Page 48 of Rage of Her Ravens
“Listen to me carefully.” I enunciated each word with clipped precision. “My parents arenotmurderers—”
“They’re not innocents, Shirina,” Draevyn interrupted, his voice taking on a hard edge. “Look at the horrible things they’ve already done to you and your sister.”
“Excuse me,” I said, jarring Draevyn’s arm and wing while I stormed past him and marched back toward the lake.
“Where are you going?” Draevyn called at my back.
“Away from you,” I answered. I stormed past the campfire and then slipped off my shoes as I walked along the shore, my toes sinking into the cool black sand, grounding me to something, anything to keep my soul from falling into the abyss. How I wished this shoreline would open up and swallow me whole.
At the sound of feet pattering behind me, I stopped and unclenched my fists, smiling to myself when they slipped their hands in mine. My little shadows. What would my heart do without them?
I heaved a shuddering breath while tears silently fell down my face. These poor children had already suffered so much loss in their four years. I would be strong for them. They deserved nothing less. We silently stared at the pristine lake, the air so thin here, I was forced to take deeper breaths.
Marius. My father. Ember and Aurora’s other pappo.
Why had my parents never told us?
For my mates’ sake, they’d better hope I never came across the mages who’d killed him, for I would find a way to avenge my father’s death.
* * *
We ate breakfast instony silence. I barely picked at my food, too sickened by the news of Marius. Though I felt Draevyn’s gaze upon me, I refused to look in his direction or acknowledge him when he offered me more food. I schooled my features into a mask of stone when he finally threw down his plate and flew away, the heavy wind from his wings beating down on my back.
I cringed when his brothers swore at him.
“They say a lot of bad words,” Ember whispered to me.
“Cover your ears,” I said to the girls, then gave my mates a stern look.
Their cheeks colored, and they both apologized.
I nodded curtly and took the girls to the shore. Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered beneath my thin cloak while the girls skipped rocks into the lake. They each wore Nikkos’s and Blaze’s long tunics over their nightgowns for extra warmth, though they still had nothing to cover their feet but hole-filled stockings.
“Mindful you don’t get your stockings wet this time,” I warned.
Aurora looked over her shoulder, then scanned the skies. “We won’t, Auntie,” she said, frowning. “We don’t wanthimto get mad at us again.”
Ember nodded her agreement, her eyes wide as she also searched the skies.
How sad that my nieces were so terrified of Draevyn. How could I possibly mate with someone like him?
I picked up a flat, smooth stone, skipping it across the dark water, watching as the ripples fanned out toward the shore. The girls squealed when it disappeared into the low fog that covered the other side of the lake.
“Hey, you okay?” Nikkos said at my back.
I looked over my shoulder at him and Blaze as they stood with their wings tucked behind their backs, their brows creased with worry.
Shrugging, I threw another stone, this one missing its mark and plopping almost immediately. “I will be.”
Blaze stepped closer to me. “I’m sorry you had to find out about Marius like that,” he whispered.
“Me, too,” I murmured.
His breath tickled the nape of my neck, turning my bones to jelly. His warmth radiated onto me like sunlight piercing stormy skies, and I fought the urge to lean into him and let him wrap his strong arms around me.
Ember let out a squeal, breaking my trance. My gaze shot to my nieces, who weren’t paying attention to us as they searched for the best stones. Ember held up her prize, a flat, black stone with iridescent markings.
“Help me find one, too,” Aurora begged.