Page 19

The Forsaken King

Grace

The golden wolf drops me off at the front door and escorts me inside. Once the sun had set on the mountains, the temperature dropped, and I was turning into my very own snowflake. It makes me wonder about the seasons here. In Wyassa, we had just celebrated Ostara, the coming of spring. Gardens were blooming, but not yet ripe, with greens for harvest. The weather had not warmed on our coast yet, but in Wrightsworth, you could feel the heat of midsummer already coming. Yet, here in Elyssus, there is ice in the wind and snow in the clouds. It seems we are closer to the Winter Solstice.

“When can you start training?” Pearl asks, the echoes of my boots reaching the curved ceilings. We walk together into the Grand Hall. Servants are everywhere, always bustling like there is some impending banquet I don’t know about.

I hear her, but I’m distracted. We’re coming close to the shadowed hall with melancholy portraits. “Oh, right away, I think …” I immediately swerve to my right, heading toward his dark study.

“Where are you going?” Pearl calls to me, panicked.

“I just need to say something to him,” I say nonchalantly. Yeah, I’m just gonna say a few things. I am ready to have my voice back. I am healing and mourning in a healthy way. Pearl is going to teach me how to fight. I am maturing. I am going to blossom. I am going to be respectful.

I slam his study doors open and see Tai and Kai lounging on a dark worn leather couch. I look to my left and he is watching me, sitting at his hulking desk.

Oh ho, yeah buddy, I have some words.

“How fucking dare you?” I shout and watch his dark eyes narrow on me.

“Fuck.” I hear Tai mutter behind me.

“How much of a controlling and insecure man do you have to be to kill a whole kingdom of humans? You couldn’t just let another God rule? You had to kill everyone because you wanted to stay King? Tell me, on a scale of dickhead, would you say you’re more asshole or bastard? I can’t tell honestly. I’ve seen a corrupt crown, but truly, you are so much worse. I know you hate them, but—”

“Enough!” Death roars, standing abruptly; the study shaking in his fury. “How dare you, girl?” He prowls to me, like a predator sizing up its prey.

I know I should stop, but it just keeps coming. “How dare me? How dare you! You killed millions of innocent people!” I scream.

“And I would do it again!” he shouts, charging me and forcing me backward into a wall. My head snaps against the hard stone while his marked hand pushes me on my chest. Death’s massive frame leans into me, seething.

I don’t back down in his angry gaze, I push against the dark God’s hand, reaching into his face. “You’re awful. You’re the reason my people hate Gods!” I spit my venom into his scowling face.

Death laughs wickedly, flashing his pearly sharp canines. The air has turned ice cold around us, pebbling my skin, but my soul is heated from the fires of my anger. “You naive little girl, I gave those souls a way out of their miserable lives. You think I care about the hatred of a few mortals? I have always been hated.”

“It is not your decision to just kill people.”

“I am Death! I am the only one who decides!” he roars in my face, his accent becoming thicker with his fury while he grabs me by the throat and slams my head into the surface behind us. The midnight walls shake and tremble in fear from the wrath of an enraged God. He leans his face just inches away from mine. I watch as the cool silver in his left eye shrinks into an expanse of ever-growing black depth. His pitch-black eyes watch me with a blazing powerful wrath, ready to explode, and I am the kindle. “I was to listen to an entitled child on how to conduct myself during a War of Gods then? Is that it?”

“If you just gave the Gods what they wanted—”

“I was not going to sit by and watch them be treated in such a way. Mortals’ souls are not meant to be mangled in such agony. You did not see the excruciating things that were done to them.” His words cut into me like daggers as he snarls. “They were not even souls in their eyes; they were fucking nothing ! The souls are my responsibility, and I will not see them mistreated. I could not care less about being a King, I do not fucking want it, take it!”

I stand under Death’s hostile glare, his breathing is fast and heavy. His words hit me hard, sinking my head beneath the icy water of my own guilt as realization dawns on me. I was so wrong.

“It was mercy,” I whisper, my own little pants mixing with his furious breath.

We watch each other closely as I give up on fighting him. I can see him contemplating something in his head as he narrows his eyes at me. Most likely, whether or not to kill me. My body loosens in his grip as I accept my fate.

“I should not have to explain myself to you or anyone for that matter. The next time you talk to me like that, I will feed your soul to the Infernals,” he whispers in a threatening breath as he glares at me for a moment longer before turning to walk back to his desk.

“I’m sorry,” I call to him softly. He stops suddenly, his back still to me. Death takes a deep breath and lets it loose slowly. The small feathers at the base of his wings flutter slightly as they shudder in his breath.

