“Gaila gave away what was not hers to give.”
“Even you cannot deny it…” the woman sobbed.
“Deny it? I dismissed it completely. The interference of a meddling goddess makes no difference.”
“I cannot give him up like this. I cannot!”
“I will give you one more chance to seduce him.”
“He won’t even let me come near him…”
“That will change with a little deceptive magic. Look at yourself in the mirror.”
The woman hesitantly walked past him toward the tall decorative mirror against the wall. She looked, as he commanded. The face staring back at her was not her own. Blue-grey eyes and long dark hair…
She curiously touched her face. “W-why did you make me look like her?”
He was standing beside her in the mirror. “Did you not want to consummate your marriage?”
“Like this? But my voice and—”
“You do not need words to seduce a man. When he realizes the truth, it will be too late.”
The woman was quick to realize his intentions. “But the real Amara…”
“She will not be in your way.”
“What will you do with her?” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Will you take her back to the Realm of The Dead?”
“It would be a waste of my effort. She has learned how to open the gate between the realms and I have no power over the living.”
“Will you… take her life?”
Death pondered a moment. “It is not of your concern.”
The woman nodded. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done…”
“Don’t show your gratitude just yet.” His voice was frosted with ice. “You are merely a pawn.”
“Even knowing that, I am still grateful.”
Death left one desperate woman in search of another. This time, he made a stop at the immortal’s nightclub. He took off his cloak and hung it on his forearm before entering. Predictably, his human form garnered too much attention for his liking. He liked to move about like the shadows, only seen by those he wished to be seen by. Now he was surrounded by females, engrossed in his appearance. They moved their bodies against him, attempting to entice him to take one of them into his arm and into his bed.
He had no such desire.
He moved through the crowd, brushing away the lustful hands reaching for his body. The woman he sought for was sitting alone at the bar, drowning her sorrow at the bottom of a bottle. She was a Lycan who had lost her mate at the hands of a rampaging mad god. Her heart was broken. Her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of hate and vengeance.
The perfect pawn.
“You desire vengeance,” he spoke softly into her ear. “I can assist you.”
The female laughed bitterly when she heard and then turned to him. She ceased her laughter immediately when she met his stern silvery gaze. “No one can help me,” she replied. “And who are you supposed to be?”
“My identity is not of any importance. Just answer me this, do you wish to avenge your fallen mate?”
“Every goddamned day! But there is nothing I can do about it. The dark god is too powerful.”
“Is he faster than the Lycans? Is he stronger?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then, why do you say he is too powerful?”
“It doesn’t matter if we’re faster or stronger. He controls time. He can freeze us. If we try to attack him, we’ll be dead before we know it!”
“I can help you neutralize his powers.”
“How?” she whispered with genuine curiosity.
“This cloak,” he handed over to her the garment, “is a relic from the Realm of The Dead. If you wear this, he will not be able to control your time. I will lend it to you.”
“Even without his ability to control time, he has other powers. His flames can incinerate anything. There is no sure way to ensure his demise.”
“Are you a coward?”
“We Lycans don’t know the meaning of the word! I would give my life to avenge my mate! I just don’t know if my clan and I could kill him.”
“Your goal is not to kill him. He is a true immortal – a god. Even the chaos flame of the underworld cannot kill him.”
“If the goal is not to kill him then what is the fucking point?” the female shouted at him angrily.
“Death is not the ultimate punishment. It is only the end of one life and the beginning of another. The vengeance I speak of is much more severe.” Before the female could ask the question, he continued on, “There is a female he cares deeply for.”
“Who?”
“A mortal.”
“The mortal he kept in captivity? Truly?” Her eyes briefly widened in realization and then composed. “I’ve always thought he kept her for his own amusement. She has powerful friends, one of which is our queen.”
“An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. And…”
The female lifted a brow with keen interest. “A mate for a mate.”
“Very good,” he praised.
“What about you,” the female asked. “What has he done to you?”
“I have a score to settle with him. As for the girl…”
If he could not stop destiny from being realized then perhaps he could teach her how to control her dark powers. If Fate had big plans for her then he had even bigger plans for her. He was beginning to like the idea of having a permanent guest in the Realm of The Dead.
Amara just returned from her trip to the local ‘mom-and-pop shop’ where she bought baby formula for Gemma. She nearly fainted when she entered the lobby and saw a woman of her exact likeness walking down the stairs in her white sundress.
Why in the world does that woman look like me?
A gloved hand suddenly came from behind and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming. He was holding onto her so tight that she couldn’t even breathe.
“What is she doing here?” the woman demanded. “You said she wouldn’t be in my way! What if he sees the both of us?” the woman was speaking a foreign tongue so Amara realized immediately that the woman who had stolen her image was none other than Rion.
