Page 26 of Death of the Glass Angel (Apotheosis #1)

Sors padded across her bed sheets, digging his claws into the quilted fabric and stretching. Felsin had insisted Janus take him home, suggesting the little cat would cheer her up.

A sweet gesture. Scooping the cat up, Janus pressed the warm ball of fur to her chest and tried to relax.

But she couldn’t. Something was wrong. Talon had always returned well before midnight.

Ripping her nightgown off, Janus grabbed a plain tunic and trousers. Hopping into her boots, she swung a cloak around her shoulders and peered out her window as she gathered her hair into a bun.

Kalid would kill her. Actually, everyone she knew would kill her. But she couldn’t ignore the worry gnawing at her heart, nor the vision Alfaris had shown her of Talon being murdered.

Grabbing Sors, Janus unlatched the window and whispered to the cat. “Distract the guards.” Dropping him outside, Janus watched the cat right itself and waddle away.

One of her men stood patrol to her left, turban billowing in the breeze beneath his helm. He started as the cat trotted past him and laughed under his breath.

Slipping out the window, Janus snuck behind him, clambering over the fence into the street.

More people populated the streets this time of night than Janus would have thought. Many stumbled and slurred, traveling home from the tavern or trekking to the next stop on their ale-driven journey.

Market Street was mostly quiet, with shops closed for the night. A light flickered behind a forge’s sign; a broad-chested man cleaned his workstation by torchlight.

Summoning her courage, Janus approached him, speaking in slow Altanese. “Excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you’d seen someone.”

The smith looked up, dirty rag in hand. “Shouldn’t you check the taverns?”

“He was a weapons merchant, so I. . .” Janus trailed off, “Let me describe him.”

She launched into a frighteningly accurate description of Talon, from the number of freckles on each cheek to the exact hue of his lightning-purple eyes.

The smith gaped at her. But, slowly, his eyebrows knitted together, and he nodded. “Think I saw him pass earlier.” He gestured south. “You’d still have better luck with the taverns.”

“Thanks.” Janus turned around stiffly. The last thing she wanted to do was enter a crowded tavern full of drunks.

Following the south road, Janus half-jogged. She was being an idiot. This city was enormous; she’d never find him from a vague direction.

The streets thinned and the crowds grew sparse. A few buildings fell into disrepair, while some were built from wood, rather than stone. This place was familiar.

An archway labeled with Altanese glyph read ‘The stone quarter’.

Why did that name tug at her mind, its familiarity infectious yet just out of reach?

Something within screamed at her. Without thinking, her feet turned her south, and she rushed down the roads, their populace growing thinner and thinner with every passing street.

Pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders, Janus eyed the ramshackle huts and chaotic alleyways. She could get lost ten times over in a place like this. Nothing for it. She was already here; she might as well keep going.

* * *

He’s being followed. The deep voice warned.

Being followed.

This is pointless. The low voice droned.

What’s that?

Talon jumped, eyeing the barren streets. Valkyrie had melted into the shadows. Even though he knew she tailed him, he felt utterly alone out here.

What will he do if Valkyrie isn’t behind him? The friendly voice asked.

It had been a while since Talon held a conversation with one of the voices; the voices he was convinced were apparitions of the gods. Two chided him relentlessly, and one encouraged reckless behavior. Yet the younger female voice had always been kind.

“Valkyrie’s behind me.” He muttered in response.

But what if she isn’t? The voice prodded.

“She is. And if she isn’t, I’m resourceful. I’ll be fine.”

He is. He will. The friendly voice assured.

No, he’s not. The deeper voice said. He’s weak.

Silence consumed the world. Stopping, Talon looked around, finding himself in the middle of a barren street surrounded by abandoned huts. No worse place to be, alone at night.

Palming his dagger, Talon crept forward and froze when he heard footsteps behind him. A dark figure darted behind a corner when Talon glanced behind him.

Pretending not to have seen his stalker, Talon took a deep breath and kept walking. Valkyrie had better be behind him.

* * *

The stone quarter was unwelcoming. Janus crept through the alleyways and winding streets, searching for a familiar pale blue coat. The more she walked, the more she wondered why Talon would be here.

Quiet, dark, cold. Not the best place for a princess who had recently been attacked by assassins. Maybe it would be better to turn back. For all she knew, Talon had returned to the manor and was wondering where she had run off to.

Stepping out beside a dying tree, Janus found herself in a quiet street of abandoned buildings. To her amazement, a man in a pale blue coat turned the corner ahead and walked toward her.

Relieved, Janus threw back her hood and jogged toward Talon. But he did not greet her the same way.

Talon’s eyes widened with horror. Hand on his dagger, his gaze flew to something behind her. Before Janus could turn, a black-haired man in a dark coat emerged from the shadows behind Talon, jagged blade in hand.

Janus tried to warn Talon, but a hand clad in a thick glove clamped down on her mouth, silencing her. A strong arm pulled her against a cold chest, and steel pressed against her neck. Hardly aware of the dagger at her neck, Janus’s attention settled on the blade hovering behind Talon’s back.

Dropping his dagger, Talon raised his hands. The black-haired man behind him grabbed his arms and yanked them behind his back.

“If you want your friend to live.” The man holding Janus hissed, “You won’t move.”

Staring at Talon’s freckled face and purple eyes, Janus went limp. Her vision blurred as the hand clamped around her mouth fell to her throat, choking the air from her lungs.

The last thing she saw was a jagged blade leveled at Talon’s throat before the world fell dark.