Page 92 of Feathers From the Sky

ROMAN

I'd followedthe footprints like a bloodhound to the ballroom. Fearing the worst, that Gwyn had somehow managed to hurt Bjorn, and he was only moments away from ripping out her heart, I had veered to the entrance near the dais. The scent of blood was growing stronger, and my shock and concern only worsened. How had she done it? Best case scenario, he'd torture her for injuring him. Worst case? He’d kill her on the spot. I can't let that happen.

And with Agnarr awake, I’m only more worried. I have to get her out of here.

Quietly, I pull the door open, prepared to see her desiccated body on the ground. Her lifeless eyes stare at me in my mind, the memory of her almost dying. Of almost losing her before I knew what I stood to lose. Gwyn is standing on the dais, Margot a step below her, and my heart stops. She's covered in blood, blue dress turning red, but she's in one piece. She's standing. She'salive.

"Gwyn?" I take a step toward her, confused why my coven is standing stock-still. Had my father ordered this? Gwyn doesn't turn to face me, and I glance at Margot in confusion. Despite her betrayal, I once trusted her; I can't help looking to her for answers. Tears are streaming down her face, and she flicks her head to the left. "What the fuck is going on? We have to get out of—"

All sense of urgency leaves me. My father is lying facedown in the center of the ballroom, blood spreading in a large circle around him. Swallowing, I scan the crowd for Emile. Nico is sitting by himself, smoking a cigarette and shaking his head. The fuck?

"Gwyn!" I don't mean to shout, but I need someone to explain. She's okay, and that's all that matters, but I don't understand what the hell happened. When she finally turns, she's white as a ghost. But she thrusts her chin upward, mouth a straight line. There is no relief to see me, no affection. Her hands are stained red, though one holds a phone, and I shake my head. It doesn’t make any sense. She killed Bjorn? "No. You didn't...How? I don’t understand."

There are no words. I only stare at her, mouth gaping open. She doesn’t look hurt; the blood covering her body doesn’t belong to her, but to my father.

"They'll stop you if you try to hurt me," she says, gesturing behind her toward the vampires who stand eerily still. My breath catches in my throat when I glance past, seeing a pile of bodies. Dozens. I only look for a moment, but not a single one has a head. This isn't fixable.

This can't be happening. She's done this.Gwyndid this. She killed Bjorn. Somehow gained control of the coven. Sheplannedthis.

It clicks like a lightning bolt to the chest, running hot through my veins. Crackling rage overtakes me. I'm on her before she has a chance to order anyone, hand clamped tightly over her mouth. She'll have to work hard for a silent command, and I don't intend to allow her that kind of focus. Sweeping her legs out from under her, she's on the ground in a second. Her hands are tugging on my wrist. I'm still stronger than her, despite all the power she’s obtained in the last few moments. My coven doesn't move, and if I wasn't so enraged, I'd be relieved. She wasn't specific enough in whatever command she gave them.

"You killed him, didn't you?" I spit, watching those vicious eyes for a reaction. They’re not soft honey anymore, but hardened predator. Her eyes narrow on me like a hawk. Her brow furrows, and she glares at me. "DID YOU KILL REMY?" I roar, screaming inches from her face.

She owns me. She owns my body, my fucking heart, and I would've done anything for her. Rip out my own damn soul and give it to her to keep her here. And now, I'm going to kill her.

But I have to hear her say it. Sliding back on her legs, I sit up. Pulling her up by her face, she huffs in pain. I don't give a fuck. "I'll rip your fucking head off before you say a single goddamn thing. Tell me the truth, tell me fucking everything, or you're dead. Hale's dead, Sasha's dead, that little girl she fucking babysits is dead. Everyone you've ever fucking loved, fuckingtalkedto, is dead."

At this, she snorts. I feel her hot breath against my hand, and her head tilts back. Eyes closed, she won't stop laughing. I growl, about to squeeze her face to make her stop when she catches me by surprise. Using both her hands, she pushes me as hard as she can. I'm still on top of her, but her face is free from my grasp.

"Why the fuck do you think I'm here, Roman? You think I did this for fun? You think I did this because I was in a silly little mood? They're the only ones left! You've killed everyone else! Your coven has been killing people I love MY ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE!" she screams, and then she slides one leg out before kicking me as hard as she can right in the dick. I grunt in pain, but I recover before she can fully get up. Pulling her leg, her ass slams back down onto the ground, and I slide her across the floor to me. At this point, she could order them to intervene if she has control of them, but she doesn’t.

I’d be a fool to think it’s because she gives a fuck about me.

I can’t breathe. Margot steps toward us, and the sound which comes up my throat is inhuman. This is my goddamn fight. My stupidity, my fucking fault. Mymess.

“Tell me it was you,” I say, and it comes out as a plea. “If any of it was real, you owe me the goddamn truth.” I didn’t mean to say the last bit, but I can’t stop myself. She’s ripped my fucking heart out. “You knew everything, didn’t you?”

“He killed my parents, Roman.” Her lower lip trembles, but her eyes hold a fire of fury.

“Hit and run, they—your parents died in a hit and run.” Even as I say it, I begin to doubt.

“They covered it up, made it look like that. Enchantments, cutting the video and splicing it. He rammed into us with a truck first, before they attacked, so it wasn’t hard,” she says, putting her other foot against my chest, trying to push off me with it, but I hold her ankle tight. “A car accident couldn’t kill Bill Parsons. Are you fucking kidding me? They tore him apart in front of me!” she screams.

“They?” I latch onto the word.

“Susan,” she grits out. “She sold us out, hired some people to kill them, then covered it all up. Tied up all the loose ends.” She gives me a pointed look. I assume she means Remy.

“Why? Why would she do that?” I demand, pulling her leg. She’s halfway in my lap, and the time that would have meant something feels like another life. Before Gwyn. But now I’m in the After, and she’s lucky I want my goddamn answers, or she’d already be dead. She opens her mouth, and I think she’s about to tell me, but then she shakes her head and looks away.

“I didn’t know everything,” she says, nearly silent. “My dad withheld some stuff. He didn’t tell me—” She cuts herself off.

“What didn’t you know?” Gwyn refuses to look at me. “Goddamn it, answer me!”

“Get him off me,” she commands, shouting at the crowd of vampires who will have to obey whether they want to or not.

I wouldn’t blame them if they wanted to after what I brought into our home. She was never susceptible to my commands. She’d been a trained hunter all along, and I’d been an ignorant fool.

I’m the Trojan fucking horse.

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