Page 38 of Between Bloode and Death (Between the Shadows #5)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

Hecate watched Morpheus drink his mead. His eyes widened when he realized Valentine had sipped from the cup first, and she hadn’t degraded into a violent human yanking at her hair or gouging out her own eyes.

He raised his brows.

Hecate subtly shook her head, so he said nothing and continued to drink.

Unfortunately, Khent’s gaze narrowed. The blasted reaper missed nothing.

“What is Nergal planning?” she asked Morpheus before Khent could speak.

She needed to think on what it meant that Valentine Darkmore could drink mead like an immortal. That Nergal found her interesting, that Vladimir of the Void had killed her parents, looking for a special stone sought by many, and that the “human” radiated death magic like a bucket of plutonium.

“For the record,” Morpheus said with an offended sniff toward Khent, “Hecate asked me to switch sides a while ago. Which is the reason I took you to Nergal’s lair and pretended to be down when he tapped me with that vile staff.

” He grimaced. “Because, ugh. Not a fan. That makes us more than even, Hecate. Nergal fed from me. Do you have any idea how repulsive that was?”

“It looked awful,” Val said, sympathetic.

Khent shrugged. “Shit happens.”

Hecate fought a grin. Her vampires—and no matter what they considered themselves, she thought of them as hers—always amused. Khent had surprised her by having an actual personality clearly brought out by Val’s presence.

Though he liked to act better than everyone around him, and knowing Khent, he definitely believed it, he’d softened around the pretty human. As Morpheus had suggested, the reaper had definitely found a mate.

And not just any mate for the only reaper she knew of who grew Wings of Eternal Night.

Hecate had sensed he was something special the minute he’d been born. Fortunately, his sire hadn’t been a complete ass about lending him out. Although if he knew Hecate planned on keeping his son, he might argue the point. Violently.

She glanced up to see everyone staring at her.

“I’m so sorry, Morpheus,” Hecate said with real empathy, appeasing the vain god. She liked Morpheus, but he could be so dramatic. “That had to be excruciating.”

“Yes, it was.” He shuddered. “I had to pretend some petty little demon god of the underworld could best me. I mean, it’s me.” He looked around, incredulous.

Val bit back a smile, though Hecate had seen it, and said, “I couldn’t believe it when you went down.”

“Thank you, Val.”

“I could. You’re pathetic.”

“Khent,” Val warned. She squeezed his hand resting on the table.

He smirked but said no more, sipping at his drink while he turned his palm over to hold her hand.

Hecate bit back a sigh. There was nothing more satisfying than taming her savage Night Bloode, one mate at a time. To Morpheus, to get him back on track, she asked, “Your point? What exactly is Nergal planning?”

“Nothing that you didn’t already expect. He’s bored, still on the outs with the missus, and got a taste of life he’s hesitant to let go. He was fine until Vladimir started filling his head with whispers of the human realm. It’s never wise to tempt gods like that.”

She frowned. “No, it’s not.” She turned to Khent. “You fought Hanbi recently.”

“I did. He was a challenging foe.”

Of course the vampire approved of one of the evilest gods in existence.

“Did he ever mention what made him interested in world domination?”

Khent’s eyes narrowed. “He did not. He was bent on killing us, sacrificing his own son to move into the world.”

“Yes, whatever happened to Pazuzu?” Morpheus asked.

Khent shrugged. “Not my problem.”

Ha. Hecate knew for a fact that Khent knew about the shifty demon who still acted as Kaia’s familiar from time to time. Pazuzu also continued to live it up in the body of a dead sorcerer the Night Bloode had killed. But he wasn’t her business, so she mostly stayed out of it.

The reaper obviously felt the same. Khent didn’t meet her gaze, his firmly on his drink.

Val frowned at him before turning to Hecate. “Pazuzu, Hanbi, and now Nergal. Do you think Vladimir is encouraging them?”

“I do. I’m also curious as to what the necromancer really wants.”

“So am I. He’s got life. He’s got power. What more could he need?”

“Not need, want,” Khent corrected.

Morpheus nodded. “That I can help with. I am the god of dreams, after all. The necromancer, though a pretty sick bastard by all accounts, is in search of love.”

Val stared wide-eyed. “Are you sure?”

“I didn’t say it’s the love from a person. He thinks if he can trade a certain gem to a certain dark entity, he’ll finally find the love he’s been searching for his whole life.”

Val cocked her head. “Huh?”

Hecate frowned. “That makes little sense.”

“Truly, you speak gibberish, Morpheus.” Khent shook his head. “There is no love in the necromancer. I would know.”

“How would you know?” Val asked. “You only fought him briefly.”

“I was inside him.”

“What?”

Khent blew out a loud breath for effect, since they all knew vampires didn’t need to breathe.

Morpheus propped his elbow on the table, chin in hand, and grinned. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this.”

“I would hear this as well,” Hecate said, waiting.

