Unmade (Unborn #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,40
to fully free me from Deimos’ bonds. “Where is he?”
“Gone.”
“Well, I’m guessing he’ll be back eventually,” Oz replied, looming above me. “I’ll wait.”
“He has gone after his brother—”
“He’s signed his own death warrant.” I let out a breath and headed for the door. I made it two steps before Oz caught my arm and turned me to face him. “Tell me what happened.”
“Deimos happened. Is that not obvious?”
“It is, but the details are not. I want those.”
“Do you?” I countered. “Because I fear that your male pride will override what little sense you possess, and you will not hear my words as you need to, but rather how you choose to, and we do not have time for your petty feud with the god of terror. He is not the real threat.”
His grip on me tightened and his eyes glowed brighter. “Did he hurt you?”
“No more than he ever has,” I replied. It did not appear to assuage his anger in the least. “But this time was different. It was not born of his sadistic need to own me—he did it to protect me, in his own way.”
“Because his brother can’t come get you down here, so keeping you prisoner seemed the next logical move?” Oz’s voice was barely his own anymore, his Dark nature in complete control.
“No. Because he wanted to give me something he thought I would need.”
I pressed my hand to Oz’s heart, as Deimos had mine, and channeled the terror just as I had felt it; just as strongly as it had coursed through me. White light flashed in his eyes, then slowly faded until only their normal shade of brown stared back at me, wild and wide. I pulled away before giving him the full brunt of what Deimos had shared with me. It seemed unnecessary, given his reaction.
Pushing him further seemed cruel, a characteristic I did not wish to absorb from the god of terror.
“He said I would need that to face his brother, should he fail to kill him before we finally meet in the flesh. So you see, twisted though his actions may have been, they were necessary in order to pass that along. He knew I would not let him near enough to do it otherwise. He bound my hands so I could not blast him with lightning—”
“And gagged you so you couldn’t breathe fire.” Oz scowled with realization. “Clever motherfucker.”
“Or talented premeditator, whichever you prefer.”
“I prefer dead son of a bitch, but—”
“But he is aiding us, so for now, he lives.”
“Yeah—for now.” His eyes drifted to the wall of broken restraints at my back, and his signature smug smile returned. “Too bad we can’t hang around for a while…I kinda like the idea of you bound and on your knees, under different circumstances.”
“Another time, perhaps—when our lives are no longer on the line.”
“Raincheck, then?” His smile widened.
I gave him a sly one in return. “I am not certain you would survive me on my knees, Oz.” I pressed against him, snapping my teeth at his face. “I like to bite, remember?”
“I can’t say that I do, new girl. Perhaps you should remind me.” His body pressed closer to mine. “I think we could spare a few minutes for that.”
I smiled at him, the wickedness behind it showing through. “Perhaps another time.” I walked toward the door as though I had not just been held prisoner by the god of terror. “Are you coming?”
I looked over my shoulder to find the same smile staring back at me. “Not yet. But I hope to soon.”
We emerged from the Underworld to a most unwelcome sight. Ares loitered near the gates, undoubtedly awaiting my arrival, and I could not help but wonder how he had known I was there at all. What he wanted, though, I knew all too well.
“Khara,” he said, feigning happiness to see me, but that façade fell the moment he saw Oz exit behind me, his black wings spread wide. It was only then that I pondered whether or not their paths had ever crossed before. I turned to assess Oz’s expression, but it gave nothing away.
His words, however, spoke volumes. “Time to go, new girl.”
“Well, well, Daughter. I heard you’d had a run-in with the Dark Ones—”
“And some of your other fucking progeny—”
“—which makes me question your current choice of company.” Ares’ eyes narrowed. “For that and other reasons…”
“The company I keep is my business and no one else’s, Ares. Now is hardly the time to play the role