Page 46

Chapter 42

Osiris

T he Eternium always knew where to take you. Knew what you needed, what you wanted, often before you did. So, when we walked back out to the living area and found a mound of blankets and pillows plastered on a now-plush floor in front of a roaring fireplace, I wasn't surprised.

It had always been particular, like a puppet master toying with taut strings. It made the furthest recesses of my mind curl, and I popped my neck, waiting for the ominous dread to fade.

The carpet was soft, warm even in the early cusps of winter. Much more comfortable than the black hardwood. Aaliyah practically sagged at the sight of it, moving forward as she rubbed her eyes. She walked slowly, gait slightly limped as she mumbled, "Just a few minutes."

When she hit the pillows, she sank into them, easing into the warmth with a sigh. It helped us breathe a little easier when her eyes fluttered closed.

Eirik grunted, moving toward the kitchen with purpose. His eyes were sunken, and he seemed to almost stumble over his feet as he pulled out a pot to boil some water. There was no grace in the way he brushed his hand through the remains of his intricate braids that had been mostly unwound already. He dipped his head toward her, and as much as I wanted to probe his odd behavior, I understood what he wanted.

I walked over to her, watching carefully as she peeked at me from her fort, smiling tenderly at me from the floor. She lifted the blanket, giving me ample room to sink in. The idea tempted me so much I fell to my knees at her side, but I couldn't make the final move in as I pulled her hand into my own.

She watched me for a long moment, not commenting on it as she warmed me with the spark of her touch, the gentle brush of her delicate fingers against my wrist. A touch would have sent me into a spiral if she were anyone else, but she was Aaliyah, my lux mea . My light.

She made my soul dance in my chest. I didn't put distance between us, and I didn't seek to cover my hands or the skin that touched hers. It was freeing, in a way, understanding how badly I wanted it.

"Do you wish to speak of it, my dear?" I asked, knowing full well how heavy the days had been on her, and if she needed the space to say it, I'd give it to her. It had been a harrowing night, a harrowing few weeks.

She let out a breath as Eirik appeared, a cup of tea in his hands. He set it next to her, on one of the few tables close enough for her to reach. Aaliyah hummed, watching the steam as it fluttered up from the cup.

"The Eternium, Exilium, the Rends … It's all so much. I'm not sure how to deal with it," she admitted in a whisper, again showing her strength. Her ability to just speak sometimes astounded me. "I feel lost. I don't know what I'll do if we lose. Or …" She swallowed, closing her eyes. "If I were to lose one of you . "

I hummed, twirling a piece of her hair around my finger, tucking my nose against the top of her head, filling my lungs with her, leaving a steady ache in my fangs. I reached for the numbness inside of me that had shriveled up, the one I'd been drawing on to fight our way to this point. Though this time, it wasn't to reach out to the magic that haunted me, or to cover the deeds I'd done, the monster I'd made myself into. Not to hold on to it, to let it drag me through the next day, but to consider her fears and her worries.

I ran a gentle finger over her cheek, the flush of her skin an addictive warmth.

"What do you wish to do when we are free from this?" I asked softly, providing a distraction.

Her eyes had caught me from the moment I'd seen them, the fierceness in them still to this day taking my breath away. The fear was there—it always had been—but Aaliyah had a distinct knack for moving forward, anyway.

She persevered like no other I'd ever seen. She'd pivoted since she'd met us, giving us some of that burden, some of the trust she held so close to her chest. I'd protect her and it with my life.

"If we make it out, you mean?" she asked, running a finger over my arm.

She focused on her mark, on the brand that it sat over, tracing the lavender as though it might wash away the inky black. Each swipe of her sure fingers erased the pain that had come from when Darius had placed it.

" When we make it out," I corrected. "What would you like to do?"

She didn't answer me for a time, just looked off into the distance before she grabbed her drink. I didn't stop her when she sat up, still clinging to the blankets, blowing softly on the tea that Eirik had made.

A rumble that felt commonplace now started in his chest as she took a tentative sip.

"I want …" she started, biting her lip. Her eyes glazed a touch as she reached up to toy with a strand of her hair, her other hand tucking her mug close to her chest. "I want to have a picnic again. With all of us there. Adrian and I can bake cupcakes."

Her lips tilted as she looked up at the ceiling, as if hunting for the stars that lay above the mountain peak we were in, before she closed her eyes, as if imagining the moment.

That moment came spiraling back to me. I hadn't been there with them then; under those stars I'd stopped finding wonder in decades ago … I'd been too afraid of the organ in my chest and the implications of the warmth it held for Aaliyah to join them.

