Lapidary

I had thought Rhinsel was big on fighting crime, trying to improve the city, and wanting to keep everyone safe. I had thought he had the prison built because he wanted to lock away evil people, like Volgrun. The Risen controlled the Sky Watch in Vesea, but I had no idea they had some sort of understanding with Rhinsel, too.

Rhinsel Grosstreet was fae. He had long, thin pointed ears with fur on the tips. His hair was the color of autumn leaves, flecked with gold, and like most fae, he was tall and slim. He was dressed neatly, with polished shoes and a well-tailored blazer. His pants had a small hole in the back, to accommodate his long, fur-tipped tail. His expression was calm and controlled, but his tail lashed from side to side, betraying his agitation.

“I told you I’d blow up My Night Habit, and you didn’t think it would make a mess?”

I swallowed. Rhinsel had known and hadn’t done anything. Maybe The Risen ruled the city and not him; maybe he was powerless against them. Maybe they gave him a heads-up before committing crimes so that he knew when and where to turn a blind eye.

“Two half-daimons died,” Rhinsel replied.

“Collateral damage,” Volgrun said.

“And Devton Embers lives.” Okay, so Rhinsel knew that Volgrun was targeting Devton and didn’t care who got hurt in the process. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“Of course not,” Volgrun said. “I knew he was protected against salt – I just wanted to scare him. I wanted him to know I was coming.”

Rhinsel glanced at the bones scattered around them. “You killed his friend.”

“I killed Rhain because he was loyal to Devton. If Devton has the numbers on his side, then he will surely take my place.”

Rhinsel ran his hand through his hair. “How long will this feud continue?”

“Until Devton bows before me,” Volgrun responded.

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then I kill him,” Volgrun responded.

I balled my hands into fists. I’d kill this daimon before he ever had the chance to hurt Devton. I’d kill him like I killed Istrag, and I wouldn’t feel any remorse.

Devton didn’t have any desire to become the leader of The Risen, but would that change now that Volgrun had killed his friend? Maybe by attempting to stop Devton from becoming the leader, he had pushed him.

“I didn’t realize it takes as little as a boy to scare you,” Rhinsel said.

Volgrun hissed. “He is not just any boy! He is the son of Alinac Embers – the daimon who was the leader of The Risen before me.”

I swallowed and wondered if Devton would follow in his father’s footsteps to lead. Or maybe he wanted to bring back his father, not only for himself, but so that his father could overthrow Volgrun and resume his place as leader.

“This feud had better not create chaos in my city,” Rhinsel said.

Volgrun laughed. “There is always chaos in this city.”

“Controlled chaos,” Rhinsel pointed out.

Volgrun stepped closer to him, and Rhinsel’s tail stilled. “You can’t fucking control everything.”

I had a feeling that Volgrun meant he couldn’t be controlled – not by Rhinsel, not by anyone.

“Get your act together,” Rhinsel said in a low voice.

Rhinsel turned to go, but Volgrun wasn’t done. “Or what? You’ll lock me up? We both know if you do that, The Risen will burn this city to the ground. We own it. It’s ours.”

Rhinsel stilled, and something dangerous glinted in his eye. He looked at Volgrun, who was content to push the matter. “The world might think you’re the head of Vesea, but you and I both know I’m the real head.”

Rhinsel walked away, defeated. There wasn’t much hope for Vesea, and Volgrun would rule it the way he saw fit. He would always rule in his favor, despite what that meant for others. I shuddered. He had to go, but there was no way I could overthrow him. I didn’t want Devton involved in this because I didn’t want him to get hurt. But the thing was, he had been involved in this all his life and knew what he was doing.

I heard Volgrun moving, which told me he was leaving. I hid a while longer and listened to the footsteps fade. Then I waited some more. Once I was certain I was alone, I got to my feet. My legs were sore from being bent so long. I looked at Rhain’s bones one last time, and instead of going home, I headed to the south of the island where a small police station was.

Each island had its own police station so that civilians could be closer to the Sky Watch and feel safer. These stations had only a few holding cells – mostly used for criminals who had committed petty crimes.

I sat down on the station’s steps, where I waited. An angel asked me if I was okay, and I told him I was. Other than that, no one spoke to me. I watched the sky slowly turn lighter – the sun would rise soon.

The glass doors swung open, and Devton came out. He smiled at me, as if he hadn’t spent most of the night with the Sky Watch.

“I didn’t expect you to wait for me.” His smile faded when he saw my grim face. “What’s wrong?”

I got to my feet, took his hand, and then led him away from the station toward Rhain’s bones.

“Rhain’s dead,” I said. “Volgrun killed him.”

Devton’s expression remained unreadable, and I realized he had worn a mask all his life. He needed to look strong, brave, and fearless, even when he didn’t feel any of those things. I squeezed his hand.

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t reply and we walked further, in silence, until we reached the bones. A stray dog was chewing on one, so I shooed him away. Devton examined what remained of his friend before clicking his fingers. The bones ignited, and the hell fire burnt them until they were ash blown away by the wind.

“Volgrun crossed a line,” Devton finally said.