The silver-eyed man hauled Amara over to the large mirror against the wall effortlessly despite her violent protest and then shoved her into the mirror. Instead of smashing into the glass, she went through it. Amara fumbled to stand up and discovered that the silver-eyed man was no longer there. It was just that imposter of a woman standing in front of the mirror now.
Amara pounded against the glass surface with both of her arms. She screamed and yelled, but her voice was inaudible to the other side like a damned mine trapped in a box. Mirror, she corrected herself. A damned mine trapped inside a mirror!
“What are you trying to do, Rion? Rion!”
The woman responded with a malicious little smile.
“Let me out!” Amara demanded the woman. “Why are you pretending to be me? Hey! Hey!”
The woman ran off and then returned a moment later with a white sheet of fabric. Amara recognized the sheet as one of the inner curtain panels. The woman used it to cover the entire mirror. The white sheet wasn’t quite opaque, but it did the job of blocking Amara from view and limited her field of vision greatly. Everything looked foggy on the other side.
That bitch! Just wait until I get out of here!
Amara began searching for a spell that could free her from the mirror. She attempted almost every spell she knew, but it did not do her any good. She would just have to wait until her captor decided to free her.
It couldn’t be more obvious that something wasn’t quite right. The situation roused immediate suspicion. Those two were up to something and in order to do that, they needed her out of the way. But what were they up to?
Nothing good, that’s for sure.
At least, she was not in any immediate danger. That was the only silver lining Amara could think of.
Chapter Eighteen
In her guise, Rion g
lanced at every mirror that she walked past on her way to the library. She felt nervous and insecure in her new face as if it would fall off her real face if Summit so much as looked at her. She was afraid he would see through the ruse before they sealed their marriage contract. She didn’t care what happened to her afterward. She was desperately in love with him. She would not let this opportunity pass her by even if the end meant her death. It would not be the first time. If Summit was still the man she knew, he would be bound by honor to take her as his wife. If he was no longer the man she used to know then she was prepared to die by his hands.
Either way, she couldn’t just hand him over to that whore of his without a fight.
Rion stopped at the door and peered into the library. Her husband was sitting among the scattered books. He was flipping through the pages in search of something. He instantly detected her standing by the door. He briefly looked up and flashed a charming unguarded smile that made her heart ache; the very same smile that stole her heart so many years ago. He hadn’t smiled at her like that since their wedding day.
She gripped the fabric of her white dress as jealousy bubbled up inside her. Her face remained composed; a skill that she learned before she had even learned how to read.
On the way to the library, she thought about how she should approach him because that itself was a challenging task for her. They always treated each other with appalling formalities. He made it impossible for her to approach him. He didn’t allow her an arm’s length. When she tried to get close enough to touch him, he evaded like she was a diseased creature and then walked away. Even though he treated her with cold indifference, she never gave up hope that he would warm up to her one day.
But I am not Rion at the moment, she reminded herself. I am a girl called Amara.
Rion braved herself to go to him. She firmed her shaking hand and reached for his shoulder. He did not shun her touch. She advanced, kneeling behind him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. He was warm and hard, and he smelled incredible. She wished she could slow her heart, but that was beyond her control.
He turned another page and asked, “Has your mind cleared up yet?” Her husband was saying something in a language that she didn’t understand. Either way, she couldn’t speak a word or she would be found out immediately.
Rion couldn’t help herself. Her curious hands seemed to have minds of their own, slowly exploring the surface of his chest. Even through the fabric of the shirt he was wearing, she could feel the sculpted muscles underneath.
He halted for a short moment. His muscles tensed. Nervous, Rion wondered if she had made a costly mistake. He and that girl had been lovers so Rion figured that touching was a normal exchange. Why then, did he react the way he did?
“What are you up to?” he inquired. The tone of his voice was interrogative. She gave him an innocent look when he slightly turned his body and glanced back at her. “You know damn well what I mean. The only time you come to seduce me is when you have something in mind. Well, out with it.”
She retained the innocent look on her face.
He caught her by her shoulder and pulled her forward in one smooth motion. She looked up at him when she was sitting neatly on his lap. “Don’t play innocent with me, Amara. It has lost its effect. I want your confession now. Do you think I will always be beguiled by you?”
He was staring at her intensely like he was expecting some sort of response, so she shook her head.
“Am I to believe that you’ve come to seduce me without a purpose in mind?” The corner of his lips curled into a smile. A large hand snaked around her neck and pulled her closer. “Interesting concept.”
She smiled back invitingly.
“What is that?” He asked after he breathed in her scent. “A new shampoo? I like the way you smelled before.”
He lifted a hand to quiet her even though she wasn’t about to say a word. “Hold that thought,” he said. “I sense there are intruders on our land. Wait here while I greet these uninvited visitors and find out exactly what they want.”
Rion blinked when he disappeared right in front of her. His disappearance surprised her quite a bit. She got back up to her feet and paced back and forth while waiting for her husband to return. She was running the plan through her head once again when a huge man leaped into the library through the closed window. She screamed and ducked when then the glass shattered everywhere. Gusts of wind blew into the library, sending loose paper flying everywhere.
