She wanted to pull away and see if Phoenix had on a necklace as well, but he slid his hand up and around to the back of her neck. She shivered at the touch. He lightly stroked her jaw and tipped her chin so she could gaze into his gorgeous brown eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said.
Zwaantie smiled. “Thank you.”
He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. Zwaantie reached her arms up and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Their lips moved furiously against one another. This was different from Leo. Her whole body was on fire. She pushed into him, wanting to be as close as possible. She’d been waiting for this moment since she first challenged him to that game of tag.
A voice came from behind her. “I can’t believe this.”
They sprang apart. Leo stood a few feet from her with a frown.
Zwaantie had no words. She had no way to explain. But if Leo refused to take them across the wall, her mother would kill Phoenix. Dammit. They couldn’t wait a few more hours? What was she thinking?
Leo shook his head. “I understand now. You found out I could remove bondage bands. This was all some set up. You’re going to run away with your slave lover when you get to Stella. I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
All the blood drained from her face. “This isn’t what it looks like.” He wouldn’t fall for it. Of course, he wouldn’t. But she had to try. She turned around to see if Phoenix could come up with some excuse, but he’d disappeared. What the dark?
Leo stalked closer to her. “Oh, don’t play dumb, girl. I’m the spymaster of Stella. I can see all the clues. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. I was too blinded by my own love.”
“Oh, poor Zwaantie, all her plans falling apart.”
Zwaantie turned around and found Wilma standing behind her.
“What are you doing here?” Zwaantie asked, thoroughly confused. Wilma wasn’t supposed to be here. Not only that, but she was talking to Zwaantie like she was happy Zwaantie got caught.
Wilma tapped her fingers on her lips. “I came to say goodbye. Really, girl, I can’t believe you are still alive.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were smart, figuring out those connections,” Wilma continued. “That silly slave girl was poisoned. That wine was meant for you.”
Leo came to her side and stared at Wilma. Would he rescue her now? Or was he too angry? Zwaantie couldn’t make sense of her words. “You were the one trying to kill me?”
“Oh, I most certainly wanted you dead, but no, dear. It wasn’t me. It was the Voice. But you already know that.”
She crept closer to Zwaantie, and Zwaantie backed up. The wisps of the wall slid across her shoulders.
Wilma leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Before you die, I want you to know who it was that wanted you dead. You should die with the knowledge that someone you loved dearly was behind all those attempts. It will be I who succeeds, but still, you should know.”
Zwaantie barely registered the name Wilma uttered. Instead, she spun and shoved Wilma right into the mist. Before she could back away though, Wilma’s hand lashed out and pulled her right in.
Chapter 29
The Lost Memory
Leo didn’t hesitate or even think. He plunged into the wall where Zwaantie disappeared. She could already be lost to the depths, but he had to try. Even if she had betrayed him.
He hit something solid and wrapped his arms around her waist. She struggled against his grip.
“Calm down, Zwaantie, it’s me.”
She stilled. “Leo.”
He pressed his lips against her ear. “Yes, it’s me. Where’s the witch?”
“I don’t know. She let go of me as soon as we fell. Why did you call her a witch?”
This was good. He wasn’t sure where she went, but at least she wasn’t with them.
“She’s the Old Mother.” He almost didn’t recognize her. She looked different than she had when she visited, but those eyes were one of a kind.
Zwaantie’s grip tightened. “How do you know of the Old Mother?”
“She’s the reason I came over to Sol. But I’ll explain that later. We need to get out of here.”
Zwaantie pulled him back toward the way they fell in. “Thank goodness we aren’t far in.”
Leo chuckled. “Sorry, Princess, it doesn’t work like that. We’ll never get out if we try to go back.”
“Where are we going then?”
“Toward the Rod of Lost Memories. If we can find that, we’ll be able to get out okay. But we can’t waste any time. The longer we are in here, the more disoriented we’ll be.”
He pulled her toward the rod. He had an excellent sense of direction, and if he moved east, he’d hit the rod. If they didn’t find it, they’d be lost forever.
“Do you think Wilma will be able to get out?”
“Who?”
“The woman you called the Old Mother.”
“Probably. She’s the Old Mother after all. Why’d she want to kill you anyway?”
“I have no idea. She was my friend.”
Zwaantie went quiet, and Leo pressed through the darkness, his soon-to-be lost memory haunting him.
“Tell me, Princess, how long have you been planning to betray me?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me. We have at least two hours in this mist, and we’re both going to forget this as soon as we step into Stella. You can at least do me the service of letting me know why.”
Zwaantie tugged her hand.
“Don’t let go of me. You’ll get lost.”
“Why did you come after me anyway?”
“Because I love you. I have since the second I laid eyes on you. I’ve always thought my brothers and sisters were crazy when they talked about love at first sight, but now I understand. I can’t explain it. I’d die for you.”
She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way. I wish I did. It would make this so much easier.”
“Why did you agree to marry me?”