I'd been a scared man, a broken one. I still was, but at least now I saw that. I knew it was no longer something I could live with, not when she needed more. Next time, I would be right there with them, gazing at the stars, enjoying my brothers' company.

Caring for the woman I had grown so fond of.

"Then you'll have it," I whispered.

She swallowed, the sound grating as she closed her eyes. "You can't promise that, Osiris."

I'd done many things in my life. Some I regretted, some I savored, some I loved, but I'd never known with more certainty that we'd be coming out on top of this. One way or another.

I didn't care if I had to fight Darius a thousand times or find myself in his bed again at his mercy. It didn't matter if Sebek himself stood opposing me, and a Challenge was called.

We would not lose.

"Do not discount my words. You will have your night under the stars." I vowed it, the words sinking into my soul, marking me with them. My magic swelled with the promise, fire burning in my veins. "You saved me when I swore there was nothing left to save. You convinced me that finding myself in a world without Nero was something I could do. Then you gave him back to me, too."

There were parts of him I remembered in those silver eyes, parts that I knew would never fade. Then there were the bits that had been reborn with Aaliyah, the new hints of him that I had the joy of uncovering each day.

It was a gift.

"If it is in my power to give, it is yours, and if it isn't, I'll find a way to make it happen regardless," I finished.

She still didn't look convinced, that doubt in her eyes. She'd been through hell these past few days, and the months before it. Which was why I reached into my coat pocket, hand on a warm stone that pulsed at my touch. My magic responded to it, coaxing the stone to glow.

It wasn't the same lavender gem it had been when I'd first given Aaliyah the protection from us, but the blue sapphire was just as stunning, and it would work in a pinch until I could replace her other one fully.

Aaliyah saw it as I raised it, clipping it to the remnants of the silver chain around her neck. "It's spelled the same as before, with stronger bonds. Not even Sebek should be able to get through now."

It had a few other perks, but they were mostly benign, and I didn't get a chance to explain them as Aaliyah set down her cup, then wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. It was an awkward angle, but I savored every second she gave me. "Thank you, Osiris. It's beautiful."

Her tears were bittersweet, something I never wanted to see but understood they came from a place of joy. She'd been so distraught after the loss of her other one, I knew that the first thing I wanted for her was to replace that pain.

I was glad to see it worked.

Aaliyah's eyes sparked with a warm light, and her lips tilted into a hesitant smile. The scar above her lip, soft and white, flexed with the move. She sank back into the depths of her pillow haven, closing her eyes again.

"You'll wake me up if something changes?" she asked quietly, her voice cracking.

I settled my hand on her head, keeping contact with her until I felt her breath steady. Everything about her called to me, every inch of her skin and every spare piece of her endless soul.

I'd never grow tired of her touch. One day soon, I hoped to explore more, to search her body for the curves I knew I'd spend eons memorizing. It was a thought that pushed me forward, that kept me going as I sorted out my own feelings enough to take that step.

To feel another against my skin so entirely. The thought still made me sick to my stomach, so I held back, until I was sure there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that Darius would not ruin it for me.

"Always," I whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. One that burned the same way it set me free. Like each one I'd ever had the pleasure of experiencing. "Sleep, lux mea. "

She was quick to listen, faster than I ever could have expected one to fall asleep at my hand. Her heartbeat settled, her breathing falling into a steady rhythm. The moment it shifted, Eirik turned to me.

"What are you planning?" Eirik asked quietly under his breath as he watched Aaliyah with the same fascination I did. His eyes swirled with his beast, the flexing pull of the ink on his skin rolling as he crossed his arms.

I guessed he'd noticed something was wrong from the moment he'd followed me out of Nero's room. He stalked like a beast, his instincts so rarely leading him astray, that they had almost become a code to live by.

I looked him in the eye, the jagged nature of the scar over it seeming harsher in the low blue light.

"Darius won't stay quiet for much longer. I'll be detained for holding until they can verify the validity of his claims," I said. He was too proud not to lock me up, needing to make a show of it so he could prattle and weep and garner sympathy. It wasn't in his blood to back down when he'd been slighted. If nothing else, I could guarantee that, and that single flaw would lead us to our greatest gain. "He'll send me to the Pits until First Rights, an insult and an advantage. He wants to bring me low, and what better way than to cage me like he did before?"

