Page 181 of Fires of the Forsaken
The wails of the dying faded. The crackling hiss of smoldering wood rose.
I tucked my legs into my chest as the flames drew ever closer, bathing my feverish skin in a glorious heat. I stretched my hands forward, desperate to feel more of its warmth.
The last time I’d reached for a flame, I’d been a child.
“You must never go too close to a fire, love,”Mama had said as she placed a damp cloth over my burnt hand.
The scars from that day were still visible; small circles of puckered flesh on the tips of my pointer and index fingers.
Now, of course, the flames danced merrily over my skin, leaving me unscathed.
What would Mama have thought of me, if she’d lived long enough to see me become what I was? Would she have still loved me, despite the lives I’d taken? Or would she have turned on me, as everyone else had?
“Child.”
The voice that spoke to me was gentle. But the smoke was now so thick, I could barely see the tip of my own nose. I certainly could not discern the speaker amongst the heavy clouds.
Anger coiled again. Had I not made it clear I wanted to be left alone? “As I’ve explained already,” I snarled, “I will not save you from Seruf’s fire. Your time would be best spent escaping the city. If you can.”
A soft chuckle swirled around me. “Oh, my child, I have no wish for you to rescue the humans. You wouldn’t be able to anyway. There is no one left to save.”
Unease unfurled along my spine. The speaker was too calm—her voice filled with too much mirth. “Who are you?” I asked.
She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, the smoke dissipated, as though it had been commanded to retreat. The swirls thinned, allowing me to glimpse the woman standing before me.
Except shewasn’ta woman.
Twovolumous—voluminous black and red wings cascaded down her back, the feathers shimmering like a liquid pool. She wore a magnificent gown made of a silver material that radiated through the darkness. Her teeth, when she smiled, were rather unnatural—far too white and straight.
Something cold and dark grasped my insides. I did not need her to introduce herself. I knew who she was. “Seruf,” I said.
“Indeed.” She smiled as she surveyed my bare, unburnt skin. “My dear child…I thought I’d never see you again.”
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Iturned and the earth immediately tilted sideways on me.
Timber!
My ass smacked against the ground. A ringing sound started inmy ears, getting louder as the edges of my vision got fuzzier.
A man stood in front of me.
The dude was hunk-a-licious. Tall and broad-shouldered, with short auburn hair and azure blue eyes. He had some big ole dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. Add in his gray three-piece suit (complete with navy blue tie) and he checked all the boxes on myperfect specimen I’d like to fucklist.
Not that Iwantedto fuck him. But he was the type I typically drooled over.
But y’know what ruined the whole package?
His dazzling, snow-white wings.
Did I want to deal with another Celestial?Hell. No.Especially after—
Well, I still had Seruf’s ashy remains on my hands. I’d killed her. No clue how. But I had.
Addie Collins: Celestial Killer.
