Odin clung to his mother. I watched as tears fell from his face. My heart broke at the sight of his pain. I wanted to wrap him up in my arms, but I could tell he didn’t want to be touched. He was hurting and there was no magic spell that could take his pain away.
Odin’s face turned from sadness to pure hate. He looked at me with blame in his eyes. My heart sank at the look. If he didn’t blame me before he blamed me now. He headed for the door, “Let’s go.” No one said anything, we just did as we were told.
The ride back to the house was awkward and silent. I was thankful when we got home and out of the car. Odin rushed inside ahead of us. He went straight upstairs shutting himself in our bedroom. I decided to give him a few minutes before checking on him.
Cal started filling everyone else in on what happened. “If you killed the guards then where is Adreana?” Bristol asked.
“Lilith killed her.” The room fell silent. Everyone looked at me accusingly. I couldn’t take them staring at me like I was a monster, so I went upstairs to check on Odin.
When I entered the room, I heard the water running in the bathroom. Odin was in the shower sitting in the floor. He had his knees pulled up to his chest. I got undressed and joined him. I sat on the floor beside him. “Baby.”
“Don’t Lilith.”
“Okay.” I sat silently beside him. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t imagine how he was feeling. His wife just killed his mother in front of him. He was probably pissed at me. He probably hated me now. He probably didn’t even want me near him at the moment. He just didn’t have the heart to tell me to go to hell. I wish he would though. At least then he would tell me how he feels.
I placed my hand on his arm to try and comfort him as much as I could, but he jerked away from me. “Don’t fucking touch me.” I was shocked at his tone, but I still couldn’t blame him. I got up, wrapped myself in a towel and left the bathroom. He needed space and I was willing to give it to him. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt though.
I laid on the bed as tears slowly fell down my face. I not only cried because Odin hurt my feelings, but because he was hurting. I cried because I just killed my husband’s mother. I cried because all of this was my fault. I wouldn’t have had to kill her if it weren’t for me. She would have never been tortured if it weren’t for me. All of this was my fault. No wonder Odin didn’t want me to touch him.
I didn’t notice when Odin walked out of the bathroom. I didn’t know he was in the room until he crawled in the bed behind me. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into him. “I’m sorry I snapped at you,” he whispered in my ear.
“Don’t be. I don’t blame you for hating me.”
“I don’t hate you baby.” He went silent for a moment. “It just hurts so fucking much.”
I turned to face him. I ran my fingers through his hair. “I know baby. Trust me, I know.” He snuggled his head into my chest and cried. I let him. I let him cry on me the same way he let me all those times. He cried until there were no more tears to cry. He cried until he fell asleep in my arms.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Odin didn’t wake up until the next day. He woke up refreshed and acting like nothing ever happened. He wasn’t visually sad anymore. I knew he was still hurting, but that cry he had helped a lot. I know the pain of losing a parent would never go away. He would just have to learn to live it. And it seems like he has learned rather quickly.
“Good morning beautiful,” he said to me.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Baby, you don’t have to hide your feelings in front of me.”
“I’m not. Yes, I’m hurting, but I can’t let that stop me from moving on. We still have so much to do. We have to save our babies and kill my fucking piece of shit father.”
“Okay. If you’re really ready to face the world, then I’m beside you.”
“By the way, thank you.”
“For what?”
“Letting me cry on you last night.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Look at how many times I’ve cried on you.”
He leaned into me and kissed me. When he pulled away from me, he was smiling. “Tell anyone and I’ll have to kick your ass.”
“Like I would and as if you could,” I said laughing.
“I’ll just have to prove to you who’s stronger,” He said as he pinned me down to the bed. I pretended to struggle letting him prove he was the stronger one. He kissed me roughly on the lips still holding my arms down.
Neither one of us got dressed from the shower last night so our bodies lay naked against each other. I could feel him growing against my thigh. He moved his kisses down my neck then to my breast. He sucked and nibbled roughly. He treated my body like he was hungry, and I was his next meal.
He forcefully pushed my legs open and thrust into me causing a moan to escape me. He didn’t slow his pace making my body move to his rhythm. Our eyes locked causing him to slow down. He leaned down and kissed me softly. “I love you lamia mea.”
I wrapped my arms around him and used my strength to roll us over, so I was now on top. “I love you too Odin.” I moved my body slowly back and forth causing him to groan with pleasure. He rubbed his hands up my thighs leaving traces of tingles in their place. I continued to move slowly until we were both ready for our release.
I laid beside him on the bed resting my head on his chest. I could have laid in his arms all day, but he sat up and said, “Come on. We have a demon to summon.”
When we went downstairs, we gathered everyone in the dining room. When everyone had joined us, Odin began speaking. “Today we are summoning Slaaneth. Is everyone still willing to help?” They all said yes in unison. “Good. Does everyone remember what they are supposed to do?” They answered yes in unison again. “Good. Bristol, Fate and Gunner, take Ava and Elijah and head to the highest peak of the house.”