Eirik stiffened, protest already firm on his face, but this was the right choice, the only choice. Drakon's allies were not foolproof, and they weren't ours. I needed to fix that if we had a chance at winning an Exilium vote, which meant rallying.

Tearing down a beast like Darius was one way to do that.

"So, you accept his Retaliation claim, then?" Eirik asked instead. "Knowing that he'll pick your fight?"

Retaliation was a tricky subject, one that very few survived. It wasn't meant to be a Challenge; it was meant to be a slaughter. A fight for some, a show for others. Revenge in its purest form.

Some had pitted their enemy against beasts of mythical nature, some had decided on a simple beheading, others a fight to the death. The rules were picked by the one that called Retaliation, and Darius would want the most humiliating of them all. He'd choose to fight, knowing he couldn't lose, intent on making me submit, and on giving him my will like I had all those years ago.

"I'll remove him during our bout, but I must get to the Pits first," I said.

Flashes of Kri'Valta's words pushed me to it, and if I could not force my way into the prison of the Eternium, then I had to be invited in.

"Why?" Eirik grumbled.

I'd been planning this since the moment Kali had died at my hands. I knew Darius far better than I'd like, and I knew what he'd do. Kri'Valta's words echoed, and even with his slimy nature, I trusted them. The key to Darius's fall lay in the Pits. I just had to find it.

Destroy it.

But the others didn't need to know yet exactly my plans. Darius was crafty, and they didn't need to be tied up in this mess in any way that could fall back on them.

I didn't have to speak for Eirik to know what I was thinking, his head dipping in a resigned nod.

"And you're confident you'll win?" Eirik asked, that spark of fight in his eyes enough to get me to nod.

Fighting Darius was my worst nightmare. Being in his presence was horrid enough, and having to see his tricks all over again was going to test my limits … but I would win. If I had learned anything from my fight with Kri'Valta, it was that. Lie, cheat, steal. Whatever the cost, I would not lose to him.

"Without question," I whispered, staring into the fire as Eirik grunted at my back.

Silence followed, Aaliyah's soft breaths calming me, allowing me to breathe. I accepted every one of them, took them in like they were the last I'd have, and if I was right, they might be.

Darius was coming. It was only a matter of time.

And may the gods help the poor unfortunate souls that got in his way.

* * *

When I'd made my guess on when Darius would make his move, I hadn't thought I'd be proven right so soon. But the moment a knock rang in the air, I knew we were out of time.

Eirik looked on, his face pulling tight, his nose lifting as he scented the air before he snarled. Aaliyah jolted up, rubbing her eyes as Adrian and Fallon peeked their heads out from the bedroom.

"What is it?" Aaliyah asked, as another knock sounded.

I ran my hand over her hair, touching her again, savoring the last breaths of her in my presence.

"Darius comes to collect me for the Pits," I whispered, and her eyes went wide.

She shot up, desperation and panic clinging to her as she tried to hold on to me. The door opened, and I looked over my shoulder just as three walked in. Darius was the first I saw, a smug pride etched into his features, like everything was going to plan.

I was already standing by the time he and his entourage turned to us fully. He crossed onto the rug, dragging what looked like dirt onto it, his steps sure and heavy. My jaw popped at the sight, teeth grinding as I held my tongue.

"There he is," he called, his arms crossed over his chest. The beast behind his eyes shriveled when Eirik growled. "The man that killed the Sorceri Eternal."

His bolstering faltered, and I took a step toward him, even as Aaliyah's sound of protest rang from behind me. I had to do this; it was imperative, but that didn't make it any easier to move. It didn't remove the weight that settled on my chest and told me to turn back into her arms.

"Osiris Vivas, you've been accused of the murder of Sorceri Eternal Kali Rourovic. Plea?" the creature to the left of Darius said.

It was another Sage, the faceless mirage digging into my soul. This one differed from the last, with two hands pressed together in front of it, as though it were praying, head dipped low as it waited for me to respond. Its robes stretched over its head, its body the same ashen gray.

"I will not comment on the accusation," I said, head held high, even as Darius's eyes flared with rage.

His face molted, shimmering with gold flecks as his Griffon fought its way to the surface. The power of his shift flooded the room, ancient and potent.

"Acknowledged," the Sage whispered, and it was barely seconds before I felt the bindings settle on me. They were the same magic that the rest of the Eternium held, unbending as they silenced my own. It was like losing all power, my human magic shriveling up, the Flame dying in my chest. "Holding has been requested until Retaliation can be proven. Please do not resist."

I was to be held until voting could be called and Darius's claim for vengeance could be carried out. So I couldn't run from it.