“You saw how Stella is about slaves. I saw an opportunity to free Phoenix. It was my only option. I didn’t plan on falling in love with him, but it happened. Before I fell for him, I didn’t even know love like that was possible. I can’t imagine my life without him. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Leo almost stopped walking, but he couldn’t. Intellectually, he understood what she was talking about. Love was something that grabbed ahold and didn’t let go. He felt it for her. But the pain in his chest that she would do betray him like that was too much.
They had to keep pushing through the inky blackness.
His hip hit something solid. He reached down and found the steel rod. Thank the stars. They wouldn’t perish. The two-inch rod floated at waist level. They could hold on tight and find their way home. Or back to Sol. He wasn’t sure which way they’d go, but hopefully they’d exit in Stella.
He pulled Zwaantie over and placed her hand on the cool steel. “Hold onto this. If you let go, you’ll disappear. We’re lucky we found it. Stay close to me so I don’t think I lost you.”
“Okay.”
They plodded on in silence for several minutes.
“You know, we won’t remember anything of our conversations when we step out of the mist,” he said.
Zwaantie snorted. “That means I can tell you anything, and you won’t remember it.”
“Exactly.”
“So tell me something true. Something you didn’t dare to tell me before,” Zwaantie said.
The question surprised Leo. He didn’t think she was terribly interested in his life. But since she was asking, he wanted her to understand what was at stake, even if she wouldn’t remember on the other side. “If we don’t get married, my sister’s baby is going to die.”
“Why?”
“The Old Mother. She gave a prophecy that said if Stella and Sol weren’t joined by the first birthday of Candace’s baby, then he would die, and he wouldn’t
be the last.”
“That’s awful. Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Leo rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me. The minute I walked into the castle, you accused me of having ulterior motives. Do you think you would have just agreed to marry me if you thought I was only doing it for my sister?”
“Probably not. But maybe we could’ve found another solution. Two minds are better than one. What would you have done if I hadn’t agreed to marry you?”
“That’s another secret. You’re turn to tell me something true.”
She was quiet for a few moments. “I don’t want to be queen.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not good at leading people, and I just want to live a normal life.”
“Did you want that before you fell in love with Phoenix?”
“Yes. Maybe that’s why I fell in love with him. He was my chance at normal. I never was the most obedient child, and I don’t like the obligations that come with being queen. If you hadn’t come along, Mother would’ve made me marry someone else who I didn’t love. Phoenix or no Phoenix.”
Leo didn’t know what to think about that. He’d never had to do anything he didn’t want to. Sure, he wasn’t crazy about going to Sol, but he did that because he loved his sister and wanted to help her, not because he had to.
In Stella, Zwaantie would have freedoms she couldn’t even begin to imagine. She might run away with the slave. She might not. She wouldn’t remember any of this when they stepped into his land, but stranger things had happened. Even if she did run away with her slave, they’d have a better life in Stella than they would in Sol. If she ran off, he’d have to return to his father, and they’d have to prepare for war.
Stella and Sol needed to be joined. He wouldn’t let Candace’s baby die.
They walked in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. He wondered what memory she would forget. Probably her fight with the witch if that is what she was thinking about when she crossed the wall. She called the woman Wilma. For Zwaantie’s sake, he hoped Wilma was lost in the mist because if not, Zwaantie would still trust her.
After another hour, he was going mad with the thoughts in his head. Thoughts that would disappear the second he stepped out of the mist.
“Tell me something else that you would never tell me if you thought I’d remember,” Leo said.
“You’re a good kisser.”
Leo stopped dead, and she ran into him. That was not what he expected to come out of her mouth.
He spun around, let go of the steel rod, but kept his hip pressed against it. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her against him. Stars, she felt good.
He leaned down so his face was close to her ear.
“But I thought you were in love with Phoenix.”
She snaked her arms around his waist and held him close. He was completely taken aback. She laid her cheek against his chest.
“I am. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad kisser. To be honest, if Phoenix had never been in the picture, we’d probably still be heading to Stella to plan the wedding. I like you. A lot more when the Voice isn’t whispering in my head. I wish we could’ve been friends. I bet you would’ve helped me figure out how to run away with Phoenix.”
He chuckled. “Probably. But at this point, even if Candace’s baby wasn’t in danger, I’m way too in love with you to help you run away with anyone else.”
“I know,” she mumbled.
He pulled away and found her face with his hands. “We’re not far from the edge of the wall. When we step out of the darkness, we’ll forget everything that happened in here. I’m going to forget that you are in love with Phoenix and will probably run away with him and betray me. You’re going to be happy. But for just a few minutes, can you be mine?”
“Under one condition.”
He felt her smile under his hands. “What’s that?”
“Will you kiss me?”
His lips met hers, and for several minutes she was all his. He tried not to think about what was coming on the other side of the wall.
He took a step away from her.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t say anything, but took his hand in hers and squeezed. He kept one hand clasped in hers and one gripped on the rod. Ten feet later he stepped out of the blinding darkness and into the neon lights of Stella.
