I knew better than to interrupt one of their telepathic wars and opened the box instead.
A watch.
Of all the things for my father to leave me, this was not what I expected. I plucked it out of the box and turned it over, searching for anything unique about it.
Nothing.
Looked fresh from one of those posh stores on Earth. Even had English writing on the back denoting it was made in the United States.
How completely boring and unoriginal.
Still, it belonged to the one man I longed to know and never would, thanks to Necros’s insanity.
I slid the metal over my wrist, clasping it with a silen
t vow of vengeance. One I repeated every night.
Caluçon will be mine to destroy.
And when I finished with it, Necros would weep at my feet for forgiveness.
As for his pretty little wife, well, she’d cry, too. But for entirely different reasons.
If Lux had taught me anything through the years, it was that winning required sacrifice. Alas, the poor Queen of Caluçon would provide the biggest sacrifice of all.
Her heart.
“That is a symbol of fate,” Lux said, gesturing at my wrist. “Your father met your mother because of it.”
I arched a brow. “On Earth?”
She nodded. “You know the story about how she was sent to watch over him, but not all the details. Apparently, he sensed her following him and ducked into a store to trap her. He purchased that watch in the process before taking her to hell.”
“You mean kidnapping her,” I corrected, smirking.
She smiled. “It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”
I shrugged. “All I have to rely on are stories.” Since they were both killed during my infancy, thanks to Necros and his father destroying the Shadow Kingdom.
“They loved each other very much,” Lux assured me. “After your mother got over a few things.”
Such as an angel being forced to survive in the Underworld, I thought to myself.
My father had taken my mother almost immediately, and rather than reprimand her for watching his activities on Earth, he’d stolen her. And once a heavenly being entered hell, the entity could never return.
Alas, my mother may not have fallen by her own choice, but her ancestors didn’t care. Which was why her side of the family hadn’t bothered to help when the Shadow Kingdom was destroyed. The dealings of the Underworld mattered little to those who didn’t reside here.
“And no, Grigory,” Lux continued, her sable gaze narrowing at her son. “This is not your fight.”
“At least let me escort him,” he argued, causing my lips to quirk upward. As if I needed anyone to escort me anywhere.
“You think Necros would accept that both Princes of Noxia are interested in playing with his new pet?” She tsked, shaking her head. “He’d see right through that nonsense and expect to be challenged for the throne. It’ll be hard enough for Adrik to convince him on his own that he carries no political motivation, let alone for the two of you to go.”
Grigory muttered to himself, shaking his head. But the giant knew his mother spoke the truth. He finally conceded with a nod before pinning me with a glower. “You better kick his ass.”
“That’s the plan,” I replied, relaxing into my chair while stroking the metal around my wrist. “But I need the queen first.”
Lux nodded. “Her power is slowly awakening. If you can access it before Necros, he won’t stand a chance.”