Chapter 32

32

S he stared at Envy's frown and noted the look on his face that said he didn't trust this plan. Not that Lilith would have any idea if it was a good plan or not.

Still, it felt right.

Neither of them would ever get any peace if they didn't get rid of her old master. Not to mention, she could never sleep at night without fearing someone wanted to kill her. Plus, there were the rumblings of people in the kingdom who were seriously considering an uprising against Envy.

Although, from what Envy had said, an uprising wasn't uncommon. In fact, a large amount of the kingdoms had already survived such an attack and most of the demon kings were used to it.

She thought it seemed like a rather terrifying experience. His own people hated him, but he claimed it was normal and something he'd already seen quite a few times in his long life. So she shouldn't worry about the people who wanted to toss him from his throne.

What she should worry about were the people who were bound and determined to kill her. Which, she understood, might be the smarter thing to worry about.

But she still worried about him, too. Someone had to.

Standing before her, Envy smoothed his fingers along her jaw, holding her so she had to look into his eyes. He knew she was trying to pretend this didn't bother her. She was hiding from him, so she didn't have to think about how terrifying this was. How little she wanted to do this, and all the other warning bells that were screaming in her head.

This was the right thing to do, and she prided herself on always making the right decision. No matter the cost to herself.

And this was really going to suck. Because they were dragging the villains into the light. By using her as bait.

Envy's hand curved around her jaw, holding her a little tighter as he drew her in. "Listen to me, little love. If you are not more careful with what you do, I will have to come in there and make sure you don't die. We don't want me to intervene too early, do we?"

She knew it was a threat, but something in her bloomed at the mere thought that he would rush into danger to make sure she was all right. "No, we don't. I'll be careful, I promise."

When he stepped away, she noticed his fingers ghosted over his own ribs, where they had painted another flower last week. They had completed yet another ritual, just to be sure that she was at her strongest. He was convinced her power would protect her in dire straits, so he had gone through the ritual.

Her magic had protected her from that chimera, but not in the way that Envy could protect her. Her magic was a good shield, but eventually that shield would break. She wasn't sure how long she could keep someone or something off of her, and someone would still need to save her. No one who wanted to kill her would give up easily. The chimera was just more proof of that.

Sighing, she watched as Envy moved a little farther away from her. His hands were still flexing at his sides, as though he couldn't bring himself to move away from her side. As though even he knew how dangerous this was, and how easy it would be for this all to end poorly.

"We don't have to do it today," she whispered, trying to catch his gaze again. "We could wait a few more days. Today isn't the day it has to happen."

Another voice interrupted her from behind, grumpy and filled with mistrust. "You do, actually. Because I also have a kingdom to get back to and I'm not going to sit around here for much longer waiting for the two of you to grow a pair."

Right, Sloth existed. And apparently, the entire world revolved around him.

Glaring, she turned her gaze to the man behind her. "If you don't stop talking, I'll look into your future and tell you more about it."

"I highly doubt you could tell me anything I don't know." All she had to do was raise an eyebrow for that tanned face to pale. Sloth shuddered before adding, "Fine, oracle. Play your games if you wish, but you do need to admit that there is very little we can do if we're just standing here waiting for something to happen."

Lilith was trying to be understanding of Envy's worries. She was trying to tell Envy that they didn't need this stress in their life right now. He was keeping her safe in the castle. Sure, Lorenzo had ways of getting in, but maybe the first time had just been luck.

If Envy wanted to wait in bed and pretend that nothing else in the world existed other than them, she would gladly do that for a little while longer. She missed him, even now.

They'd spent hours exploring each other's bodies. Learning what it meant for passion to turn white hot. All of it had been so wonderful and otherworldly that she wouldn't mind disappearing into that world for a little while longer.

Envy grabbed her arm, turning her to look at him and not glare at his brother. "Sloth is right. We cannot keep living with this hanging over our heads. We deserve peace from the fear. Especially you."

She wanted to tell him that she hadn't been all that afraid. She'd seen in multiple people's futures that she would still exist for many years to come. There could always be something to change that, of course, but she could feel deep in her gut that nothing would.

But he was right to say that their lives would remain difficult if her old master was still hunting her. That, at least, she understood.

"If you're sure," she said quietly, grabbing his hands and lifting them to her lips. "Then I will draw the hunters out."

"All you have to do is what you do best," he replied.

Sloth snorted behind them, clearly disappointed with this sickening display between the two of them. But she also knew some of that sound was jealousy. He remembered what it was like to have someone who was so near and dear to his heart. Seeing the two of them together? It must have burned something deep inside of him.

And she refused to stop just for Sloth. He had a chance to go and find the woman who had made him so happy in another life and here he was, helping them.

Not that she minded the help, but... He had other priorities that he was avoiding.

So she scooped her hand behind Envy's neck and drew him down for a kiss. She lingered on the plush softness of his mouth and the way he made every part of her body shiver as he kissed her back. He grabbed onto her hips, dragging her closer until their bodies were practically coiled together.

