She was human. Fragile in ways his kind would never be. She couldn't heal the way he could. Couldn't endure a fraction of what he had been forced to endure growing up under this man's shadow. And Azrael knew his father better than anyone, knew how far he would go to prove dominance, to remind the world that his power was absolute.
And worst of all… his father would use whatever weakness he sensed.
So Azrael buried his fear. Buried the truth that the thought of her screaming, breaking, bleeding because of him made something inside his chest fracture.
The Moon Goddess herself could descend from the heavens, Azrael would never admit that fear.
Never let this man know his weakness.
"Scared?" he repeated softly, tilting his head. "No."
He took another step forward, placing himself fully between his father and Athena. "I just finally learned the difference between fear and restraint."