The End
I hoped you enjoyed reading God of The Sun. If you are interested in the next book in the series, Prince of the Moon, it will be released in April 2017 and can be pre-ordered here: www.kimberlyloth.com/prince
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Thank you for reading!
Check out this excerpt from Kimberly Loth’s exciting series,
The Thorn Chronicles.
Birthdays are supposed to be special like my Kaiser Wilhelm rosebushes. They bloom once a year, huge violet and crimson cups full to bursting with petals. When I part the petals with my nose and inhale, I go weak in the knees from the fruity perfume. But my birthdays are more like the daisies that grow alongside the roses. Ignored.
The sink looked odd next to our front door. My mother had it installed after I kept tracking in dirt and fertilizer from my greenhouse. I washed the soil off my hands with the warm water and used a file to clear the dirt out from under my nails. Then I exchanged one dirty pair of ugly tennis shoes for a pair of clean ugly tennis shoes and made my way into the kitchen. Mother didn’t allow a speck of soil from my greenhouse to dirty her home.
Paint on the cabinets peeled away in white curls. A single light bulb gave enough light to cook but not enough to read a recipe. My mother stood by the tiny window, her bottle blond hair twisted in a bun on the back of her head. She wiped her hands on her apron then smoothed a stray hair from my braid. I knelt down to tie my shoes, anything to avoid her touch. Physical touch burned, even something as little as a finger brushing my forehead.
“Wash your face. We have guests for dinner.” My stomach knotted. I tied and untied my shoes three times, wondering how to respond. Years ago, my father had closed our home to visitors. No one crossed our threshold. I was allowed to leave only to go to school and to church. Well, if you want to call it that. I’ve watched movies in school and I went to the Baptist church until I was eight. Our new church, Crusaders of God, was a bigger shock than no more pants. But Mother and Father called it church.
“Why?” I asked. My curiosity overrode my memory of the last question I asked when Grandma died and I wanted to know why I couldn’t go to the funeral. I stood and waited for the slap and a lecture.
Instead, she smiled like she was hiding something important.
“For your birthday. They’re friends of your father’s from church. We have a big surprise for you.”
Of course. Friends of my father. Nothing ever happened in our house unless he was the center of attention. Even on my birthday. At least they remembered. The surprise concerned me though, as the last surprise they announced turned out to be a drastic lifestyle change complete with long denim skirts and strict obedience. Oh, and no more birthdays. Until now, apparently. Maybe the surprise would be that my father finally found his sanity. That would be an amazing birthday present. I doubted I’d get that lucky.
Dinner took place in the dining room. The cheap chandelier struggled to fill the room with light as two of the bulbs were out and nobody bothered to replace them. Our mysterious dinner guest turned out to be familiar. And not the good kind of familiar either.
Dwayne Yerdin sat at the table. He was a senior at my school but ended up in quite a few of my classes even though he was two years older. I probably shouldn’t judge him. But with his heavy lidded, half closed eyes, buzzed head, and classic bully laugh, I had disliked him the moment I saw him. Perhaps he would prove my judgment wrong tonight. Seated next to him was a pudgy man in a suit. He wore a tie, but his neck was too thick to fasten
the top button. He had the same heavy lidded eyes as Dwayne.
My father, a tall thin man with thick blond hair, saw me waiting in the doorway.
“Naomi, it’s about time. Come and meet Dwayne and his father. They go to church with us. Here, sit.”
My father indicated the chair next to Dwayne, but I sat across from him instead. My head buzzed with the act of disobedience and the air smelled faintly of wisteria. I almost smiled. A look of irritation passed over my father’s face, but he didn’t say anything. Next to my father, the pudgy man stared at me with piercing gray eyes.
My mother served us all pot roast and baked potatoes. She piled every plate high but hers and mine. Hunger kept me humble. And skinny. I focused on my food most of the dinner, not wanting to meet the pudgy man’s gaze. Or Dwayne’s. His eyes shifted rapidly around the room as if he were looking for the nearest exit. But when his eyes met mine he smirked, like he knew something I didn’t.
My father and Mr. Yerdin talked of politics and religion, not once acknowledging that anyone else sat at the table. Of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised since more than one sermon had been preached about the place of women and children. We were inferior and didn’t deserve an opinion that differed from our husbands’ or fathers’, so it was best that we just didn’t say anything at all. As the conversation turned to the medical experiments Dad performed on the dog that had been dumped in our yard last week, I tuned out and tried to think of what I would get if I crossed an Iceberg rose with a Sunsprite. A nice pale yellow and only a few thorns. Could be interesting. If Grandma were still alive, she’d appreciate it.
A quick glance at the clock told me they’d only been here forty-five minutes, but it felt like days. After another excruciating hour, Mother presented the cake. The carrot cake (my father’s favorite) had sixteen candles on it. I had not had a cake with candles since my eighth birthday. On that day, the cake was chocolate, my favorite, but that was before Father went insane. I missed those days, the ones before he went crazy. When he would come home and take me canoeing and fishing. When we would wake up early on Saturdays and go to breakfast at Sheila’s Café. I blinked back tears thinking of the father he used to be.
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