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We both rested as we waited for the portal to open, wrapped in each other’s arms. Luken was still sleeping when I woke. I gazed at him, feeling hopeful for us in a way I hadn’t before. I still hadn’t told him I loved him—I was worried it would sound too much like a lie—but we’d come together in ways I hadn’t known possible. After our frenzied lovemaking, I told him about every sexual fantasy I’d have. The boring ones, the ones that I was slightly ashamed of. He had grinned at them all, promising me that we’d do each and every one.

A strange crackling noise pulled me away from Luken. I opened the door to the main chamber to find the portal was open, rippling in shades of purple and pink. I hurried back to Luken and woke him, then yanked on my clothes.

“Looks like we were a little enthusiastic,” Luken noted as he pulled on his own clothes. The top buttons of his tunic were missing, and my shirt had somehow managed to get torn into a crop top.

“When we get to the palace, we’ll have to get some second-hand clothes that exist only to tear off each other,” I told him, leaning over to kiss him.

Luken laughed. “Why do they have to be second-hand?”

“Because we shouldn’t waste brand-new clothes, obviously.”

He laughed again and kissed me. Heat flared through my body, and I tugged him closer, winding my hands into his hair. It was silky and soft, despite our time on the road. Thoughts of pregnancy tried to intrude, but I shut them down quickly. No need to worry about that yet.

We prepped ourselves quickly. As I braided Luken’s hair for him, other thoughts crowded my mind. We were about to go to the temples, the gods' stronghold. They wanted us both dead. So it wouldn’t be as easy as jumping in, grabbing Thessa and Darcie, and getting out. I wasn’t going to abandon them, but now that we were so close, I began to wonder what price we would have to pay.

I could be killed. I was fine with that if it meant Thessa and Darcie were free. But it would hurt Luken. And what if he was killed? The thought made my blood run cold. I wasn’t sure how I’d live without him.

Don’t start thinking about that. We’re not going to lose. The gods feared Luken finding his mate for a reason. And he has me now. We’re going to end this.

“Are you ready?” Luken said as he belted his sword on.

I nodded. Our gazes lingered on one another for a long moment before we stepped back to the main chamber. Luken’s expression grew into that familiar, hard, calculating look as he stepped to the edge.

“We have to enter it together. Give me your hand,” he said, reaching for me.

Before I could respond, I was yanked forward. It was like an ocean current, erupting from the portal. It slammed into me, wrapped around me, and dragged me forward. Luken shouted and jumped for me, but I was swept into the portal. A myriad of colors and sounds flashed around me, as though I was tumbling through a thousand memories.

Then, abruptly, it was over. I was flat on my back on a cold, hard surface as I stared upward, gasping for breath. A vaulted ceiling made of marble stretched over me. Brightly painted images showed scenes of gods, monsters, and… girls. Thousands of girls being led through a dark path, emerging to a bright light where a bright light shone. The images looked vaguely familiar. Where had I seen them before?

“It is a rough way to travel when you’re not expecting it,” a cool, familiar male voice said somewhere behind me.

I rolled over and instantly, nearly vomited. My vision spun around me, and I groaned, feeling weak. When strong arms wrapped around me, I couldn’t fight them. I growled a warning, but it turned into a sick whimper. The man hauled me to a chair. Before I could get my senses under control, he’d chained my legs and arms in place.

“Draven,” I gasped.

He knelt beside the chair, his gaze intense on my face. “I really would prefer you call me Greyson. The bitch who named me has no right to decide my identity.”

I yanked my hands, the nausea finally passing. We were in a large marble room, with expensive, elaborate tapestries showing the various gods hanging on the walls. The temples. I’d made it—but where was Luken? My throat went dry. Draven knew we were coming. He’d snatched me through the portal. How did he know? Did Donelle betray us, warn him we were coming?

“Don’t fight,” Draven said, reaching to put a hand on my arm.

“Don’t touch me,” I spat.

He withdrew, frustration dancing in his eyes. “I’m not the one you should be angry at.”

“You killed my family! You dragged Thessa back here when all she wanted was to live her life. You’re the reason for every terrible thing that happened to me,” I spat back, glaring at him. “You’re the reason Kael and Ysara are dead. So, who should I be angry at?”

