torque says, bringing their attention off me. I sit back in my seat and pick at the food placed in front of me.
The other demons all seem to celebrate, talking and laughing. There are long tables set up, all piled high with fresh foods and wine. A musician plays an instrument in the corner. It looks like a guitar, but the sound is different.
I spot some nobleman and their families that I’d met at the ball, but their demeanor is so different. There’s a light feel to the room. Scur must have been a death cloud over more than just the Bloods.
Zoning out, I listen to the music and enjoy the atmosphere, returning a few glances my way with a tight smile Right as Torque finishes rehashing the details of the Bloodlands, a boom rocks the room.
My chest tightens. I cry out, falling off the chair. Torque stills in his chair, his eyes going cloudy. Uriel rushes forward and pulls me in close while Nox checks on Torque.
“Anima, what’s happening?” Uriel asks, trying to ignore the panic in the room.
“Namir,” I croak out, trying to get up from the floor. Uriel assists me as I stand on shaking legs. “Take me to him. The courtyard. He’s here.”
Uriel doesn’t hesitate. He lifts me in his arms before flying us out the open balcony window.
The night air hits my skin, cooling me off. Namir’s panic floods through my veins, and I wince in pain. Something isn’t right, and I can’t hear him this far away.
Shouts echo from below us as demons start to realize something is out of place. As we touch down in the courtyard, Namir tumbles through the gate, landing on us.
Uriel jumps out of the way, but I outstretch my arms. Accepting his weight, I tumble with him to the ground.
Magic flares between us, and a shockwave hits the courtyard. It explodes out of us in black and white smoke, cloaking us in thick cinders.
He rubs his head all over my face as he pulls me into his body, rolling to the side so he doesn’t hurt me. Blood seeps from his side. Immediately, as if I know what I’m supposed to do, I outstretch my hand and pulse my holy magic into his wound.
A burst of gold radiates from my hand, and the surrounding smoke clears. Namir lets out a sigh of relief as I heal him, taking some of my magic to replenish himself.
“What happened?” I ask once he’s sitting up and licking my face.
They attacked us. Holy magic near the Bloodlands. Not enough to call on an army, but she’s testing her usage of the portals. I didn’t think she’d
