Page 75 of Wolf of Ashes
I nod. I’m not sure how yet. Not until I know the nature of the falling out and its reasons. “We can make them kill each other and destroy the empire’s greatest protectors in the process.”
“What about the older brother?” Diavolo asks. “Did your mother ever mention meeting him?”
I shake my head. “Mom said that the siblings parted ways when they were younger.” But my voice becomes a growl. “If he makes an appearance, we’ll find a way to destroy him too.”
My hands form claws at my sides as I turn to the keeper. “If Jonah and Vanguard were playing games when they called you an enenra, do you think they know what I am?”
This time, Diavolo shakes his head. “Even I don’t know what you are.” His voice remains light as he continues. “Of course, you could simply tell me—”
“I don’t know.”
I hate making the admission, but I can’t keep pretending.
He steps into the dim light, peering at me. “You don’t know if you’ll tell me or—”
“I don’t know what I am.”
He looks startled, his eyes widening. It appears that I’ve really surprised him.
After all, how could I not know?
I follow my admission with a heavy sigh. “My mother was a hellhound. My father was a dark angel. I have claws and teeth and…” I hesitate. “Things that don’t fit together like they should. I’m not a hellhound. I’m not an angel. Even though Icanfully shift into the shape of a wolf, I don’t think I’m a wolf shifter—at least, not in the usual sense.”
Diavolo’s brow has furrowed. His focus drops to my claws, which have extended in the dark.
The very same claws that drew blood at Vanguard’s throat. An achievement that seems like a fluke now.
Diavolo’s expression clears as his eyes meet mine.
“You’re you,” he says quietly.
My own darkness lifts a little. It’s not as though I suddenly feel like a unicorn floating on a rainbow, but some of my tension eases.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “I’m me.”
The keeper holds out his hand to me, his dark eyes moving across my face as he continues to speak softly. “Okay,you. Dawn is still a few hours away and we have time to kill and plans to make.”
“Gods to kill,” I correct him.
“That, too.”
The puffy panthers follow us out of the alley, keeping close to my legs. I’m pleased to discover that most of the city’s smells aren’t bothering me so much anymore. The more time I spend out here amongst civilization, the faster I’m sure I’ll settle into the world.
As we proceed along the footpath, I scoff a little. “Jonah said his name was a homophone for his race. But a homophone should sound exactly the same, no? At best,Jonahrhymes withjotnarand even then, you have to pronounce the ‘J’ differently.”
Diavolo smirks. “The gods and those who stand beside them probably enjoy making up their own rules.”
He draws to a stop beside a restaurant with a glowing, neon sign above the window.
“Pizza,” he says, licking his lips as he reads the sign.
When I inhale the delicious scents wafting from the shop, more of my tension disappears. “Do you think pizza will taste as good as burgers?”
He grins. “Want to find out?”
“Hell, yes.”
I follow him inside the store, relishing the moments when he compels the humans to look the other way and wrangles free pizzas for us and raw meat for the panthers. I discover that pizza is delightful—except for the ones that have little things called ‘anchovies’ on them. Salty fishes are not for me.
