Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,97
was conscious of Ashor’s ability to feel what I felt. “I know what I have to do,” I murmured, my shoulders drooping.
His violet eyes were lined with gold. “You don’t need to make your decision right now. Sleep on it. We will deal with Verena’s test together.”
Sleep wasn’t possible, not with my mind whirling and my heart weighing me down.
“Come here,” he said, looping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his chest.
I snuggled against him without delay, resting my head near his neck. “What do you think your test was?” I asked, tipping my head so I could see his jawline. “She never did say, only that you had already passed.”
His jaw locked, shadows moving into his features. Underneath me, his body went rigid before he forcibly relaxed. “It was my blood oath to save Cayden’s soul.”
“You mean, she arranged for him to be…?” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish the sentence. Verena had Cayden beaten to a bloody pulp, leaving him on the verge of true death, all to test Ashor’s loyalty. She also had the nerve to blame it on his mother.
That bitch.
When I first came to Gardeness, I had disregarded Verena, assuming Kali was the bigger threat. She and her court appeared mild in comparison to the Court of Darkness, and I thought, how much harm could a sex demon cause? But I was beginning to believe she was equally as villainous as Kali.
“I had my doubts at first, but now I am sure of it. She put me into a situation where I would have no choice but to swear her a blood oath. She is keeping Cayden from me, and I mean to find out why.”
My blood iced over. “She’s insane.” I was doubting that allying with Verena was wise.
“Queens have a penchant for cruelty,” he said grimly. “Instilling fear keeps many from challenging them.”
I loosed a breath. “You are one of the most powerful demons in the world, yet you hide the depth of your powers. Why not fight back?” He didn’t fear anyone, as far as I could tell, and proved it by betraying his own mother, but he also did nothing other than protect me. Perhaps that was the only thing the Prince of Darkness truly feared. Losing me.
“Because I was waiting,” he finally answered.
Curiosity got the best of me, and the question tumbled from my lips. “For what?”
“You,” Ashor whispered, his usually cold eyes filling up with so much warmth.
My pulse quickened, followed by a sharp intake of breath. God, when he said such bold statements to me, I felt the shield around my heart weaken.
He pressed his lips to mine for a brief kiss, not of passion, but of comfort. “You have given me something to fight for.”
We both had something to fight for. Each other. But would it be enough for us to survive this war?
I fell asleep that night wrapped in Ashor’s arms, pondering our fate. The uncertainty of the future, of what I had to do, plagued me into sleep. I had to kill my first love to save the demon who was my mate. No one should have to make a choice this fucked-up.
It was the sudden cold suppressing the constant humidity of Gardeness that warned something was coming, but still drugged by exhaustion, I wavered in and out of consciousness. Hooves thundered in my dreams, growing louder and louder, trembling over the ground. I shivered against Ashor, searching for warmth, but only found that my breath was like ice in my lungs.
Ashor stirred beside me, shifting his arm from out under me, and I protested. The repetitive pounding of horses galloping came to an abrupt halt, jarring me awake. My eyelids parted, unable to shake the sudden urge that we weren’t alone.
“You better have a good reason for disturbing me,” Ashor’s raspy voice, thick from sleep, grumbled.
I was wide awake now and staring at four ghostly figures surrounding our bed, faces ranging from rugged to baby smooth, all wearing the same stony expressions.
The Wild Hunt was in our bedroom.
I jerked the sheet up higher around my body, trying not to think about the fact that I was naked underneath the covers. These demons reported to Ashor. They were loyal to him above all else, despite the hierarchy and laws of the underworld. I learned they would do anything for their leader, including help a mortal escape from the Kingdom of Darkness, a feat I would never forget.