“He thinks you want to take his place – he feels threatened,” I told Devton. “He thinks you want to be like your father.”

Devton met my gaze and let go of my hand. Did he feel guilty for not telling me that his father had been the leader of The Risen? I wasn’t angry at him for keeping such personal information from me because it had nothing to do with me. I hadn’t told him everything about myself, either. And I probably would never tell him what my parents told me on the night I left them. Would he think differently of me if he knew I was part-angel?

“I’m sorry you got dragged into all of this,” Devton said.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “Did you know Rhinsel Grosstreet takes orders from Volgrun?”

Devton swallowed. “The Risen has a lot of control over the city.”

We stood there in silence, the wind playing with my hair, and Devton gazed at the ocean as if it held all the answers. I felt his pain as if it was my own.

“What now?” I asked.

“Now, I’m going to surf,” he said.

“What?” I gaped.

“I need to clear my mind,” he explained. “Why don’t you join me?”

I hesitated, but when I couldn’t find any reason to decline, I nodded. I smiled as I realized I had told him I wanted to learn, and he was only giving me what I asked for. “Where will we surf?”

“Close to the lower fin. The waves are better there,” he said.

“I don’t have a surfboard,” I said.

“Then it is a good thing I have extras,” he told me.

“I need to change,” I said.

“Why?” he asked, naughtily.

“I’m wearing a dress.” His question confused me.

“Are you wearing underwear?” This made me remember how good it felt to have his fingers inside me.

I laughed nervously. “I can’t go surfing in my underwear.”

“Why not?” He stepped closer to me.

My face grew warm. “What if someone sees?”

“Then they are pretty fucking lucky.” He grinned. “Come on. Take a risk.”

I was tempted to say no, but my adventurous side, which I hadn’t even known I possessed, got the better of me. “Okay.”

His grin widened, and he took my hand. Together, we headed to his mother’s house, so he could retrieve two surfboards. Dev’s mother was asleep at this hour – I could tell because all the lights were off. I waited outside for him to return, and when he did, he had a surfboard under each arm, one slightly bigger than the other. He extended his wings, and I took a step backward.

“No.”

“Flying will be faster—”

“No,” I say firmly. I was not scared of flying, but I was scared of heights, of falling, like Ryker had. I couldn’t do it. Devton read my expression and decided not to push the matter.

“We need a taxi,” he said.

We walked to the edge of Swordfish Chain, where we hopped onto a taxi that took us to Ocelos. When we arrived, Devton didn’t pay, and I assumed this was one of the perks of being a member of The Risen. Devton and I each chose a crab, which carried us to the lower fin, not far from my family’s home. We were at the edge of the city, and the sun was slowly rising. Its deep-red colors reflected in the ocean, making the water appear bloody.

Devton removed his shirt, and I studied his tattoos. He only had one on his chest and plenty on his arm. I saw sea creatures, like a shark, as well as strange patterns. His numerous scars were visible, and I wondered how he had received them. Devton pulled off his pants and grinned at me.

I looked around nervously before I removed my dress, to see if anyone was watching, but the city was quiet. I was wearing matching black lace underwear, and Devton’s eyes ran all over me, like his hands had. I removed my gloves, as they would make holding onto the surfboard more difficult.

“Ready,” I said.

Devton placed the surfboards at the edge of the city, by the water, before bending down and tying one’s strap around my ankle. He looked up from where he knelt, and my heartbeat picked up. He steadied himself on my thigh, sending electric waves up my leg, as he got to his feet. He smiled, as if he knew exactly what effect he had on me, before he jumped into the ocean.

I drew a deep breath, trying to get control of myself, before I jumped in after him. The water was surprisingly warm, and together, we paddled into the ocean. The waves were small and calm, perfect for learning. There was no wind, which made paddling easier.

I managed to float over most waves, while Devton duck-dived beneath them. A big wave approached, and I knew what was going to happen. It knocked me over, I slid off my surfboard, and it pushed me back, toward the city. Once the water stilled, I got onto my board again and paddled to the spot where Devton waited for me. Together, we paddled past the break line. Then we sat on the surfboards.

“I’ll tell you when to paddle, and as soon as the board picks up speed, get up,” Dev said.

“You make it sound so easy,” I said.

“It is easy.” He winked.

His attention darted toward my scars, but he didn’t say anything. I fought the urge to hide my hands and then realized I have nowhere to hide them, since I was not wearing a coat or pants with pockets.

The first wave came, and we got ready for it by lying down on our surfboards and facing Ocelos. I was happy, excited, and ready.

“Paddle!” Devton cried.

We began paddling, but I was not quick enough, and the wave passed me. Instead of being disappointed and feeling like a failure, I laughed. That had been a good attempt, and I would get another chance.

I watched as Devton got to his feet and rode the wave. He must have had years of experience because he rode it until the end without falling off. I paddled deeper into the ocean and breathed in the fresh clean air, which seemed to cleanse my soul.

I closed my eyes for a moment and told myself that I was healing. I was becoming better.

“Natka!” The panic in Devton’s voice made my eyes snap open, and I instantly saw why he was scared.

A full rift had opened, in front of me.