Blood of the Infinity War (Afterlife saga Book 8)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Now let’s take a look at my gift, for I believe it was given first,” he mocked with a grin he couldn’t keep from his face. I suddenly became nervous as to what he would think of my drawing and I bit my lip as he first unravelled it from the cloth.

  “It’s, well it’s not my best…I mean I…in the time I had and…” He gave me a sweet, knowing smile and covered my lips with two of his fingers. Then he pulled off his gauntlet and said,

  “I am not risking such a treasured gift with an unforgiving hand.” Then it was the moment of truth as my image of the man himself was revealed. Looking down at it now, I didn’t think I had done too bad a job with what I had to work with. Of course, it had helped that, thanks to Draven shocking the room and lending me his blade to sharpen the charcoal with, I had found it easier to use or I think it would have turned out quite differently. It was done in quite a rough way thanks to the texture of the paper as it was harder to get the finer details but his eyes, they were all Draven. They were dark and brooding, that seemed to tell a hidden story within their depths.

  “Tell me my talented beauty, is this how you see me?” he asked and I bit my lip before thinking of my next words.

  “This is only how I saw you in that moment, but not what I get to see of you daily, for that is a secret I would never share with the world, even if to immortalise it on paper…for that is for my heart only.” The smile granted me was worth every stroke made and every word said, as it was clear that he loved both.

  “I will treasure this forever, along with your sweet words, for I will never forget them.” Then, after running a fingertip along his jawline, he rolled it back up and added it to the shelf along with the rest of his personal treasures. After this he pulled out a hidden box from a place I couldn’t see. It was modest in design and I was happy to report not covered in gold and jewels. It was a long rectangle shape and it held a single simple image carved on the top…A single feather.

  I opened it up and gasped.

  “It’s…it’s beautiful,” I said, never before expecting to say that about a weapon.

  “I told you that you needed a dagger, and this only belongs to the one whose hand first wielded it to take life in order to save another.” My head snapped up to stare at him wild eyed.

  “It’s Pertinax’s spear tip?!” He smiled as he lifted it from its silk bed and held it up to the moonlight as he spoke.

  “No, Pertinax was just a man; a vessel used to gain power first among mortal men with the sole purpose of defeating me, in both battle and in single combat.”

  “It looks now to be filled with blood,” I said looking at the crimson hue it cast against his skin as the moonlight reflected through it.

  “It is now, thanks to you. The glass spear was stolen many years ago by the Persian devil Ahriman, for he believed it had the power to defeat any God and thought it easily used against me. In the end, it was used by a mortal girl who declared herself my Electus and who drove it into the chest of the beast, now gaining his blood as spoils of war.” I shuddered at the thought and took the dagger from him as if any moment it would shatter in my hands. He laughed and said,

  “I can assure you it is as sturdy as my own blade, for it was forged in the very deepest levels of Hell and is not like any glass you will have encountered before,” he informed me and I was surprised seeing as it hardly felt it had any weight at all.

  “And you had it mounted into a dagger for me?” I was so touched by the gesture that when he nodded I reached over to grant him a kiss on the cheek, one almost covered with his thick beard. I looked back down at the dagger and marvelled at the beautiful craftsmanship it must have taken to make it.

  It was like looking at a giant shard of blood red crystal as though it had been chipped off a glass boulder. It was held in place by a band of gold secured by six hooked claws to the metal it appeared forged to. Added to this was a deadly element, not letting you ever forget it’s story, for whose blood it now housed. For its T bar held a fan of claws reaching outwards on either side, which looked like lethal spikes ready to injure anyone who didn’t wield it right.

  The handle itself was decorated with embossed gold lattice work and its pommel end piece looked like an Aztec sun, arching round like some Sun God’s headpiece.

  “It’s as stunning as it is dangerous,” I told him and at this his lips quirked and he gave me a look I couldn’t place, that was until he replied,

  “It is, as is its new owner.” I blushed and said,

  “You’re the dangerous one, remember.” Then I nodded to his discarded gauntlet. He looked thoughtful for a moment and replied,

  “I hold no danger to you or the truth you keep from me, for both will not be judged.” I would have laughed at this if I could have gotten away with it, along with saying, ‘Yeah, wanna bet on that!’. Thankfully I went for the less damning response and just gave him a sceptical look back.

  “You don’t believe my words?” he asked looking offended. I released a sigh and shifted off the cushions to go and stand near the wall, so that I could look out over his kingdom. It was a stunning sight at night as though the blanket of stars above had started to trickle down to earth, thanks to the flickering flames seen in all the small windows in his city.

  “You don’t know of which you speak, so therefore you can’t make promises of that you do not know,” I told him after taking a moment to collect my thoughts.

  “This is true, but I can speak of the matters of my heart, for I know the truth you keep must be for reasons to keep others safe, for you would not do so for your own gain, or to purposely hurt another.” Hearing this I spun around to face him and asked him incredulously,

  “You can’t know this! You just can’t!” This was when something inside of me just snapped. It was the ultimate torture, knowing the heart I would have to break when I returned and here he was right now thinking it an impossible truth! I didn’t deserve his kind words and the pain of knowing that ripped through my soul as if he himself was tearing it apart with his bare hands.

