Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,99

be leading the fleet.”

Fucking fantastic. So much for hoping I’d never see his assbucket of a brother again.

On the upside, perhaps I would get the chance to kick his ass again. That in itself was something to look forward to in this underworld mess.

But first, I had to pass my test. I really wanted to tell Verena to shove her loyalty test up her tight ass, but no matter how appealing the gesture was, it wouldn’t help protect my family. Hell, at this point, I was trying to protect the whole goddamn world. “How long do I have until she comes to get me?” I asked.

Ashor sighed, shadows decorating the side of his face. “Not long. The armada will be on her shores within the hour.”

I’d never been in the middle of an underworld battle, and by the looks of what waited for Verena on her shores, I was more than willing to sit this fight out. “What will happen when she docks? Will her army attack?”

His violet eyes shimmered. Ashor and I had both seen our fair share of bloodshed. “It won’t be just the ships of demons Verena will have to contend with. The skies will remain black, and a storm will rage through the kingdom until my mother has the Crown of Envy.”

“You believe if your mother goes up against Verena, she will win,” I said softly, reading his shared emotions from our bond.

Ashor had an unruffled calm, where I was freaking out the fuck out. “She is stronger. Not just in power. My mother has one of the most lethal armies within the underworld. Her soldiers are trained and disciplined. They are born and bred in darkness, and before the day is over, this kingdom will be bathed in absolute night. And when she kills the Queen of Envy, the sun will never shine here again.”

I repressed a shudder.

He sat down beside me, looking me straight in the eyes, and the expression I saw there sucked out any lingering hope within me. “I need you to understand. There is no way Verena gets out of this alive. My oath is binding.” He took my hand, interlacing our fingers. “My agenda has always been clear. I’ve never pretended to be a savior or a saint. I am neither. I scheme. I bend the rules to my whim. I lie. I cheat.”

“Okay. I get it,” I interrupted. “You’re not a nice guy, but I’m not an angel.” What I was about to do, kill someone I had once cared for, was proof. “I know you’re planning something. Just promise me your mother won’t win.”

“I promise that I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety.”

My brows drew together. “That's not what I asked.” I shook my head, realizing it was the best I was going to get out of him. “I’m going to shower before the fun begins,” I said, needing a few quiet moments to myself to gather my strength and harden my heart.

He let me go, and I was grateful.

Verena summoned us while the last rays of sunshine clung to the sky, but it wouldn’t be long until night took the reins completely. The demon smirked at me. He was one of Verena’s personal guards—Jamez. Well, Jamez was a little handsy in his duties and obviously had a death wish. He grabbed a handful of my ass as I walked by him.

Wrong move, dickhead.

I whirled on him, kicking the demon in his balls. It was a gut reaction that rarely ever failed. “How’s it feel, asshole? Touch me without my permission, and I will hurt you.”

He was in human form and grunted in response, clutching his manhood. “You bitc—”

Without saying a word, Ashor grabbed the demon by the back of his neck, forcing him to look him in the face. Then Ashor plunged his fist into the demon’s chest and ripped out his black heart in one clean thrust. The bastard had one second of shock, gaping at his own heart in the prince’s hand, before Ashor crushed his heart to dust and the demon along with it, his soul petrified by Ashor’s darkness.

I’d expected Ashor to deliver him a tongue lashing, but this…

I blinked, sliding him a sidelong glance. “That was unexpected.”

He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his glittering cold eyes. “No one touches what’s mine.”

“Technically, my ass is still mine.”

“Yes, well, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.”

Great. So this was like a marriage without the rings. “Verena