Page 106 of Worse Fates

“What?” Kai whispers.

It’s weird to see the three portraits, each one held up in a 24-karat carved frame. They’re all beautiful, regal like princes from another time, one with hair so blonde it really does resemble spun silk. The other with eyes such a dazzling hazel they sparkle like coins and the last holding a large gilded cross close to his strong chest.

I rest my head on Kai’s shoulder, and say, very quietly, “Lucero’s past soulmates.”

And all gold, gold, gold and Golden.

I try to find myself, yet….there’s nothing; no shared nose, or familiar eyes.

Disappointment.

It catches me suddenly, like a breeze when I thought the day would be calm, and as the dust settles, there’s a lonely part of myself—probably the kid who wondered why his parents gave him up—that hoped these strangers would be the family I never had.

But they aren’t, and they never were.

“You’re way hotter,” Kai gently jokes, resting his head on mine.

I smile, snuggling into him.

And it’s okay, I’ve already got my own patched work family.

Kai’s phone lights up and Ramy’s name is in a bubble telling us to go,now.

We don’t waste time. Pokers in hand, we hurry past the tall bookshelves towards the door as heavy footsteps drum above us. Not even a second later, many feet pound up against the stairs.

Ripping open the door, me and Kai rush down the carpeted runners, trying to keep our steps light as my heart smacks against my ribcage.

A door slams somewhere upstairs, more feet running back and forth.

When we reach the kitchen, we find the place in ruins—chairs and tables broken, the fridge toppled, milk pooling around it like blood, as if it were some great beast hunted down and slaughtered.

I don’t have time to let my rage build that Jace wrecked the carefully decorated home Ramy designed, once we’re out of here I’ll curse every blood mage under the sun, but for now I’m careful not to step on anything broken and tip-toe around the debris to make our way into the chilled garage. The freezing floor is a shock to my unprotected feet, but I take us inside the gloom and count nine cars.

But we only need one, and luckily, the closest is the range rover.

A figure darts from the shadows and I’m raising the poker before I can think, swinging at the shape.

It dodges and I line up another hit until it speaks.

“Golden! It’s me!” Ramy cuts in.

“Shit.” My arm drops. “You're okay.”

“Thank fuck,” Kai mutters at the same time.

Ramy rushes over to the car. “C’mon, we don’t have much time—”

His words are cut off by a scream as a long, red spear pins him to the hood, Ramy’s hot blood splashes all over my chest.

“RAMY!” Kai cries.

A scream pours out of me.

“Hey, goofball.”

Jace’s sharp voice is like a slap across the face, his arm bleeding and spellbook in hand. But it’s also the thing that gets me moving. I hurtle towards him, whacking him with the poker like it was a baseball bat.

Startled, Jace steps sideways, yet I just manage to graze his chest and he’s stumbling back, shirt ripped open.