  He got up from the cushions and I held my hand out to stop him coming any closer, for I didn’t think I could do this anymore. Especially not when he uttered my name in such a tender way…the wrong name.

  “Nāzanin.” The way he said his given name for me, well it finally broke me…

  “My name is not Nāzanin, my name is Keiraand your name isn’t Arsaces…no, to me it’s Dra…”

  “Actually, I don’t care!” he suddenly shouted and before I could react, his hands were either side of my face and his lips were crushed to mine. I sucked in a startled breath, one he took advantage of as he swept his tongue inside. But it wasn’t the sudden action that took my breath away…no, it was the memory.

  We were in Draven’s chamber before it became known as ours and Celina had just been asked to leave. It was before I knew what Draven really was as he feared that if I did, I would run from him. It was a point in your life that you face one of the biggest decisions to make. You could chose knowing a past, and in doing so, let it affect your future or you could simple pick that future and have faith in where it would take you.

  I had made this same decision when facing Draven back in his room that day and in fact, said the very same words that he himself had said to me in this exact moment in time, almost two thousand years into the past.

  That was when it hit me and I knew…

  It was fate.

  Chapter 18

  I See You, Soul of Mine

  It didn’t take long after this for our kiss to quickly spiral out of control and I soon found myself once again in his arms.

  “Close your eyes for me little one, for I fear this may frighten you.” I did as I was told as I knew what was coming next and I held on tight, linking my fingers behind his neck. Instead of thinking about what we were doing and the potential deadly heights I could be faced with, I concentrated on the man who was shortly to take me to his bed. I had no clue what would happen after, but for now all I knew was how m
uch I needed it.

  It wasn’t just down to sexual urges or the fact that this man could seemingly light my nerves on fire from a single touch. No, it was almost as if I waited any longer, I would feel physical pain. Of course, it was widely known throughout his world how I was born to be with their King. But putting that all aside was easy, for I knew I would have felt the same if Draven and I were merely a man and a woman in love. I craved him like no other and even when we were apart, it still wasn’t enough to douse the flames of the fantasies my dreams would torture me with.

  Which was why I had my head buried in his neck and was almost getting a sexual high from just the natural scent of the man. At first, I very much thought we were just going to do it on the rooftop but then something finally clicked in my mind. Ari was already situated in the room next to Draven’s and thanks to Sophia, things were already in place, ready for us to do the baby making deed.

  Thankfully, I didn’t have to come up with a reason why we shouldn’t take things further as it seemed Draven had his own ideas of what he envisioned for our first time. Thinking back on the night, I believe taking me to his special place was his last attempt at getting me to open up to him. But instead of choosing to discover my past, he decided to choose living a future with him. A decision that meant the world to me.

  “I want to make you mine in a bed I can finally call our own.” This was all he had said, growling the words into my neck before picking me up and walking me to the edge. Which brought me back to the present as I felt the way Draven folded in his wings at just the right moment. I knew this as I felt him tighten his hold on me just before we started to freefall. I gave a little yelp as I felt myself being jolted when we landed hard. Suddenly, I was starting to feel nervous again and it wasn’t just from the unknown that faced me.

  “Your cheeks are red sweet girl, any reason for that?” The sound of Draven’s voice directly behind me made me jump but the feel of his hands rubbing down the length of my arms added a shiver to the mix.

  “Come with me,” he said taking my hand and entwining his fingers with mine. Then he squeezed them once before pulling me along with him into the bedroom. I don’t know why but I kind of felt like a teenager again, being led into my boyfriend’s bedroom ready for my first time.

  He swung me around and after placing a hand on my cheek he pushed my hair back before embedding his fingers there. Then he tilted my head up and started to walk me backwards towards the bed.

  “I will wait no longer,” he said, his words coming from him in a rumble, as if his demon was also trying to have its say. So, this was it, this was our time.

  “You look so scared little one, why?” he asked and just as I tried to hide my red cheeks by looking down he raised my face up to his.

  “I will take care of you, have no fear of that,” he told me softly, running the back of his fingers down my heated cheek. Then, before I could say another word, he wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me up so that he could take possession of my lips. This was all I needed to feel as my nerves started to dissipate with his kiss. I could tell he was trying to hold back for fear of scaring me by going too fast and I wished in that moment I could have told him that it wasn’t his desperate touch that was the cause of my worry. No, I wished I could have told him it was fear of rejection that was the root of my concerns because after this, he may think differently of me.

  I decided I needed to cast these thoughts to the back of my mind with the rest of the mountain of worries I had and was trying to keep under lock and key until we returned home. Oh, then they would all come flooding out whether I wanted them to or not, because the second I saw Draven, I just knew there would be no stopping it. There would be no stopping the true depth of what I had done from coming into the light, as let’s face it, there was only so long you could hide a pregnancy.

  Thankfully these thoughts were taken from me whether I wanted to let them go or not because Draven turned, still holding me and lowered me down to the bed. The way he kissed me felt as if it could have been the last, as though any moment he half expected me to just disappear, as if the Gods were cruel enough to take me from him. Well, that statement was a little too close to home for me and in more ways than one.

