Unmade (Unborn #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,5

so far,” I hissed, pulling free of his grip. “You owe me for that as well.”

He stood before me, seething at my insubordination. At one time, he would have struck me down for my behavior, but the way he looked at me—the wariness in his eyes—made me wonder if he had come to learn what I was capable of. And if it frightened him.

“Why do you wish to go to Kaine?” he asked, jaw tight with anger.

“I do not, but I must. He has something I want,” I said. “Something I need.”

“And you think he will merely let you walk in and take it?”

“No,” I replied, a twitch pulling at the corner of my mouth, “but I will take it nonetheless.”

“Tell me what it is and I will agree to your terms.”

“You will agree to my terms regardless,” I countered.

“My patience is not infinite where you are concerned, vasilissa mou.”

“Your patience is nonexistent, Deimos, as is mine in this matter. Take me now, or I shall find my way there on my own,” I said, turning to walk away. “Perhaps I will summon Kaine to come take me away. Hopefully your brother will not find me before the Dark One arrives.”

I let my words bait him because he could surely hear the truth in them. I would find the in-between with or without him; to my success or my failure, I did not know. But I would go regardless.

I was nearly in the Great Hall before I heard him coming, the heavy sound of his breathing echoing off the walls. My brothers stood there with Aery, a shared look of concern amongst the five. That concern only grew at the sight of Deimos rapidly approaching.

“Khara!” he yelled.

I stopped and turned to face him. “Have you reconsidered your position?”

“I will do as you ask,” he replied, “if you do something for me in return.”

“No deal,” Casey snarled, stepping to my side.

“I have this, Brother,” I said, placing my arm out to block him—to keep him from making a mistake he could not unmake. “What is it you wish me to do?”

“Come to me when you return,” he said. Aery went stiff at his proximity, and I stepped in front of her.

“Do what I have asked without question, and I will consider it. That is all I will offer.” He scowled as he agreed. “Good. Then let us be gone.”

I gave my brothers a tight nod as I passed, but it was not enough. Kierson had my arm in a flash, pulling me away from Deimos.

“Khara, this is crazy! Kaine isn’t going to let you march into the in-between, grab Oz, and leave!”

“Ozereus?” Deimos said, his tone laced with malice.

“Kaine will let me do as much, or he will die. It is that simple.”

“I do not believe it is,” Deimos said.

In a rare act of solidarity, Kierson agreed. “He’s right, Khara! This is a suicide mission.”

“I will not take you there for this.” Deimos’ expression was stone and ice, reinforcing his statement.

“You have already agreed because you fear the alternative. So you will take me there now,” I said before turning to Kierson. “And I will return in one piece. I promise.” The apprehension in his stare was plain. “I will be back soon,” I said, heading toward the Acheron. “We still have much to discuss.”

“I hope he’s worth it,” Casey shouted after me. “I hope he’s as invested in you as you are in him.”

I smiled a wicked smile back at him. “More so, I believe, Brother. I am not without my charms.”

“Let’s go,” Deimos growled in my ear. “I will do this for you, Khara, but know that even if you manage to get him out of there alive, he will no longer come between you and me, do you understand?”

I stood at the edge of the Acheron and looked up at the ominous figure who had tormented me as both a child and adult—the one who had stolen parts of me that could never be returned—and sneered at him in a way that would have made Casey proud.

“We will see about that, Deimos. We will see.”

2

We arrived in the in-between to the dreariness I had come to expect. Everything looked as it had when I had last been there, only this time, there was no army of Dark Ones awaiting my arrival. Instead, the barren land greeted me with no one else in sight.

“This idea is foolish,” Deimos growled in my ear.

“Foolish or not, you will leave me to