“Sit. I have questions,” he orders, gathering himself back into the cool, aloof God I met earlier.

My head turns to the couch; both Tai and Kai are staring at me with wide eyes, mouths agape. I lower my head as I walk shamefully to the couch and sit between the two of them.

“You’ve got a serious set on you, babe,” Kai whispers in awe.

“Don’t fucking encourage her,” Tai mutters.

I bite my lip as my gaze falls forward. The God of Death is staring at me, sipping an amber liquid from a crystal glass.

“Why are you moon-touched?” Death speaks lowly, a twitch ticking in his jaw.

I pause, my heart still hasn’t calmed from our screaming match. “I was killed. Mene, the Moon Goddess, brought me back to life,” I answer quietly, desperate to make amends with him.

He furrows his brows, and his head cocks to the side slightly. “Mene is asleep. This was not her. Why did they kill you?”

“What? No, I was making prayers and offerings to her. She said she heard my prayers, it has to be her.” He’s wrong, he has to be. I know she raised me. She gave me life.

Death narrows his eyes at me. “I told you it was not. Answer my question.” His tone is clipped.

“How am I moon-touched if she’s asleep?” I ask boldly, crossing my arms.

Tai chuckles to my side. “I told you, brother.”

“Ymir’s bones,” Death groans. “Answer my question, and I will answer yours,” he orders, frustrated.

“Harry Pracker and Carter’s dad found me praying. They tried to blackmail me, but I said no, so Harry killed me. I cracked my head open on Mene’s statue. Then, they threw me in the ocean.” I shrug. “Ok, tell me.”

Death looks off to the side, his gaze falling on his bookshelf while he taps his sharp black claws into his desk. “I have the soul of Harry Pracker, but who is Carter?” he speaks under his breath as he ponders.

“Death,” I shout, exasperated.

“Ro. My name is Ro,” he responds, unhurried, his voice like dark velvet. My stomach gets butterflies hearing his name. He wants me to call him by his name. It takes everything for me not to dance in my seat, the giddiness overwhelms me. I bite my lip to keep from smiling.

Ro turns his head lazily to look at me. “Who is Carter?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say. Who cares about him anyways? I thought I loved him, and then he broke my heart. I didn’t realize until the end that it was a blessing. I didn’t even know the first thing about him, other than his cock size. How dreadfully boring a life with him would have been .

Tai bursts out laughing next to me. I smile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh like this.

“What is funny? What did she say?” Ro presses curiously.

“Carter was her lover.” Tai chuckles.

“Oh shit, little flower, I knew you were a dirty girl.” Kai grins at me madly, giving me a wink.

I chuckle before my attention falls back to Ro; he watches me, clearly annoyed.

“Enough. I have more questions,” he mutters, waving a hand in the air.

“Wait, you didn’t answer mine.” I cross my arms. “I’m not answering anymore.”

Ro groans and pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Hecate.”

“Wait, seriously? Why would Hecate give her new life?” Tai asks in disbelief.

“Who is Hecate?” I ask, confused.

“She’s a Goddess of the Moon,” Tai whispers to me.

“Wait, there’s more than one?” I ask into the room.

“Actually, there are three,” Kai pipes in.

“She is known for her magic among other things. She likes to watch over the dead and will occasionally bring some back to life, against all my wishes,” Ro says, irked.

“So, that’s why she made it through the Veil. Hecate’s power runs through her?” Kai inputs.

What does a Moon Goddess have to do with the Veil?

“Hecate and Ro made the Veil together. Her magic, his death,” Tai whispers, leaning into me.

“Which is also how she is silencing the voices of the dead in my head. She is calming them.” Ro’s voice is deep as he thinks out loud. Meanwhile, his eyes are burning holes into me.

I don’t know what he is talking about, and I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or not. I don’t know what to think about any of this. Hecate is the Moon Goddess that heard me and answered my prayers, not Mene? I wonder if I can still heal others on this side of the Veil—

“You have a gift as well?” Tai interjects excitedly, interrupting my thoughts while his deep voice rings loudly in my ear.

I startle, letting out a small screech. “You have to stop doing that.” I slap at his firm leg, before regaining my composure. “Yes, I can heal the hurt or sick, but it affects me. If I do too much, I can die,” I explain to him.

Tai studies me for a moment and looks to Ro. “She has some of her necromancy, but it’s taken a different form. Perhaps you should take her to Hecate.”

“It is not unheard of for Gods to bestow a gift to a human or Fae. There are probably several of you living in Calibria and Thelios with gifts. Once given, they pass through generations. I am wondering why she would give you that particular gift,” Ro discusses, taking another sip of his drink. His dark eyes watch me intensely.