Now that he'd had her body, he kissed her like he never wanted her to forget that. Every touch, every kiss, every lingering glance reminded her of what he looked like when he was buried deep inside her.

Finally they drew away from each other, breathing hard, and it had only succeeded in making her wish to linger with him for a few moments longer. Maybe they could run upstairs one last time, just for good luck, and then she could wander out into the streets of his home. It didn't even have to take them a long time. They were getting rather good at being quick?—

"Lilith," Envy murmured, his voice deep and low. "I need the oracle now."

And just like that, something snapped inside of her. Or rather, tightened. Coiling in her body until it grabbed onto her lungs and forced her to use the power that was always bubbling just beneath her skin.

Mist rose, and the coiling tendrils wrapped around his wrists for a moment before they released him. There was no future to see.

The power focused on Sloth for a moment before he batted the mist away. "You've seen enough of my future. Off with you."

And then it was easier. Because all she could hear was Envy's voice in her head, telling her to do what she was best at.

And she was good at telling people's futures. Not only that, she loved it. Not just because she liked to escape into their worlds, but because she enjoyed knowing where their story would end up. She loved people. She loved hearing their stories, talking to them, learning about where they came from and where they would go.

Lilith might not be the most extroverted person in the world, but she so enjoyed that other people were alive. So she wandered down the street away from Envy and Sloth, knowing that this time she would be alone. There were still people in this city that might want to kidnap her, more so than just the circus master and the other people she used to live with. But somehow, that didn't matter.

None of it mattered when she could already sense the stories that were waiting for her to find them. So many stories. All the histories that had happened and so many more that would.

The people in this kingdom were brimming with futures. She could taste each one of them on her tongue. The ashes of sadness and sweet pops of happiness. All she had to do was reach out and find the right person, the one who... who...

Lilith turned her head toward a town square. She had no idea how long she had been walking. Considering the aching in her feet, it had been a while. Normally, her power was too excited to find someone, and it latched onto whoever was right in front of them. She didn't mind, although sometimes that was a little tedious when she was going through the futures that were more mundane than they were interesting.

But with the tea coursing through her veins, and the spells that heightened an oracle's power, she knew exactly who she wanted to talk to. There was a young boy here who was very powerful. If he wasn't careful, then Envy would set his sights on him and that child would never be able to do what he was meant to do. Which meant she had to warn the little boy that he was supposed to keep his powers very hidden for a long time. But soon enough, he would know... Something.

She needed to know the rest of the story. So she followed the sense of that being like a hound dog on a trail until she walked right up behind him. It was market day in the square and there were a lot of people here. Countless foods and vegetables, all grown with magic in a world without a real sun. They smelled so good, and the little boy had strawberries in his hands.

Unlike the other children here, the boy didn't have the sticky red mess all over his face or his fingers. Instead, he carefully chose the perfect strawberry from his mother and nibbled at them until they were gone.

Lilith vaguely recognized when his mother looked at her. There was the echo of a gasp, and then a quick shake of the boy's shoulder, as though to pull him away from Lilith.

"Can I help you?" his mother asked, her voice a little sharp.

But then Lilith turned her gaze to the woman, and there were no other words to be said. Prophecies spilled from her tongue as her magic casually slid along the woman's arms.

"You need to watch what you eat. There is a man in this kingdom who wishes you dead. He doesn't like that you kept the babe when you had both told each other that you wouldn't. He thinks it's your fault that his line will continue and he will try to poison you."

The woman turned paper white, ghostly in her fear even as her hand trembled on her son's shoulders. But it was the boy that Lilith was far more interested in.

Bending at the waist, she looked into the little boy's eyes and noted that he didn't tremble or shy away from her. Instead, he looked his future in the eyes with a gaze of bravery and understanding.

"You can heal anything you touch," she murmured. "Can't you?"

"I come from a long line of healers."

"But it's not just bodies that you can knit together. You can heal animals, objects, even rips in the realms." She ran her fingers over his head. "There is someone here who will covet that power."

His mother gasped again. "The king?"

"His power is far more than any healer we have ever seen. This world needs more people like him. More powerful creatures who are willing and able to heal what has been broken. Emotional wounds. World tears. All the problems that have always plagued us since the beginning of time." She patted the top of his head and then turned to his mother. "Keep him hidden."

"Where?"

She was about to tell them that they should go to an abandoned home, one that had been in the mother's family for ages, but another voice interrupted them.

"Don't say a word, oracle."

Her mind turned toward the person who spoke. And all she could see in their future was blood. So much blood. Blood all over her face, her hands, her body. She didn't know whose blood it was, though.

As she turned on her heel, she faced the man who had once made her call him master. The man who had tried to change her entire life and turn her from the path of the oracle.

Lilith thought in that moment that the blood she had seen wasn't her own. And she was ready to see red splattered on the cobblestones.