Xadezhda
How many times must Xadya be sentenced to waking up on a cold, concrete floor? She was sure this was the third. Perhaps fourth.
She opened her eyes and saw talons. Pale skin. Malakhai's hand rested through the bars, waiting for her to take it.
Xadya did.
He glanced over at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was a twisted grin, but a grin all the same. Perhaps he was incapable of grinning any other way.
"What happened?" she groaned, pulling herself into a sitting position and inching closer to him. He played with her fingers.
Malakhai shrugged.
Xadya's head pounded.
"The gods took us somewhere," she realized.
"Yes, that."
"Have you forgotten words?" she demanded.
Malakhai blinked at her.
She hadn't gotten the chance to betray him. And now, unless he could suddenly read her mind, there was nothing and no one forcing her to tell him.
"She's going to kill Jamie," Xadya whispered. Malakhai continued to look at her. "Have a thought, would you? We need to get the hell out of here. Start brainstorming."
"Have you forgotten something?" Malakhai's black eyes flashed.
Xadya hadn't forgotten. She remembered her inability to care when she was Arcane. How she almost killed James. Wanted to. Her fights with Airo, before the front, and after. She had been heartless.
Malakhai was heartless.
"Find another reason to care." She laced her fingers through his. "You think you'll achieve godhood in this cell? You won't."
"I'm well aware."
"You don't have to hold my hand if you're going to be rude."
He held it tighter.
"That wasn't my intention." Malakhai turned her chin toward his. "We have not been here a short time, Xadezhda. The gods needed Inessa to kill James. He is already dead."
Her stomach dropped. Her heart pained.
She had known. She had known it when she woke, she hadn't forgotten. James was dead. Inessa had killed him.
Xadya pulled her knees tight to her chest and rested her chin against them. Her family was broken, the family she'd made. Unknown to her, until now, it had been made to replace the ones she'd killed, but it had become far more.
James and Airo were everything to her.
Airo. He must have been out of his mind. He must have been vats deep into the liquor cabinet.
Xadya had to get to him before he drank himself to death, she would not lose him too. Did he even know she was alive?
And Inessa, the girl she had grown to care for, the girl she had spent nights with, had taken everything from her. Her James, her power. How long had she sided with the gods for? How long had she planned to betray them?
Xadya wanted to slaughter her. Xadya wanted her to crawl back on her knees. Xadya wanted her to beg for forgiveness and more importantly, Xadya just wanted Inessa back.
"Maybe the gods forced her," she said quietly. Hopefully.
"They didn't force her."
He was telling her what she already knew. What she didn't want to hear.
"It'll be hard to escape without knowing where we are," Malakhai continued, changing the subject. Xadya was glad. "Things feel different here."
She had thought the same thing. Her magic, her energy, everything shifted. Where had the gods taken them?
A ball of fire grew in Xadya's palm, only so big. It could not grow bigger. She tugged on threads, tried different things, only a few prevailed. The gods still controlled her magic.
"Their magic is just out of reach," Malakhai said, watching her. "They have me stuck between Arcane and human."
Xadya lifted her head. Eyed him through the bars. In whatever twisted demon he had become after betraying her, she knew he couldn't feel.
Could he, now?
He was awfully skilled at keeping her guessing.
She sat in the dirty corner, tears stinging her eyes, as she struggled to recall the last thing James had said to her.
Xadya would never hear his voice again.