Before they left with the babies, Odin, Tristan and I kissed them goodbye just in case we didn’t come back from this. Odin and I grabbed the supplies we needed and the rest of us headed downstairs where the cells were.
“Daveh. Razi. We are about to pour salt. Are y’all going to be able to focus?”
“We will do our best,” Daveh answered looking uncomfortable.
“Then Odin, will you help me?”
Odin and I took the salt and started pouring it along the walls in the room. Then I drew a pentagram in the center of the room with the salt. I placed the bowl of holy water in the center of the pentagram. I placed the black candles in each one of its points. I had Latham, Odin, Tristan, Brant and Parker stand at each one of the points as well. Then I had Cal and Dex stand next to the stairway and I placed Tuls, Daveh and Razi on the other three sides of the room. Davah and Razi looked like they were in physical pain.
“Please watch where you step. Do not break the salt lines. It is the only thing that will keep Slaaneth contained in this room.” After I had everyone in their places, I grabbed the demon’s knife and stood in the center of the circle. “Is everyone ready?” I could tell everyone was nervous. Even I was scared. Everyone agreed they were ready. “Good. Let’s kill a demon.” I handed the guys the chant I had written down for each of them to say with me. “We will need to say the chant six times. And remember, no matter what happens, do not leave the points of the pentagram.” We began our chant:
Slaaneth, I summon you from hell up to this earth
I call upon you
I summon you to stand before me
Slaaneth
Slaaneth
Slaaneth I summon you.
We repeated the chant six times. After the sixth time, I shouted his name and sliced my palm with the knife letting my blood drip into the bowl of holy water. Smoke started to swirl around our feet. The room grew hot and we all began to sweat. A loud sound filled our ears. It sounde
d like the ground had split open, but it was still intact.
Suddenly the demon stood before me. He didn’t look like the man that met me on the bridge. Instead he was frightening. His skin was shiny and scaly, and it also looked charred. His eyes were crimson red and piercing. There were two horns coming out of his forehead. There were also horns that formed around his eyes, four horns were where his eyebrows should have been, and five horns ran along the bottom of his eyes on both sides of his face. There was also three along each of his cheek bones starting at his ear. His fingernails were sharp like razors. He had fangs at least three inches long. They alone were scary enough to make me regret my decision to summon him.
He towered over me and radiated hate. He wore a sly conniving smile on his face and when he spoke, his voice sounded like fire. His words sounded like the flames of hell flickering from inside of him. “This is so much better than meeting on the bridge.”
“Now I can kill you.” His laugh was loud and echoed off the walls. It was devious and sadistic.
“Haven’t I told you before that you can’t kill me.”
“So, you say.” I lunged at him with the knife. He swatted at me like a fly and sent me flying across the room. When he hit me, Brant flinched and broke the line of salt. Slaaneth laughed harder as he lunged for me. He reached out to grab me. I backed away from him and in the process his long claws scratched my chest. Blood poured from me.
He sniffed the air. “Your blood will taste so sweet on my tongue.”
“Fuck you.” I lunged at him again. He hit me again sending me flying across the room once more. He came over and towered above me. He kicked me in the stomach knocking the air from me. He kicked me again and this time I heard a snap. He had broken one of my ribs. Anger filled me. I pulled myself up with the help of the wall. I shot fireballs from my hands hitting him in the face causing him to back away from me.
“Do you think fire hurts me? I live in the pits of hell.” He came toward me again and I slashed his midsection with the knife. He wailed in pain. “You, stupid bitch,” he yelled at me. He charged at me with a purpose this time. He wanted to cause me pain. I went to run away, but I wasn’t quick enough. He grabbed me and pulled me into him. He sank his fangs into my neck. I screamed in pain.
His fangs went deep into my skin. The pain was unbearable agonizing. My vision started to grow blurry. He was draining me. I tried to get free, but he sank his fangs in deeper. I closed my eyes and concentrated the best I could through the pain. I chanted:
I am here, I am there
Teleport me over there.
I used the same chant to get away from him that I used to escape the dragon. I landed at Tristan’s feet. Tristan went to help me, but I stopped him. “Don’t break the circle. Don’t worry about me.” I stood up and backed away from him. Slaaneth walked toward me but stopped when he got next to Tristan. He looked at me and smiled the most villainous evil smile I had ever seen.
Panic filled me causing Slaaneth to laugh out loud. I knew what Tristan didn’t. Suddenly, Slaaneth stabbed his hand through Tristan’s back and pulled his heart out. “Noooooo!” I screamed. As Tristan’s body fell lifeless to the ground every memory, I ever had of him came rushing back to me. He was right, we were married. I did love him, and I betrayed him.
Uncontrollable anger filled me. I screamed so loud the walls shook and everyone in the room had to cover their ears. While my scream distracted him, I lunged at Slaaneth with the knife piercing him in the heart. He clawed at me one last time slicing my stomach. I smiled at him as he burst into flames and died at my feet. Once he was nothing but ashes, I collapsed next to Tristan’s body. I pulled his lifeless body into my lap and began to cry uncontrollably.
