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“Did you really think I would make it that easy for you?”

Those were his first—and last—words to us. He phased out of his restraints, pushed free of the two soldiers holding him, then pounded both fists to his chest and exploded.

CHAPTER 5

DEAD MEN LEAVE NO BODIES

The dead man left no body behind. Whatever spell he’d used had completely vaporized him. The Legion of Angels wouldn’t be questioning him after all, which was obviously exactly what he’d wanted.

“Why would he do this?” I said as the soldiers checked the treasury for further damage.

The two explosions in five minutes had left their mark on the building.

“Why go through all the trouble to find an ancient book? Planning the ring heist—getting through our defenses—must have required a great deal of planning. And then when he was captured, his first move was to kill himself?” I shook my head. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“He must have been stealing the ring for someone else,” Nero said. “Someone he fears so much that he killed himself rather than allow himself to be captured alive and subsequently interrogated.”

“You might be right about that.” I set my hands on Sierra’s shoulders. “Are you all right?”

She was rocking back and forth on her heels, clutching her arms. Despite her bravado earlier, the two close explosions had clearly rattled her.

“Don’t worry, Mom.” Sierra blinked a few times and stopped rocking. She drew in a slow, deep breath. “I was born on the battlefield. Death is my life. And it always will be.”

She sounded so resigned. So young and already so sure of her fate.

“Your future is not set in stone,” I told her. “You can choose your fate, Sierra.”

She sighed, looking thankful for my words but nonetheless unconvinced.

“Sierra can no more choose her fate than you can, Leda. She is wise to accept that. Wiser than you.”

I turned toward the familiar voice, frowning at Faris, the king of the gods and my father. He swept into the room with his usual air of arrogance, coupled with a forceful, quiet indulgence, like we should all be grateful for the honor of his company.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

He spread his arms wide, the better to show off his new suit of armor. It was a deep, dark crimson, the color of spilled blood.

“I’m not sure I like the tone of your voice.” His smile, perfected over thousands of years, always rang false to me. “Can’t I just stop by to visit my daughter and granddaughter?”

“No.” I folded my arms across my chest. “You always have an ulterior motive.”

He pretended to look offended. “I most certainly do not.”

The trill of light laughter echoed in the room for a few seconds before she appeared: Grace, queen of the demons.

“Come now, Faris.” She hooked her arm in his. “Don’t lie to our daughter.”

He shot her a scathing look and extracted his arm from her grasp. Grace was unfazed. Her smile shone as brightly as ever before.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said to me. “I got tied up in my work.”

My gaze shifted back and forth between my parents. “How did you know we were here? Are you spying on us?”

“Of course,” Faris said, like it was the most natural thing in the world to spy on your daughter.

“We keep an eye on you because we care. We only want to help, Leda,” Grace added pleasantly.

They were both insane.