Most didn't bother. The Eternium held us here, regardless, but the move to the dungeons added insult to injury. It was a curse for most, as many didn't return. Today, it was an opportunity for me.

"You'll regret this, Osiris," Darius gritted out, his hand landing on my suit covered arm. "I'll teach you why you should learn to stay in my good graces."

Even then, I jolted at his touch, growing sick from it. A cold sweat pooled down my neck, and I struggled to swallow the dread.

Just as quickly, the hand was removed, and a startled gasp was followed by growls and shouts.

White hair, the kind that lived in my dreams. I wanted to reach out to it, to touch it, to gaze forever into the furious lavender eyes that flashed my way before settling back on my demons.

"You don't touch him," Aaliyah hissed, as the shadows around us snapped up from the floor. The one at her feet grew, expanding to swallow most of the space between us and Darius. "Never again, do you hear me? You don't fucking touch him ."

The voice that had called to her at the hot spring slipped forward, the one promising a nightmare beyond Darius's worst thoughts, causing even the Sage to shudder. Her power was alive in the air, reaching for Darius even as the Eternium broke it up, keeping it from him. His face was a sheet of white, his eyes wide with a horror that I relished.

"You're an abomination, Reaper," Darius mocked, jerking away from her.

I saw the flinch, and the dread that bundled in her shoulders at his callous assessment. She was everything we weren't, the light, the joy in the world. She was what gave me the strength to do this, to face Darius like he hadn't been my hell.

I pressed against the Sage's power, fighting it as it tore against my skin, and my blood leaked out of me like my magic. The Flame burst, skittering across the floor and into the air. Darius was forced a step back or risk getting burned.

His face filled with fear. The same fear I'd felt with him for decades. The same fear that had destroyed me, broken me down, and left me in pieces.

Now it was his turn.

"You don't talk to her like that, friend," Nero butted in, from where he sagged against the far door, looking like he'd managed to stumble his way through a Rend as he shook his head. Not a thing could have stopped him, seething with rage as he stepped up to my side, putting an arm around Aaliyah's shoulders. "I promise you'll regret it."

"Nero," Darius sneered. Nero might not remember their last true meeting, but it was one I thought on fondly. When Nero had bested Darius's highest-ranking soldier in a Retaliation, a few Eterniums' back, and had paraded around the ring with his head on a spike. It seemed old wounds still festered. "You should have done us all a favor and stayed dead."

Nero laughed, grinning like a madman as Darius's ire grew. "Ah, and we seemed like such good pals."

The others moved, as well, standing like a wall, enough to make Darius nervous as he swallowed hard. "I don't know how you managed this affront against the Hallowed of Death, but you can't expect it to stand."

Darius kept his head high, even now. That pride would be his downfall, even if he didn't see it yet. He was strong, more so than most I knew. Even Kri'Valta was nothing compared to him, but I'd never in my life needed to win a fight more. For myself and for Ali.

Because no one was allowed to talk to her like that and live.

"You called your Retaliation, Darius," I whispered, tilting my head to the side. I stared him down until his lips pulled back, and the Griffon behind his eyes took offense to my lack of submission. The disrespect wouldn't stand, and the embarrassment he felt showed in the red on his cheeks as he looked around the room. "If that's all. Then get out of my sight."

I stood tall, looking down at Ali, who'd placed herself between us. She had her arms spread out, guarding me like she'd guarded Eirik at Xander's the day we'd learned who she was. I knew, without a fraction of a doubt, that she'd do the same thing for me, even if she was completely powerless.

But she wasn't, not my light. She was power, violently destructive and endlessly compassionate power.

"Please proceed. The Pits will hold you until the vote," the Sage said, the power of the Eternium forcing me to walk. Darius flipped around, his black hair waving, his shoulders humped.

He would fight to make me regret this, the way we'd debased him today. I couldn't care about that now, not as Aaliyah's hand found mine. Her fingers brushed the marks on my wrist.

The mark of a demon, and the mark of the love of my life.

"See you soon, Osiris," she whispered.

I was Darius's no longer . I was hers, and the mark on my arm proved it.

I turned, losing the warmth, the spark of her touch. I already missed her. I let that emotion swell in me, mixing with the rage, with the numb. With the power that cradled me and made me what I was.

I let it fester and rot when I should have buried it. When I should have thrown it away and lost the key.

"Not soon enough, lux mea. "

I was to be her monster, and I would do whatever it took to get us through this.

Even if I lost myself in the process.