Page 34

ODIOUS

Diana and I are ambushed by guards and taken to the below as Erebus spits something ridiculous at the crowd about the kingdoms joining his ranks. Memories of the same thing happening to me almost five years ago fog my vision. My father had done the same thing when Nasir and I had attempted to kill Lars. But being tortured and beaten by my father held no flame to Erebus locking me in solitude after telling Lars I was dead.

Year after year had floated by, having no human interaction with anyone other than Erebus when he would come into my room once a month to gloat about how well Lars had been carrying out his plans. There had been no sunlight, no moonlight, no fresh air. I became a mindless possession he kept hidden away until I was useful.

Just before he sent Lars to Eza, I’d convinced Erebus to let me aid him. I hadn’t intended to carry through with his wild fantasies, but I would have done anything to get out of that room.

My gaze finds Diana, her beautiful swan mask ripped from her face, and her swollen, red eyes meet mine. I try to reach for her chained hand as we are dragged through the halls of the palace, but they never find hers. Defeat stabs its way into my chest, a feeling I have felt more times than I can count, slowly plucking each strand of hope I have left.

The halls are eerily quiet as the sounds of commotion from the ballroom slowly fade away. We arrive in the below and are thrown into cells opposite each other. Horror materializes on Diana’s face as she’s thrown into the same cell we had found Rein in. I can’t even hold my angel and comfort her as we await our fate. These stupid fucks are getting in between me and Diana, and they will pay for it.

This night had not gone according to plan. We had intended on killing Erebus tonight. We’d hoped to poison his drink as he was giving his grand speech and distracted by the sound of his own voice, but the fucker had gone off-script and gifted Diana with the corpse of her ex-lover. The man is cruel beyond sense. He should expect his payment returned in full the next time I can get my hands on him.

We wait for almost a full hour before Erebus walks down the stairs of the prison and stops in front of my cell. “Well, if it isn’t the secret lovers. Expected a different outcome tonight, did you?”

He drags the end of my father’s cane along the bars, taunting me with each clink. I grit my teeth as he makes his way to Diana’s cell and crouches down to her level. She’s lying on the floor, head resting in the crook of her arm. We didn’t dare speak while waiting for what came next, in case the guards had loose lips and relayed our conversations back to Erebus. But it seems he had already known what we planned to do.

“I’m so sorry, my sweet girl, for imprisoning you on your birthday. Had I not known you planned to kill me tonight, you’d be sleeping snuggly in your bed.” I can only see his back from this angle, but I know a shit-eating grin is plastered on his wretched face as he speaks to her.

Erebus rises to his feet and stands between both of our cells so we can see him plain as day. “Well, don’t you want to know my plan? I’m feeling a bit left out, knowing all your secrets when you don’t know mine.” He paces up and down the line of cells, peering into each of them before returning to his previous spot.

“Spit it out, freak,” I seethe at Erebus, I’m tired of playing his games. He acts as if he has all the time in the world to toy with us, keeping us at the edge of our seats only to prolong it further. It’s psychological torture.

He whips his head in my direction, and the metal of my cuffs begins to heat, causing my wrists to burn at an ungodly temperature. “Watch your tongue, boy, before you find yourself without one.” Erebus is not one to hand out empty threats, so I choose to fight my battles carefully and shut my mouth.

“Right. Now I’ve lost my train of thought.” He squeezes the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb and lets out an exaggerated sigh. I roll my eyes at his theatrics, but keep my comments to myself.

“Ah, yes! Now I remember. I planned to do this in a more civilized fashion, but you two have left me no other choice.” Erebus faces Diana’s cell once again and tilts his head to the side, glancing down at her. “How would you like to see your mother again?”

“This is not a fucking joke, Erebus.” At this point, I don’t give a fuck if he takes my tongue. There is no need to taunt Diana like this.

“My mother?” Diana sniffles and rises from her lying position to fully standing.

Erebus reaches between the bars of the cell and wipes the tears from her cheek. I want to rip the door to this cell clean off and sever his hands for touching her.

“Yes, my sweet, would you like that?” He’s trying to manipulate her into doing something, but what? “All I need is your sister. She can aid me in the process. With your power and Silia’s gift, we could bring your mother back.”

Silence passes through the dungeon, only the lone sound of a leak in a faraway cell sounding as the droplets hit the stone floor. This is not the plan we thought he had.

“My power? I possess no gift. I am only twenty-four, as of tonight.” My poor angel is trying her best to lie to him, but the wavering in her tone gives her away immediately. In any other situation, it would please me to know she cannot lie, but this is not an ideal scenario.