“They’re here!” the stranger said to her in that damn language that she wished she could comprehend. “You’re in danger, Amara! Those females are after you!” He reached out for her waist with his huge hand and pulled her against him. “We need to go now.”
She protested against him.
“There isn’t any time. We really need to go!”
“Who are you? How dare you break in here and rough handle me?” she inquired him in her language.
“This is not a good time for a joke, Amara.”
“I demand you release me this instant!” She shoved her palms against his chest. Frustrated, her fists beat at his chest.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!”
While Rion fought the stranger, three women leaped into the library through the already shattered windows. They were tall and lean and unarguably beautiful. Two blondes stood behind a taller woman with dark auburn hair. Strangely, she wore a dark cloak over her slender frame. Upon their arrival, the stranger protectively stepped in front of her.
“Hand her over, Dimitri.”
The man shook his head. “No, Anya. I won’t let you take her life.”
“Hand her over, Dimitri,” Anya repeated in a much lower and more threatening voice.
“She has nothing to do with the death of your mates! Dani! Siri! Don’t do this!”
“She has everything to do with it!” Anya argued with the support of the two women behind her. “And even if she is innocent, she still must die. It is only fair punishment for the dark god for what he has done.”
“It seems I can’t talk reason with you when you are so blinded by your rage. Know this, Amara is my friend and I won’t let anything happen to her!”
“We needn’t talk,” Anya agreed. The two females behind her charged forward and tackled Dimitri toward the built-in bookshelves. The impact damaged the structure of the wall behind it. The books rained down from the shelves.
Frightened, Rion ran for the door. Anya moved to the threshold of the door in a blur and blocked her way. Rion evaded and ran down the hallway. Before Rion could reach the front door, the woman grabbed her by the shoulder with a firm grip. Rion struggled ineffectively against the woman.
“Scream out your lover’s name,” the woman encouraged, nails biting into Rion’s flesh. “Lure him here so he can listen to your dying breath.”
The front doors swung wide open. Strong wind breathed into the house. It only took her husband a brief second to analyze the situation. When he understood, a nasty expression plagued his face. Rion attempted to run to him, but the firm grip on her shoulder didn’t allow her to move further than an inch.
“There you are,” Anya said with a pleasant tone of voice.
“If you let her go now,” Summit said, calm and slow, “Just maybe I will let you die in one piece.”
The woman laughed in genuine hilarity.
“Or…” he added gently, “be prepared to face the kind of bloodbath that you and your clan have never seen the like of.”
“Bastard!” the woman cursed at him with palpable hatred. “You want to slaughter more of my kind after what you did to us three years ago? You murdered countless of our men for this woman. You ripped my husband to pieces and left his corpse to rot in a god forsaken alley! My heart bled and bled until it ran dry! I only live to see your retribution!”
“I will give you one more chance.” He held out his hand, palm facing up. “Return my bride to me and I will let this pass.”
Rion winced when Anya�
��s fingernail dug deep enough to bleed.
Summit let out a low growl. “So be it.”
“I’m prepared for war,” Anya declared.
Summit turned his hand and attempted to freeze Anya inside his time trap. The woman looked back at him with a triumph smile. When he attempted again, she tilted her head and laughed.
“It seems like I have the upper hand,” Anya said, pulling Rion closer. Sharp fingernails teased the delicate skin on Rion’s face. “Pretty thing. It would be a shame if…” Fingernails grazed Rion’s cheek.
Summit curled his fingers. The chilling sound of scrunching bones echoed back from the high ceiling. The glass windows began to crack.
Anya lifted a brow. Her golden eyes watched him carefully.
Summit shifted forward to retrieve his bride, but Anya was one step ahead of him. She was faster. She leaped to the top of the stairs before Summit could recover his bride.
“Move an inch and I will sever her pretty little head from her neck!” Anya threatened, pressing her sharp claws tightly against Rion’s neck. So tight it bled. She stood with her captive at the top of the stairs, smiling down at him.
“Release her!” Summit demanded.
“As I said, I have the upper hand. Why should I submit to your demands? On the contrary, you should obey mine.”
“What do you want? Name it!”
“Kneel!” she gritted. “Kneel down and beg my forgiveness! Kneel and show remorse for what you have done to us!”
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” he snarled angrily.
“Kneel or forfeit the girl’s life!” Rion’s soft mocking laughter confused Anya. “What are you laughing at?”
You are absolutely delusional if you think you can get anything out of him simply by using a hostage, Rion said inwardly. He would not yield to you even if his own life depends on it.
“Maybe you don’t realize how fragile you really are. Allow me to demonstrate!” Anya grabbed Rion’s arm and slowly pulled with intention to sever it. Rion screamed out from the intense pain.
The Dark God's Bride (Book 3) Page 15