There is so much new information being said, I can’t digest it all quick enough. I can meet Hecate? She is a Moon Goddess, how would I see her? Is she in the moon or does she live out here with the others? Tai says my healing is necromancy, am I stealing death from the people I’m healing? I am taking their death, and it seeps into me? Is that why I feel everything and weaken when I perform it?

I watch Ro drink from his glass calmly as a thousand thoughts fleet through my head. His two-toned eyes watch me coolly, but with a hint of curiosity. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed me yet, if I’m honest. Ro really thinks there are more people with Gods-given gifts in the kingdoms. I’ve never heard of anyone else, of course, there were executions, but I thought they were just ‘traitors.’ I suppose if they were truly Gods-touched they would’ve made a bigger deal out of them, like me. They would have made a big public spectacle out of their death. Which means, the citizens are hiding somewhere. There are more of them out there. If I can get back, I can find them, and we can take down the crown.

An excited smile forms on my lips, as I think of the prospect of revenge. I glimpse at Tai and he’s staring at me, concerned, with furrowed brows. I smile at him sweetly and turn to look at Kai. He’s barely talked since I’ve been here. He leans into the couch, laid back and relaxed; Kai glances at me with a sleepy-sated smile.

“Hey, doll face, what’re you thinking about?” He taps on my temple lightly.

“You’ve been very quiet,” I prod gently.

“Chaos is sleeping; I’m just enjoying having my head to myself. I’m pretty tired, too, actually. He had a rough session.” Kai smiles sweetly and runs his hand through my hair, petting me softly. “Your hair is a mess, baby moon. We’re going to have to fix that.”

I giggle and hear a low growl from across the room. My gaze cuts to Ro, he watches Kai’s hand caress me with furrowed brows. There’s something dark in his eyes I can’t quite place, possessive almost.

Kai chuckles lightly. “I think I’m gonna go get some sleep, everyone. Don’t have another fight without me, I want to watch.” He gets up slowly, grunting as he stands, and trudges towards the door. Before he leaves, he looks to Ro. “Ro, take her to the Sacred Cave and call Hecate.” And then Kai leaves the room.

“I’m going to check on Pearl. She tried to follow you in here, but something happened outside, and she had to go. She’s worried about you.” Tai gets up and peers down at me. “I’m just going to tell her you didn’t die … this time,” he mutters and strides out of the door.

And now I am alone with him . I get excited. I smile and kick my feet, feeling giddy as he watches me intensely with his cold eyes. I probably shouldn’t push him too hard right now since I called him a dickhead earlier … And an asshole … And a bastard. But Gods, do I want to. I just want some reaction or attention from him. I want to get close to him again.

“Hi.” I wave to him.

Ro sighs loudly, right before he chugs the rest of his drink. “Alright, let’s go.” He gets up from his massive chair and walks toward the door. I get up quickly, following close behind him.

“Where are we going?” I ask excitedly.

“The Sacred Cave,” he grumbles.

Yes . I get to meet Hecate. This is going to be amazing. I actually get to see a Moon Goddess. I gaze at his wings trailing behind him, hypnotized by their magnificence. They look so soft and regal, I’m mesmerized in the way they flex and pull in rhythms while he walks. I reach out to touch one, and Ro suddenly swirls to face me, grabbing my wrist tightly.

“Do. Not. Touch,” he warns me in a clipped tone.

“How did you know I was going to touch them?” I whisper. I am breathless from the close proximity of our faces. Ro leans in, and I smell his delicious scent, earth and smoke. I inhale, letting his scent soak through my nose, into my very essence. He makes my mouth water, Gods I just want to taste him, all of him.

“You were too quiet,” Ro growls. I watch his nose flare as he inhales me. His furrowed stare cuts to my lips. The aloof God gazes for a moment, just long enough to tell me he’s thinking about our kiss. He lets go of me abruptly and spins, storming away from me again and continuing our journey.

Damn . I really thought I was going to get to steal another kiss for a moment. I follow him up the Grand Stairs, my head glancing around. Where are we going? I look to my left and right, Kai and Tai’s hallways. I stop for a moment and watch as he continues going up the stairs. I thought up was his room, but I guess it’s to the cave. Where is his room then?

I run after Ro, catching up and following right behind him. The God’s wings are mesmerizing. I lean in closer, examining them closely. The black is so deep, reminding me of the pools of black ink they carried at the raven stop for letters. Yet, they shimmer and glisten a silver sheen at different angles. I imagine the silver as stardust, as if he fell from the Celestials. I really want to touch them.

