Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,77

the skinwalker to the ground. Without hesitation, the demon left, vanishing before my very eyes.

“Why did you let him go?” I demanded.

He took a quick assessment of me before answering, most likely checking for injuries. “It’s always more fun when you let one live.”

I shook my head. “Is everything a game to you?”

“Life is boring otherwise when you have centuries to play with.” He cut a sharp glance toward the direction of the sinking moon. “She won’t stop. Not until she has what she wants. And she will use any means possible to get it, including using you as a pawn. She knows you’re here. I suspected that the other day when she delivered the storm. But what I can’t piece together is how she was informed of your presence in Gardeness. Perhaps it was one of her spies, or possibly Verena has a traitor in her court.”

My throat bobbed as I whispered, “It was your brother.”

Ice froze his features, and I swear the temperature dropped. “Soren? How would he know?”

My heart stopped at the cold tone of his voice. “He found me in Hell’s Mist. Nearly dragged me back to the Fortress, if it hadn’t been for Cayden.”

A dark flicker of emotion haunted Ashor’s features. “Why haven’t you said anything?”

“Honestly, with everything that has happened in the last few days, it slipped my mind.” Something I never thought possible when it came to his twisted brother. I recalled what my mother had told me about Soren’s conception. “Cayden warned me that Soren would inform your mother that I had returned.”

Rolling his neck, Ashor drew his demon back inside, wings and all. “He is like an obedient dog, always seeking her approval and constantly coming up short, which only makes him nastier.”

This might not be the appropriate time to bring up the circumstances surrounding his brother’s birth, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Is it true he was made?”

Ashor held my gaze for a long moment, and I felt the truth before the words left his lips. “Yes, a dark secret my mother would kill to keep. I think she deludes herself into thinking the other courts do not whisper or murmur about the true identity of his father. We will not speak of it again. It is not safe to do so.”

I nodded, understanding. Any questions I had, this was my one shot to have them answered. “Is his father the Ngah? The one she keeps in the dungeons?”

“You see too much, luv,” he stated, his voice quiet. “She would cut out your tongue if you ever spoke his name in her presence.”

The soft flutter of tiny wings echoed over the trees. We were no longer alone.

Not all of Verena’s demon fairies had survived the attack. “We’ve cleared the perimeter,” one of the little sentinels informed. “You should return to the castle now. It is not safe.”

The hairs on my arms prickled as a frosty phantom breeze blew over my face, carrying kernels of darkness. Kali’s warning was clear. She was coming for me. For her son. For us both.

19

I seemed to constantly find myself in turmoil over the Prince of Darkness. I no longer denied the feelings of affection growing within me. My attachment was swiftly becoming something I needed, something I depended on. Despite all his faults and less than upstanding morals, deep down, Ashor was someone I trusted. It had been hard for me to get there, to believe in him, yet all he had done was protect me in his own way, regardless if I agreed with his methods.

The attraction between us was nothing like I’d ever experienced, but in truth, I had to admit a large part of the insane chemistry was from our connection. It had also been there before I knew he was my mate, even though I refused to accept what I was feeling then or how hard I fought against it. If it was the fates or destiny, I didn’t really know, and nor did I want to think too hard on it. Right now, this thing between us just was, and we both knew it wasn’t going to last forever.

That might have added a layer to the desperation we had for each other, knowing that at any moment, we could be torn apart by his world, by mine, by his mother, or some other outside force we hadn’t come across. The cards were stacked against us.

And yet, here we were.

“How long until she makes her decision?” I grumbled.