Page 162 of As Above, So Below

She doesn’t call him Ryc?

“Tanila, take the loss with grace,” Fenryn drawls with a tired sigh. “Even if she wasn’t Celesta’s daughter, you would have been madeto step down once he found her.”

“Fine enough, but why hide her?” Rowen finally speaks, his voice smooth and deep. “You should have captured her and presented her before us. Instead, you hide her, betraying your duties as Sovereign King.”

Ryc chuckles. “I’ve no proof she’s a winged fae,” he says with a shrug. “I’m not going to capture and present a female on speculation alone.”

He’s lying.

My wings were visible the night Celesta pulled me into the living realm. He’d seen me then. It takes more effort than it should to keep the surprise from my face.

“And you would attest to that before Eloric?” Rowen pins his dark stare against the Sovereign King beside me.

He nods. Once.

“You’re welcome to question the High Priestess in the meantime,” Ryc says with a small smile. “Though I’m not sure now is an appropriate time considering the recent tragedy of Celesta’s devoted.”

Artemise, naturally, would lie about what she knows in order to honor Celesta’s wishes—to keep me hidden. To her, Ryc was already one too many Sovereign Kings knowing the truth of the matter.

Sulfur stings my nose in the same instant I’m blinded by hellfire. As I lower my hand, I find the blood-red stare of my father sitting across the table with a wide grin on his face.

Every pair of eyes in the room swivel to the god of death now sitting at the end of the table.

My entire body tenses, every muscle coiling in tight as Ryc’s grip becomes iron. My innate rolls within me, shuddering against every bone in my body, urging me to flee. Panic and fear flood my chest, my heart beating wildly between my ribs.

No one says a word.

No one moves.

No one dares breathe.

He’s wearing his human glamour. Dark styled hair, piercing red eyes, dressed in dark red and his wings and tail hidden away.He looks no more demon than I do.

“Please, don’t let me interrupt your conversation,” he muses, his lips curling into a wicked grin. “I’d like to hear more about how you plan on using my daughter.”

“Netharis,” Rowen says, wide-eyed, lowering his gaze to the table.

“No more to say on the matter, Rowen?” He glances about the room then nods.

I blink.

Rowen and my father know one another?

“I did not know she was your daughter, my liege,” Rowen says, his eyes remaining downcast.

My eyes grow more round than the moon.

“Rowen is contracted?”

“It would seem so.”Ryc responds, sounding disgusted.

“She may look like her mother, but I assure you she is a demon,” he laughs, plucking Rowen’s untouched glass of wine from the table.

He raises it in a toast, swinging his attention to me.

“To the happy couple. Reunited once again, I see.” He flashes an even-toothed smile.

Happy couple?Reunited?