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Either it was the wine or something else, but her magic wanted to dance, desired to seek out Hel’s power. It warmed her from the inside, tingled along her arms and felt too much like lust. Because it wasn’t only her magic that liked his arms around her. Her body reacted to his touch, craved it even.

His chest rose and fell faster under her palms. His hands slid up her back, entangled in her long locks. “Your magic calls to me. I can feel it brushing against my skin like a lover’s caress.”

She swallowed hard. “Please let me go.”

Ever so slowly, he uncoiled his arms from around her torso, then appeared by the door in an instant, breathing heavily like he’d ran for miles. He gave her one last long look and then he was gone.

Chapter25

HEL

Hel took in a deep breath, closing the door behind him and rushed across the hallway to the room he’d taken up. Then hurried out onto the balcony and pulled out a civar. Fuck. His heart raced and his mind even faster. The more he wanted to hate her, the more she crept under his skin, like an infection that heated his entire being. What a cruel thing indeed.

While he was out searching for the demon prince for days, all he could think about was the first time Valeen invited him to her home. When he started to fall for her hard and fast, catching feelings he’d never allowed himself before. She was sinking into him all over again, and he didn’t want her to. He wanted to hold onto his hatred for her betrayal, for leaving him more shattered than anyone ever could have. He wished he could forget it all like her, to not feel the warring pain inside of wanting her so much his body could catch fire and hating her with the same amount of passion.

If only he hadn’t gone that day, if only he’d turned down her invitation, would things be different now? But he fell for her story…

The Past

The garden at Valeen’s palace was warm despite the territory’s rumored perpetual night. Did the sun ever shine here to grow the thick bunches of jasmine over trellis arches and or the full and blossoming purple wisteria? Everywhere Hel looked, green foliage, fruit, and wild blooms grew in lush abundance. This garden rivaled even the gods of flora and nature. Despite the stunning scenery there was only one thing of beauty he cared to look upon.

Valeen’s black gown hugged her curves. The back was cut low in a V ending just above her divine rump. Her black hair was pulled up in a high bun on her head with curls left down to frame her face. He hadn’t seen her since the time she tried to kill him for trespassing six months prior. She danced with his cousin and then instead of accepting his invitation for a dance, she asked him to go for a walk in her gardens.

Neither of them had spoken since they stepped out from the party of onlookers and now walked alone, side by side. She kept her hands tucked close to herself and made certain to put a decent amount of space between them.

Hel wasn’t sure if she didn’t know what to say or if she waited for him to speak. She was the one to invite him and War here in the first place and he had yet to learn why. Did it have to do with the mark on his chest and her arm? In her halter top dress that revealed her shoulders, and arms, it wasn’t as if she tried to hide it.

“Do you know why I asked you to come here?” she finally said. She stopped under a jasmine trellis and faced him.

“I’d like to think it’s because I made such an impression you can’t stop thinking of me, but I doubt it.”

Her serious expression cracked into a soft smile. “You certainly made an impression, but I wanted to explain myself. After you and War did not come back for battle as you said you may, especially after what I did, I thought perhaps I misjudged you both.”

“You don’t need to explain anything. Your business is your business,” he said, although he was practically frothing at the mouth to know.

“I murdered a primordial and I would have murdered you to keep it secret. You still think it’s only my business?”

“I deduced you had good reason. I never liked him much anyway. Synick was a prick.”

“The council wouldn’t see it that way.”

He shook his head and put his hands in his pockets to stop his urge to touch her. “No, they would not. But I’m not on the council, am I?”

“You know the story of the gods, of the primordials.” It wasn’t a question.

“We learn it in our lessons as children, but I’d love the story from you.” It was always fascinating to hear a primordial speak of the time before they kept time, before there were other gods. Each told of their creation a little differently.

“As I’m sure you know, I emerged from white ash—remnants of a fallen star. I took my first breath in the dark, and for a moment there was nothing but the sound of my own breathing and my heart pulsing.

“Then there was light. Beside me in a bed of clovers lay another, hair so blonde it was nearly white, skin golden and full of luster, eyes of lavender rimmed in gold. My sister. For she was the day, and I, the night. Though none of us primordials were related by blood. We didn’t keep time; we simply were.

“With us was Elora, the goddess of wisdom, and Atlanta, the god of waters, Creed, the god of nature, Synick the god of elements, and Era, the god of time. We shared our talents, and our gifts freely. Elora gave us language and the ability to write and read. With Creed animals and nature became our friends. My sister Katana and I set the days and nights.

“We didn’t know war or hate. We had no need to use our powers for fighting or evil. We didn’t understand the concept.” She paused and plucked a white jasmine blossom from the vine and looked at it lovingly. “Katana’s favorite flower was jasmine. She and I were inseparable despite being opposites. She was all smiles and laughter, bright and happy. She could talk to a wall for an hour, I swear. I was more reserved, and I liked being alone under the stars as much as I liked company. And for a time, it was only us primordials.

“Until Elora opened a portal and we saw into other worlds. We didn’t know what she’d done then but through a swirling pool we witnessed others like us, millions of others, people with wings who turned into giant beasts, fair folk with pointed ears who sang so lovely we were drawn to them, and many others different in some ways but we wanted to know them.

“The All Mother and our Maker came. They said if we joined with the other races we would learn pain, and sorrow but also joy and true love. That our powers were gifts others did not have and we should remain fair and just. They created us to be guardians and watchers over the realms.