Chapter Thirty-Six
I sat for hours cradling Tristan’s body. I couldn’t let him go. The tears had stopped flowing long ago, but my heart didn’t stop crying. I sat silently holding his body as if he would come back to me somehow. I begged for him not to leave me even though he was already gone. Everyone left me alone with his body a long time ago. Odin came in every now and then to check on me, but I never responded to him. I couldn’t.
The pain in my chest was enough to kill me. My heart was torn from my chest when Tristan’s heart got ripped out. My heart died when he died. I will never have him back. He will never know how much I loved him. He died knowing I never remembered him. He never even had the chance to help me remember.
Odin, Brant and Latham came in the room. “Lilith, we have to take his body.”
“No.”
“Baby we have too.”
“No.” Brant and Latham reached for him. “Don’t fucking touch him,” I yelled at them.
Odin squatted down in front of me, “Lilith I know this is hard, but you have to let him go.”
“I can’t,” I said with tears filling my eyes again.
“Baby let me take you upstairs. Please.” I didn’t answer, but I didn’t refuse anymore. Brant and Latham took Tristan’s body while Odin picked me up and carried me upstairs. He sat me on the bed while he ran a bath for me. When the tub was full, he undressed me and sat me in the water.
The water was hot, but it didn’t relax me. My heart was broken, there isn’t enough hot water in the world to heal my pain. My heart hurt so much I had forgotten about the slashes on my stomach. “Lilith, you need to heal yourself.” I shook my head. I didn’t care about the cuts on my body or about my broken rib. “Please baby for me. For Ava and Elijah.” Without giving him an answer, I started my chant.
By the light of the moon
And the path of the north
Let the pain of my wounds be purged
And let healing flow forth.
Let not this simple spell coerce
Or make my situation worse
Hear now my humble plea
As I will it, so mote it be.
My body healed, but my heart remained the same, broken beyond repair.
“Thank you, baby,” Odin said as he lathered the loofah with soap. “Do you want to talk about it?” I shook my head. “Okay. I’m here when you’re ready.” He began to wash my back.
“I remembered,” I said in barely a whisper.
“What?”
“I remembered,” I said a little louder this time.
Odin didn’t say anything in response. I didn’t want him too. He finished washing me, got me out of the bath, dried me off, and wrapped me in a towel. He then carried me to the bed and tucked me in.
I didn’t get out of bed for three days. I didn’t eat any of the food Odin brought to me. I couldn’t even sleep. Every time I closed my eyes all I saw was Slaaneth ripping Tristan’s heart out. The pain has consumed me. I feel cold inside. I feel dead. I am weakened and worn down. I feel like the universe is about to crush me and my heart is about to explode.
Odin came into the room and sat beside me on the bed. “Lilith, I think it is time you got out of this bed.”
“No.”
“Yes, damn it. You have laid in this bed for three days. Ava and Elijah need you.”
“Odin, I can’t.”
“You have to. Will you at least try?”
“It hurts so much.”
He pulled me into his arms. “I know baby, but you have to keep living. You can’t give up. Tristan wouldn’t want you to be this way.” The mention of his name sent tears flowing down my face.
“I hurt him so bad. I betrayed him.”
“No, you didn’t. He knew you loved him.”
“Odin, he died thinking I didn’t remember him. He died knowing you and I made love. He died never hearing me say I love you. He never even got the chance to help me remember our love.”
“Come on let’s take a walk.” He helped me get dressed then took me for a walk around the property. Once we were away from the house, he spoke to me. “Lilith when you left me you took my heart with you. I felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. You were my breath, my heart be
at. I felt like I was going to die when you left. But then you came back. Even though you were with Tristan, you came back. I accepted the two of you together even though it killed me to watch you with him. But that didn’t matter because you were here.
Then you almost died, and I again felt like I would die too. I have watched you almost die then survive so many times and each time it never gets any easier. Every time I died with you. Then I got you back. You came back to me. You loved me again. And for the first time in a long time I remembered how to breathe. My heart didn’t ache anymore.
Now I watch you in so much pain and there is nothing I can do to help you. Watching you dying from losing Tristan is killing me all over again. The air has been sucked out of me once again. I fear what will happen to you every day. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep and when you do you have nightmares. You are wasting away Lilith. And I fear that you will hurt yourself every second of every day. I need you back. Ava and Elijah need you back. You were there for me when my mother died, and I am trying to be there for you now, but it is hard to do when you aren’t trying to help yourself.”
“Okay.” Even though my heart was broken I knew I had people that counted on me. Odin was right, I had to learn how to deal with my heartache or it would kill me. Ava and Elijah needed me. Their father died to save them. He was a hero. I should start remembering his life instead of constantly thinking about his death.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Good. What do we do now?”
“We kill your father.”
Extras
Next book in the Corruption Series
Eternal Corruption
Coming Soon!
Beautiful Corruption (The Corruption Series Book 2) Page 23