Khent cleared his throat. “When Rolf, Onvyr, and I went to collect the Staff of Blight from Belyy Zamok, Vladimir was there. He worked some magic that incapacitated Rolf, so I allowed him to take me as well. Inside him, trapped by the bounds of his energy, I sensed a divine power. Not Nergal. And before you ask, Rolf agreed. The Lord of the Underworld isn’t Vladimir’s sole source of contact with the divine.

Vladimir has contacted something else, corruption in its purest form. ”

Hecate didn’t enjoy hearing that. “Maybe he’s found a way to reach the Darkness That Comes.”

“Maybe. But this felt different from an alien chaos.” He frowned in thought. “The need he seeks to fulfill is connected to that. And whatever that is knows nothing of love. That I could tell.”

“Did you touch it?” Val leaned forward, studying him. “Maybe that’s the black stuff that lingered on you and Rolf when you got back.”

“Black stuff?” Why did no one tell Hecate anything important? Why must she always have to drag it out of them?

Val nodded. “Mormo saw it. It was an almost invisible film, but it had a black overlay. An oppressive energy that clung to them both. Mormo got rid of it with magic. I think if he hadn’t, Khent and Rolf would be very sick right now.”

“Vampires don’t catch diseases.” Khent considered Val. “You know this.”

“This wasn’t an ordinary disease. I’m sorry. I can’t explain it, but I’m not wrong. That stuff would have killed you. Or at least, killed the Khent we all know.”

“Like a gradual possession, perhaps?”

“That feels right.”

“Then we’re talking about demons. Something from the Hell realm.” Khent glanced at Hecate. “Can you see what the chatter is there?”

“I’ll talk to some people.” Hecate’s mind whirred. A crisis occurred every few minutes around here, witches and ghosts getting up to trouble, worlds colliding, too many beings rejecting death in favor of a life they’d lost and wanted back.

As much as she loved her space, where worlds came together, the separation of the realms mattered. Letting Hell into the Mundane world would wipe out humanity. The Fae and Celestial planes would fight for dominance neither would truly win. A battle of arrogance at its finest.

Morpheus chimed in. “You know who might be able to get you answers? How about your Bloode Witch’s friend, the half-demon?”

Khent nodded. “Cho. His father, Anton, a full demon, is a big player at MEC. He works with Macy’s father. Hecate, order her to comply.”

She huffed. “I’ll ask her, Khent. I don’t order members of the Night Bloode around.”

He shook his head. “And that’s just one of your many problems.”

“Khent.” Val looked scandalized. To Hecate, she said, “He knows you’re his boss. He just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“Boss?” Khent scoffed. “My patriarch is Varu. And I don’t listen to him all that much either.”

Val tugged tried to tug her hand away from his, but Khent wouldn’t release her.

Morpheus noticed and met Hecate’s amused gaze. “Well, I need to get back,” he said. “Oh, and before I forget, Nergal doesn’t just want to enter the human realm; he wants to rule it.”

“This information you were holding back?” Hecate snapped.

He ignored her, adding, “He’s also planning to take Val as his pet.

He had intended to take over Vladimir’s body once the necromancer got Nergal firmly planted in the Mundane world.

But now that he’s seen you, Khent, he’s planning to kill you and ride your body for eternity. Ah, yeah. That’s all of it.”

Morpheus stood, drained the rest of his glass, then nodded.

“Cheerio. And please let everyone know I’m not a traitor.

Rolf has already tried to kill me twice since I’ve been back.

I really don’t have time to dodge the rest of the Night Bloode as well.

” He looked down his nose at Khent and grinned.

“Kinky reaper, hanging out inside a necromancer.”

Hecate wasn’t sure if Morpheus referred to Vladimir or Val, since everyone knew he’d shared intimacies with Valentine. Hell, it was all the others could talk about. The least likely of them all had found a mate in a human.

Smartly, Morpheus vanished before Khent could tear his head off.

“Khent, relax. Honestly.” Val sighed.

Hecate had a million things to do. “I have some plans to make. I need you two to stay here for a bit, where Nergal and Vladimir can’t touch you.

Khent, though you don’t follow my orders unless you feel like it, I’d advise you to feel like protecting Valentine.

She can’t meet Vladimir yet. She’s not ready. ”

He nodded. “In this, you’re correct. But I had already decided to protect her.”

“What?” Val blinked. “Why?”

Khent studied her.

Hecate, not in too much of a rush to miss this bombshell, prodded him. “Because…?”

He didn’t disappoint. With a dismissive shrug, he answered, “Because I’m keeping her.”

“Excuse me?” Val stood. So petite compared to the reaper, yet her power burned as fiercely as his.

Khent turned to her. “I’m sorry. Did you not hear me? I’m keeping you.”

“For what?” Val looked a little hunted.

Hecate hid a smile.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m accepting you as my mate.”

“Wh-wh…” Val tapered off, incredulous. “Y-you…”

Khent smiled. “I think the words you’re looking for are, thank you. Maybe thank you, Master, or thank you, great Lord of Death.” He nodded. At her expression, he frowned. “Is there some problem with the great honor I’ve bestowed upon you?”

And that was Hecate’s cue to leave.