“None of it would have happened if Luken had bowed to the gods, as he ought to have.” Draven stood and began circling me. Considering the last time we’d met, he hadn’t hesitated to try to kill me, I couldn’t figure out his game plan here.

Or maybe I could. The bond. He grabbed me and not Luken for a reason. What was he planning?

“They thought he was going to take you back to the palace. They thought he’d lock you up to protect himself,” Draven said as he circled me.

“Who are they? The gods?” I demanded.

He ignored me. “I knew differently, though. Locking you up would mean that he cared about what happened to you. Once mated, you can die, and he’d still have the powers you gave him. He doesn’t need you anymore. The only weakness he gets from you now is that he can feel your pain.”

I was still straining against my restraints and forced myself to relax. I curved my spine backward, giving myself a defeated slump. I needed to save my strength. Draven stopped in front of me and stared down at me with a hungry expression that made me shudder. In the Blood Trials, he’d tried to seduce me several times. He had made no threats the last time we met, but the look in his eyes… I shuddered again.

“I kept a close watch on the temples and all the entrances to it,” Draven continued. “I knew you’d convince him to try to save Thessa and Darcie. And he’d agree, knowing it was the perfect timing to attack the gods. The veils between the gods and us are thin in these spots. If he seals them…” At this, Draven shuddered, stepping back from me. “But you’re only a pawn in his game. You don’t understand, Elara. Which means you are innocent. The gods have agreed to spare you. I want you to know, I fought for you. I told them of the sacrifices you’ve already made. The pain he’s put you through. You can see that, right? It’s his fault. None of this would have happened if he wasn’t so arrogant.”

Was he being serious? I tried to shove aside my emotions to study him, but that hunger in his eyes only grew worse. He reached for me again, and I tried to yank away. He gripped my face tightly in his hands.

“Tell me you understand. I’m not going to hurt you because I want to, Elara. I don’t. But it’s necessary.”

“What are you going to do?” I tried to snarl out the words, but my lungs wouldn’t fully expand. “Where’s Thessa? Where’s Darcie?”

Draven’s hands tightened on my face. “They are with the other tributes, waiting for their glory.”

They were still alive. Good.

“As for you, there’s only one way this ends.” He dropped his hands, and a hard look came across his face. “I’m going to torture you. I will make my brother watch it, feel it, until he relinquishes his claim on the throne. He’s trained himself not to feel the torture, but you? You’ll feel every moment, and through you, he’ll feel it too.”

I clenched my fists, the air thinning around me. Part of me wanted to ask how exactly he intended to torture me, but my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. Was it true? Was Luken immune to torture, unless I was the one being tortured? I shut the bond even tighter. I wasn’t going to let him feel my pain!

“He will relinquish his throne,” Draven said, nodding to himself. “He doesn’t know what pain is. It won’t take long. And then you will be purified. Your sacrifices will be honored.”

He looked at me hungrily again, his eyes lingering on the visible tattoos on my stomach. Disgust crossed his face, but he smoothed it out quickly. “Those marks will be removed from your body, and your virginity will be restored. And when I’m king, you will be my queen. We will be mated before the gods and serve them together.”

I stared at him in horror.

“You were blessed by the gods, Elara. Our union will be pure. They’ve kept me waiting all these years so that it can be so. That’s why I had to bring Thessa back,” he added, almost pleading as he came toward me again. “Because she and your sister are the sacrifices necessary for you to be made pure again. So you can be mine instead of his.”

“I don’t want to be yours!”

Draven shook his head. “It’s only because he’s poisoned your mind and body. You’ll see. In time, you’ll understand. But for now…” He stepped away from me again, a mask of indifference falling over his face. “For now, it’s time to begin.”

Doors opened all around the temple. In came a dozen elven mercenaries, a handful of vampires, some orcs and others. The largest set of double doors burst open, and Luken, bound with ropes of magic, was dragged in by two hulking elves. The crowd laughed and jeered as Luken was shoved to his knees before Draven. His amber eyes flickered to me and I felt him pushing at the bond.

But I knew what was going to happen and held it shut tight.

Please understand. I can’t let you feel my pain.