“Do not play dumb, Diana. You are many things, but dumb, you are not. I know who you are and where you came from. I was in the room when you were born. I was there when your mother took her last breath. I was told by my God, Eus, that your mother’s death would come to fruition at your delivery to this world. Welcome back to the Varien Realm, Bortis.”

“That’s not my name!” Diana shouts, swiping her nails at Erebus’ face. She meets her mark, and a thin trail of blood runs down the side of his cheek.

“Control your temper. It is unbecoming.” He shoves the head of his cane through the bars and hits her square in the chest, sending Diana tumbling to the ground.

My legs move without a second thought as I try to lunge at Erebus through the bars of the cell. “Don’t you fucking touch her!”

Surprisingly, Erebus reins in his outburst of anger and rolls his shoulders back. “Yes, thank you, Odious. I forget myself sometimes. I don’t want to injure my precious cargo.”

He’s a fucking psychopath.

“Diana, I will collect you in the morning and explain what exactly it is I need from you. For now, get some rest. I’ll need you at your full capacity tomorrow.” He smiles sweetly at her, then turns his attention to me.

“You, however, will be executed for treason in the morning. Say your goodbyes to your darling girl through the cell bars. You have disappointed me for the last time, Odious. Take solace in the fact you are exactly like your father—weak, pathetic, and blinded by love. You and Lars have been my greatest failed project.”

He takes one last look at me and swiftly climbs back up the stairs and out of the below. Only one guard remains, standing at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at Erebus as he climbs further and further from view.

As soon as the door to the dungeon shuts, the guard comes rushing over to us. He takes off his helmet and quickly approaches Diana’s cell. “Leave her alone! She has until morning. You heard the king.” They can’t take her away now. Please, anything but this.

But Diana does not look frightened. Her face instead molds into an expression of shock as she takes in the sight of the guard.

“Reggie! Is that you?”

Who the fuck is Reggie, and how does he know my Diana?

“Yes, Your Highness, I’m here to help you. I’m the last remaining of the king’s spies.”

The King of Eza has spies in Daqet? This is the first I’m hearing of this.

“Thank you for your continued loyalty to the crown. I will let my father know of your dedication once I return home.” Diana bows her head in thanks, displaying her regal side with an effortless grace. “But I must ask you, Reggie, if you mean to free us, I request that you let Odious go instead of me.”

Panic rises in my chest at her casual tone. “Diana, no. You must go. I can hold my own until things have been settled. It is not safe for you here!” I try to plead with her as our gazes meet for the first time since we’ve been locked away. A sad smile reaches her eyes as she further explains her reasoning.

“Odi, Erebus will hunt me down to the ends of the realm. It is not safe for me anywhere. I need you to get to Silia and warn her what Erebus intends to do.” Her unwavering leadership makes me want to kneel before her and worship every inch of her. My heart burns with pride as I see how calmly she hands out orders. As queen, she would serve the nation of Daqet well.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid that is not possible.”

“Reggie, you heard the lady. The king is not here. Do you really mean to disobey the future Queen of Daqet?” Diana’s smile grows bright in the dim lighting of her cell, and I can do nothing but return the grin.

“No, of course not, Your Highness.” Seeming to realize that I, too, have royal lineage, although it is not by blood, he moves to my cell and fumbles with the keys to my door. He unlocks it in a moment, and I fly across the pathway to Diana’s cell.

“Unlock it, now,” I order the spy, and he swiftly opens her cell. I rush in and take her into my arms.

“Diana, I swear to you that I will return, and Erebus will bleed for his transgressions.” I kiss her temple and stroke her hair as her head lies against my chest.

“I know, Odi.” She lifts her gaze to mine and pulls my lips to hers. We devour each other in a starving kiss; our tongues battle for dominance as I hold her tighter to me.

She breaks our kiss and nuzzles her face in my neck. “You will make a wonderful king, Odi.”

I bury my face in her curls one last time before I pull away. With every inch I part from her, I feel myself withering, like a part of me is leaving for good every time she is not in my embrace.

I very well could use my gift to see what our future will be like, to see if we really will make it out of this Hel alive. But I cannot bring myself to do it. If there is even a glimmer of Diana not being in my life, I fear I will never let her leave my side.

“I will be back very soon, my angel. Don’t have too much fun without me.” I wink down at her as her cheeks flush that delicious shade of red. If that fucking Reggie wasn’t staring at us, I would rip the dress off her and devour her sweetness in this damp, bleak prison. But that would have to wait for another day.

