“Now, now. We don’t want boy toy to get hurt, do we?” Alexandria cooed; her blood-red lips forming a perfect heart on her face.
To prove a point she brought the blade up and nicked his cheek. A thin trail of blood ran down the side of his face, through the stubble that appeared to be freshly shaved. I hadn’t even realized I’d been snarling until she giggled and shook her head.
Through it all, Aidan’s eyes remained blank.
“What did you do to him?” I would’ve been surprised at how guttural my voice sounded if she hadn’t brought the blade back to his throat.
She feigned confusion and used her free hand to tug his head back. “Oh, that. It’s just a little enchantment to keep him cool as a cucumber while we chat.”
“After what you did to Ally, the only conversation we’re going to have is the one where you beg for your life.” I would’ve made an at
Alexandria had no qualms about releasing Aeacus, who seemed not to hear Adley’s ominous warning of his death and instead chose to lunge for her throat a second time.The glint of a bronze-colored blade flashed in my peripherals, and I stepped back in time to miss getting clipped by its massive hilt as Apollo intercepted his brother. I thought for sure Adley’s warning was going to come true when a loud clang filled the air.Apollo’s sword slammed into the spear that magically appeared in Aeacus’s hand. Sparks erupted where the two weapons met, but both men held their stances.Its body was crafted from the same bronzed metal as Apollo’s sword and was topped with a wavy-edged blade whose tip rested an inch from Adley’s throat.She didn’t move a muscle, nor did she take her eyes off Alexandria. I wondered if she had seen it coming, if that was why she hadn’t so much as flinched when Aeacus swung the blade at her
I wiped the vomit from my mouth but turned to heave again when Apollo lifted his brother’s severed head off the floor by his mane of bronze hair. There was a hideously disturbing splat, much too loud to be blood alone, as something wet hit the floor.“Do you really need to take his head with you, Apollo?” I asked after spitting and wiping my mouth for the second time.The question was supposed to be laced with venom, but instead I sounded almost afraid. His behavior was a bit odd, but it’s not like there were guidelines for keeping your shit together after beheading your own flesh and blood. Plus, he and Aeacus seemed to have some serious issues.Apollo cocked one of his sculpted eyebrows at me, like I was the one being difficult. There wasn’t a shred of regret or shame within his eyes, not that there should be, but I expected something substantial.This couldn’t possibly be it.‘
‘Rachel, can you hear me?’ Dain’s voice was the breath of fresh air I hadn’t realized I needed. Even though a whisper of guilt coiled around my head, I didn’t let go of Aidan’s hand. ‘…there’s something about Callum’s illusion magic that’s blocking the mind-link, I can’t seem to find a way through to you…damn it, tell me you can hear me!”Stone trickled from the ceiling in time with Dain’s powerful snarl and was what made the four of us rush towards the far end of the cavern, where Antonio’s wolf had vanished behind a wall of darkness.‘I can hear you, Dain.’ No matter how hard I tried, there was no hiding the tremble to my voice. ‘…tell me what to do—tell me how to get out of here.’Dain cursed, his voice fading in and out as the cavern walls began to shake.‘…can’t let him getaway. If he does, you&rsqu
Countless guests who had eagerly torn open their invitations just hours ago, now found their lives cut short. I wondered how many of them spent twice the amount of time on their hair and clothes, only to end up a bloodless corpse on the floor.I was too lost in the sea of dead to notice the wall of darkness that consumed the other side of the room. It appeared impenetrable, and completely shielded the southern corridor, and half of the dance floor. Only when Aidan’s hand slipped through my own did I lift my head, but it wasn’t to gaze up at the forlorn expression on his face.A man emerged from the shadows, running full force as he dragged a sobbing woman behind him. Her intricate updo was lopsided, sticking to the blood that ran down the side of her slender face. Clutched in her hand like a weapon was a stiletto, one that didn’t match the shredded turquoise dress clinging to her trembling frame.It was then I heard the screaming coming from in
This was the first time I’d seen him in action if that’s what you could call this. He played it tame back at the festival of night, but with Callum and Nadia somewhere in this mess, it was no holds barred.From deep within the pulsing cloud of night I heard a sharp crack, like the air itself had been cleaved in two.The same man Dain had pulled back in was now thrown into the air. He soared over broken tables and almost clipped one of the deserted bars before hitting the ground with a heavy thud.My stomach turned painfully, but bile refused to surface. It was adrenaline alone that kept me from hurling when his head tore open on impact and the marble flooring split from the force at which he’d been thrown. Even the sight of his mangled limbs, twisted at odd angles couldn’t reach me, not to say it wouldn’t once this was all over.“Oh, I’m sure of it.” Apollo nodded, his head tilting as he stared at the dead m
“When I kill my brother and we get out of this shithole, you’ll be lucky if I let you leave my bed the rest of the week.” His lips brushed my ear, once and then twice before he pulled away. “Actually, I’m going to need the rest of the month to get the taste of your fear out of my head—luckily I know just what to replace it with. When I said I wanted to hear you scream, this wasn’t what I had in mind.”At the same time, his voice slid into my head.‘Nadia is close by, but she won’t reveal herself. There’s something about the four of us here together that has her afraid. She’s listening, but she can’t quite find us.’ The corner of his full lips lifted into a smirk. ‘Try not to sound too breathless when you respond, darling. Now tell me, where are the others?’“How can you joke at a time like this?” Even a whisper felt loud, and I wondered how close Nad
“Don’t listen to him, Rachel. He wants us fighting each other.” Dain warned, but I could barely hear him—barely feel him as he tensed behind me.A puff of hot breath fanned across my face, and I bit back a gag as the scent of dried blood and something old hit my senses.Too late I felt the darkness around me stir as Callum went in for the attack. A swift but dull pain blossomed across my stomach. It lost the chance to bloom into agony when Dain grabbed me by the arm and shoved me behind him.In one fluid motion he thrust his hand out at where Callum had been standing, and the shadows around us swarmed. Like the shrill scream of wind they howled as they passed, stabbing my ears until even Dain’s voice faded into the static.When Callum’s enraged snarl broke through the shrieking of the angry hive, Dain clenched his hand into a fist and shoved back the impenetrable clouds. The fiery curls of my hair whipped around my shou
“Dain, get rid of the shadows…call them off or something.” I stammered, my hands trembling as I held them close to my mouth.There was no way fate could be so cruel as to tear Ally and Aidan away in a single night. I couldn’t—wouldn’t let myself believe it.When I heard nothing in response, I whipped around and said, “…they’re going after Aidan. We have to do something!”Finally, he turned from where he stood, staring at the space where Callum had vanished. Releasing the secret I kept chained and bound in my chest also released my fear of Dain’s retaliation. The words he said, they’d replay themselves in my memory until the end of time, along with the crippling relief and flash of surprise I felt.Only a second I gave myself to savor the fluttering in my chest and the echo of his praise in my ears.Did you think I’d be angry to have Queen that rivaled