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“No, which is exactly why I took it.” Seized it with both hands until my fingers bled. I refused to go back, not for love or money.
Vale seemed to let the information sink in. “How old were you when you became a fury?”
“I started training as a child.”
“You were an orphan?”
I shook my head.
His hands balled into fists. “Abandoned?”
“Abandonment would have been better.” I paused. “My mother sold me to them when I was thirteen. She wanted me to rise to a level of greatness that she herself was incapable of.”
“I’m so sorry, Maya.” He hesitated. “Should I still call you Maya?”
“Yes. That’s who I am.” Not just because I was hiding my identity. The name Aurelia had been given by my mother. Maya August was the first choice I’d made for myself when I’d claimed my freedom. The first decision I’d ever made that was solely for me.
A gust of wind whipped my hair, and he tucked a loose strand behind my ear. “What were you like as a fury?”
“Terrifying. Feared. I carried a whip.”
“Leather?”
“Of course.” I paused. “Are you trying to picture it?”
He winced. “Would that be wrong?”
“I’ll admit, whips are underrated.”
Light burst in his eyes. “This explains your knowledge of the fae.”
“They were my first opponents in the early years, when I was tasked with hunting down Thread-Thieves. The Fates despise all of them.”
“Because they’re ancient too?”
“Mainly because the Fates can’t control them. They can’t stand the fact that the fae refuse to stay buried.”
“And what about you? The Fates must be desperate to reclaim you.”
“They would if they could find me.”
“How have you managed to avoid detection? A name change wouldn’t be enough.”
“I had someone powerful hide my fate-thread. Someone with no love for the Fates.” Added security that my secret would be kept. “The Fates can’t find what they can’t see.” And I made sure to cover every one of my tracks.
“Why not simply let you go once you made it clear you no longer wished to serve them?”
Bitter laughter spilled from the deep, angry recesses of my soul. “That’s one of the problems with concentrated power. Their egos would never allow it. They think they’re superior to everyone and therefore deserve to exert control over them.”
“Even the gods they serve?”
“They serve only themselves at this point. They secretly believe they’re more powerful than the gods. The whole reason they chose to support humans in the takeover of this realm is because they knew humans would be easier to control.”
“They weren’t wrong.” He frowned. “Wait. What about your new assistant? Isn’t Penny a fury? Does she know?”
“She believes the same as everyone else, but she’s smart. Asks lots of questions.”
“You’re worried she’ll turn you in?”