“Hurry, Odi. You may not have much time before someone else comes down here.”

I grip her face between my hands and give her one last, passionate kiss. I hear Reggie clear his throat behind us, and I pull away from Diana. I give her one last look over, engraving every detail of her into my memory before I leave the cell and close the door.

I turn to Reggie and give him a swift punch to the face. I can hear Diana gasp behind me, but she does not reprimand me. Good girl.

“That’s so the guards think I put up a fight.” I grab him by the shoulders and knee him in the groin. “And that’s for interrupting me while devouring my queen.”

I leave Reggie on the floor to collect himself as I take off down the long, cell-lined hall. The stone wall at the dead end gives way as I press my hand against the hidden activation switch. The passageway opens at my touch, and I look back at Diana. I give her one last wink before I slither through the entrance to the tunnels, quietly closing the stone door behind me.

Thanks to this shortcut, I make it to the stables in a few short minutes. As I emerge from the side of the palace to face the stable, I see Lars standing in the middle of the gardens, motionless. I rush over to him and push him out of his trance. “You idiot, why didn’t you help us?”

He stumbles back a few steps, still staring off into the distance. “She’s gone, Odious. She’s not coming back.”

“What are you talking about? Where’s Silia?” I take his shoulders in my hands and give him a shake. His eyes look hollow and dark, void of any emotion.

“She asked me to go with her, and I just stood there like a fucking moron. Now she’s gone back to Eza alone.”

He tears away from my grasp and runs his hands through his hair.

“Silia went back home? Good, she needs to be far away from here. Why didn’t you go with her? This was your one chance to escape this shitshow!” I throw my hands up in frustration. Out of all the things he could have done, not going with her was the stupidest thing he’s done yet.

“She looked at me like I had never hurt her. Not one ounce of hatred or disdain radiated from her. I hadn’t felt that since the day we arrived here. Do you know how fucking hard it is to look the woman you love in the eye and constantly lie to her, only for her to forgive you at a moment’s notice when you don’t deserve it? I didn’t know what to do. I just froze.” Lars paces back and forth, kicking up gravel with each forceful step.

“No, Lars. I don’t know what that’s like.” It’s true; I have never lied to Diana. I could never do that to her. But I cannot fault Lars for doing so when he was blessed by the Gods to lie.

“No, no, you fucking don’t! It’s agonizing. It’s torture.” Lars charges at me and balls the collar of my tunic in his fists. “You should have killed me that night! You should have ended me then!” I am at a loss for words. There is nothing I can say that would comfort him in this moment.

Nasir and I did fully intend to kill Lars all those years ago, but reality had smacked us both in the face when we saw our father walk in. We had just been doing what we thought was right in that moment. Never would I have imagined this was where we would end up.

In the years I’d spent locked away in that room, I had found myself missing the company of Lars. Blaming myself over the death of my twin, I’d realized I needed to nurture the one family relation I had left. So, before I proposed to join Erebus, I made an oath that I would protect Lars, no matter his faults.

“Lars, settle down. Breathe.” I take his face between my hands and hold his stare. I breathe in and out three times, signaling him to join me in the familiar breathing technique. The black sheen of his eyes slowly dissipates as he matches my breaths, and his grip loosens on my collar.

“Good, good. Now, I need you to go back inside and play nicely with Erebus. He cannot think that both of us mean to betray him. Go along with his plans, and when the time is right to strike, I will let you know.” Lars only nods furiously in response.

“Suggest you lead his legion to Eza. Accompany them, and that way, you can see Silia again. We will meet there, okay?” Again, his only response is nodding. I can accept that.

I pull him in for a hug and hold him tight. He grips me back and softly cries into my shoulder. “I thank the Gods you are not dead, Odious,” he whispers as we pull back from the embrace.

“I thank them for your survival as well, Lars.”

A weary smile passes between us, and I gently shove him away. “Now go and make father proud.” He nods once more and rushes for the palace doors.

I turn and close the gap between myself and the stable. As I approach the structure, I spot horse tracks on the ground. Good, at least it will be easy to follow her.

My horse, Sibbi Junior, greets me with an enthusiastic whinny. I grab her saddle hanging from the wall and quickly secure it to her back. I untie her from the post, put my foot through the stirrup, then swing myself up. Once I’m secured, Sibbi rises on her back legs, excited to run through the moon-kissed forest.

“Let’s go.” I whip the reins, and she takes off into the night.