Drowning In The Dark - Pippa DaCosta Page 0,68
flesh all your finite life.”
“Didn’t see this coming, did you, you arrogant bastard?”
“This will accomplish nothing. The princes will not wait for my return. The half bloods will arrive no matter what you do with me. I’ll escape. My future is not confined in this room.”
“So we should kill you now then?”
“Kill me?” He recoiled, offended. “I have not lived for millennia to be bested by a half-blood whore and her puppet prince.”
“I killed Levi.”
Val’s lips twitched. “No, for that you had help from a remarkable half-blood youngling, who has since died.”
“She lives.”
A sneer tugged his upper lip back, and those eyes darkened. “Impossible. Your mortal man killed her. I witnessed it.”
Interesting that he hadn’t seen Dawn in his future. “A ruse, so the likes of you stopped hunting her.” His steady gaze jumped and reassessed the room around us. “That’s right, asshole. We have an immortal killer on our side, not to mention the Prince of Wrath, the Prince of Greed—who commands all the demons in Boston—and lil’ ol’ me.”
Ryder emerged from the bedroom. “Don’t forget the mortal man. I have guns, lots of them, a truck load of the drug polluting your veins, and some very nasty anti-elemental rounds that’ll make short work of your air-brushed skin. Plus, I’m part of a small army of mortals that would like nothing more than to shove your pretty head onto a stake.”
Finally, Val looked up at me with disdain. “Your words are worthless. I need only one half-blood to level this city. I have five.”
“Without your direction, I’ll bet they’re lost. I’ve seen the Institute half bloods. They’re nothing like Stefan or me. Machines.”
“Mine are not nearly as docile. They will come for me.”
I smiled. “Soon, I hope.” If we could force them to act before the princes were ready, then perhaps we had an advantage. “Did I also mention the King of Hell is here?”
“The king is dead,” he snarled.
“Yeah, that’s not exactly true.”
His throat worked as he swallowed. “Lies. The king died centuries ago. Our queen killed him.”
“You know that thing about Akil the princes fear? A big secret, maybe a back-up plan?” I watched Val’s face betray shock, fear, then anger. Satisfaction warmed me. “Maybe you’d like to reconsider taking this world? Seems like a lot of effort for something you don’t even want, Val.”
He tugged uselessly on the restraints around his wrists and whipped his head up, snarling at me. “This is not how it happens. I witnessed our victory in your flesh.”
“Is that what you told Asmodeus? Our father? Is that why the princes persist? Because you’re so damn certain you’re right, that it’s a foregone conclusion? You saw the Mother of Destruction lay waste to this world for you?” I crouched down so I could meet him at eye level. “Hate to disappoint the family, brother-mine, but that ain’t gonna happen.”
He drilled his gaze into me, as though scoring my soul. “I should have killed you before you drew your first breath, cut your throat the way I did your mother’s. I would have, had I not seen greatness in you. Had I kept what I saw to myself, I’d have killed you long ago. All these years, I have despised sharing father’s blood with you. He had the Prince of Greed watch over you after I sold you to the vilest elementals I could find. I had hoped your succession of owners would destroy you, but fate twisted you, shaped you, into the thing you are today. You will be destruction, sister. That is your destiny.” He jerked back and glared at Stefan. “And you, pretender-prince, will help her attain her true potential.” He smiled, and I didn’t like the look of it. “So tragic. Enjoy your final hours, Winter King.”
Stefan was a blur. He shoved me aside, clutched Val by his leathers and practically lifted him off the floor, chair and all. “Tell me everything.” Val laughed, prompting Stefan’s power to flood into the room.
“Let me touch your flesh, and I will tell you how you will die. I see you only through the eyes of others, but I have witnessed enough.”
“Do I kill anyone?” Stefan’s voice fractured. Val’s gaze flicked to me. “Tell me!”
“Stefan…” I moved into his field of vision. “You don’t want to know. It will drive you insane trying to second-guess yourself. Please…”
He turned his frosty glare on me and then dropped Val. I expected him to pull back, but instead he gripped my brother around the throat