  Then just when I thought my need for him couldn’t get any greater, he started to undress. It was painfully slow as he pulled at the straps of leather binding armour at his arms and shoulder. Then once free of metal and animal hide, he reached up, grabbing handfuls of material at his back before pulling it forward and off his torso. Sun kissed skin over hard muscles came into view and suddenly my mouth went dry at the sight. I found myself even licking my lips and curling my fingers into fists so that I could hold myself back from reaching out to him. He was utterly perfect and in this moment he couldn’t have looked more God like, that was until he removed the clothing from his lower half and I was quickly gifted with the sight of him naked…and very, very, aroused.

  I was just about to speak when he lowered to me once he was free of his clothes and started to kiss along my collar bone and up my neck but it didn’t seem enough for him. I had to agree as I wanted his lips on my breasts like never before.

  “By the Gods, you’re beautiful,” he told me pulling back so that he could look at me. The look I gave him, which I could feel was a bashful one, only made him smile even more.

  “But there is something missing,” he mused running a hand down his beard as he studied me.

  “My lord?” I questioned nervously and my only warning was the bad boy grin before suddenly he gripped both sides of the front of my dress before tearing it down the slit swiftly making it into a jacket.

  “Much better,” he said as he flicked both sides back, now baring my naked body to him. Then he ran a flat hand all the way down from my throat to my lower belly.

  “All this lovely pale skin to play with, I am looking forward to seeing it bloom a crimson blush the way your cheeks do when I speak of your beauty,” he told me and as if on cue, I could feel the heat invade my face.

  “What are you…?” His actions cut off my question as he quickly gripped my hips and spun me so that I was now on top straddling him.

  “Now let down your golden fleece for my pleasure,” he ordered in a gruff voice, one thick with lust that became proof of his restraint. I gave him what he wanted and reached up with shaky hands and started removing my pins so that one by one the barrel curls sprung free. Literally, the only sounds to be heard were pins dropping on the floor and Draven’s heavy breathing.

  Draven and I had become experts at mad passionate lovemaking, as usually it only took a simple kiss before we found ourselves in the nearest bed or on any surface for that matter. But this, well it was painfully slow and for some strange reason it only ended up adding to the erotic recipe that Draven and I always created when together sexually.

  A recipe I only wished I had an eternity to taste.

  Arsaces

  By all the Goddesses combined she was so beautiful that the very image of her stole my breath. Just as her kindness, warmth and witty mind had quickly stolen my heart. I hadn’t thought it possible for a person to continually surprise me, but what the Gods had granted me was a being that went beyond the realms of perfection, for every action committed and every word voiced was like encountering a fresh new discovery. And looking at her lush little body now was no exception.

  She was full figured, even for her small frame, she had curves that were just begging to be gripped tight and used to hold her steady as I thrust into her at pace. Even now, as she released her golden gift to me, the one the Gods spoke of, I couldn’t help but hold onto her, spanning her ribs with my hands. And watching her as she did my bidding, obeying me, not just as her King but as the man who owned both her body and her heart, I couldn’t help but crave more. I had made a vow, one I knew I would soon be breaking for I found it an unbearable torture I was inflicting upon myself.

  But I had wanted to do so knowing I owned all of her, every single piece of her
soul, but so far, I was yet to be granted a glimpse into her mind, for this was something she was keeping from me. It had pushed me close to the hellish lines of insanity trying to discover what her past could hold that she feared would make me look upon her differently and the only painful reason I had was a single name…Draven.

  I almost growled just thinking upon the name. She did not know the true depth of my murderous thoughts on this matter, for she had only sampled a taste of my rage, one tamed greatly for her benefit. She also didn’t know of the lengths I had gone to, to try and find this man, one who I knew meant a great deal to her. I didn’t know what it was about her or the way she had spoken his name, but it was enough to tell me that this was the reason she was keeping things from me. She was protecting this man, I could just feel it.

  Thinking this, I couldn’t help it when my hand squeezed possessively at her hip and I could feel my demon’s need growing. If I didn’t take her now I wouldn’t have enough control left to stop him from taking over and I had to remind myself how breakable her sweet little body was in my hands.

  “Mine!” My demon growled at her and before I knew it my hand was embedded in her silky locks, pulling her closer to me. I looked at my hand as though it were foreign to me but there it was, as though it had been dipped in liquid gold. Just breathe, just breathe Arsaces. By the Gods, but I felt like a rutting buck near ready to flip her over and mount her from behind. I was holding on by a mere thread and with only two words spoken she unknowingly severed it.

  “I’m yours,” her gentle voice ended, being the exact opposite of my actions, something I could no longer control, for I was ultimately lost, so I did all that was left to do, bury myself deep within the confines of her body.

  Inside my own taste of Heaven.

  Nāzanin

  I don’t know what had changed in Draven but as soon as I let down my hair it was as if someone had fired a starting bullet. The next thing I knew was a possessive hand embedded in my hair pulling me forward into his kiss, one less gentle this time.