Page 42 of Alien God

But instead, I just felt empty.

I retreated into that hollow place, closed my eyes, and disappeared.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Wylfrael

When I returned to the castle, night was halfway done. I landed at the back of the property and entered through the kitchen. I half expected to see Aiko in there cooking or scrubbing pots, but then reminded myself of the time. She’d probably long since gone to bed. Which reminded me that I needed to relieve Shoshen of his post outside the human’s door.

I moved quickly, flying up the many stairs since it was so much faster than walking. After the long flight today and my still-healing wounds, my wings were weary, but it still felt good to use them. They’d been folded under my back for so long while I’d slumbered.

The tunnels were too narrow to fly through, so I walked, but did so briskly, the satchel from Hoshta held tightly under my arm. I thought about depositing the satchel in my room first, but without seeming to have actually made a conscious decision on the matter, I went straight up to the human’s chamber door.

“My lord!” Shoshen flattened his ears.

“I hope the prisoner behaved herself for you and Aiko,” I said. My eyes were on the crystal door instead of my Sionnachan Master of the Grounds as he replied.

“Yes, my lord. She ate the food Aiko brought her with little fuss.”

I grunted at that. A part of me wanted to be satisfied with that and say, “Good.” But another part, an angry, twisting part, hated that she’d eaten without a fight for my servants, but not for me.

She submits to the servants but disobeys the lord...

What an infuriatingly upside-down sort of creature she was. I wanted to march in there, tear her out of her bed, set her on her ridiculously tiny feet and remind her which way was up. To remind her that I was a stone sky god, I was in control, I was the one to be obeyed.

“You’re dismissed, Shoshen.”

“Thank you, my lord. Ah, there is one other thing.”

He hesitated. I narrowed my eyes, and he inhaled quickly.

“She... she was making an odd sound before.”

“What sort of sound?” I asked sharply.

“I... I am not quite sure. It was a while ago, now. Just after sundown. It was a... a sort of quiet wailing sound.”

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