We enter into a large, cavernous hallway, and my ears catch faint moans. Suddenly, there is crying, screaming, begging, pleading. They’re coming from the walls, the doors, from the floors, and the ceiling. I stay close to Ro, as people scream in desperation, in agony, in grief. This is definitely the way to his room; we’re going through his corridor.

“Why do all your hallways make noises? Are the doors for more rooms? If they are, why can’t I have my own room?” I drill off my questions quietly, eyeing the intricate designs on each black door.

Ro sighs loudly. “Do you always have so many questions?”

“No, I usually have more,” I tease, eyeing his wings again.

He grunts but doesn’t answer any of them. I open my mouth, about to release another barrage of questions when he speaks.

“The doors are to other realms,” Ro says, his voice thick with annoyance.

I ignore the warning in his voice and ask, “What do you mean other realms?”

He stops abruptly, turning to look at me. “Are you so self-centered, human, that you do not think there are more realms than just your own? I care for more than just your kingdom. I am Death in a dozen different realms in a dozen different forms.” Ro leans in close to me, and I can smell the whiskey on his breath. “I suggest you stop trying my patience before I throw you into a new one,” he growls at me.

With that, he turns and starts walking again. I hurry after him, not wanting to be left alone in his hallway of agony. If his doors lead to death in other kingdoms, Tai must have doors leading to wars happening in other realms. What kind of chaos does Kai provoke behind his doors that would elicit such mad screams from the other realms? I want to ask what Kai has on the other side of his doors, but I think Ro is serious about throwing me into a different realm.

We come to the end of the hallway and enter through an elegant black stone door. I hurry inside, jumping in giddiness. I can’t wait to see his room. I jump out from behind him excitedly, and I am not disappointed. At first glance, his room is decadent, but the more I look, the more I want to melt into his room forever. The walls are painted midnight black with silver accents. The floor is marble, the color of an onyx stone, painted with rivers of white streaks. A matching plush decorated rug stretches across the ground. His canopied bed hugs the wall, its size kingly. It holds dark fluffy blankets and several accented pillows. I fight the urge to jump inside it.

Instead, I tear my head away from the beautiful bed and look to the other side of his room. There is a magnificent midnight marble fireplace with a long, dark leather couch sitting in front. A roaring fire is lit, and I start to dream of making love to Ro in front of it.

His loud footsteps pull me out of my daydream and back into reality. I follow his path forward to two large curtains. They are a beautiful depthless black with bright silver embroidery. My gaze runs the curtains’ massive length from the ceiling to the ground. He rakes one aside and begins to tie it to a large hook in the wall, letting in a pale moonlight. I curiously step through to find myself on a large, rounded balcony, jutting out precariously from the mountain face. The worn, crumbling landing lies high up among the mountains. The howling wind gives me a slight shove as I walk out further, getting a look at the beautiful open view.

You can see the whole kingdom from here: the vast mountains, lush forests, the City of the Gods. I bite my lip nervously as I peek over the edge, my throat tightening. Far below, a massive fog bank rolls into the Infernal Mountains, its ghostly wisps flying through the ancient forest.

This is a view fit for a King.

I scoot back from the edge as Ro saunters out, regarding me closely. “Are you ready?” he questions me, his deep voice calling out against the song of the wind whistling around us.

“For what?” I shout.

Ro walks close to me and leans in, his face mere inches away from me. “Put your arms around my neck,” he orders softly, his warm scent enveloping me.

Dazed by his sudden closeness, I wrap my arms around him lazily as he snakes his muscular arms around my waist. He pulls me in close, lifting me up with ease. “Wrap your legs around me tightly,” Ro orders, his deep, rich voice making my breath catch.

I do as Ro says and lock my legs around his waist. I feel a sudden flush of heat course through me, and I bite my lip, admiring the feel of his body under me. I melt, embracing him tight as I writhe softly against his hard muscles. I rest my face into the crook of his neck and inhale his scent, rubbing my face against his warmth. I can hear his breathing becoming uneven as he swallows loudly. A large hand moves from my waist to my thigh as sharp nails press into my skin. Tai led me to believe Ro doesn’t feel anything but anger, but I could swear he’s reacting to me. I test Ro, giving a small, deliberate lick up his neck, and his breath hitches.

“Stop that or I’ll drop you.” His voice is tight, thick with his accent.

I bite my lip, silencing the urge to test him further. I relish in the feel of him under me while the fur of his cloak warms my cheeks and tickles my nose. Without warning, he stretches out his massive wings and launches us into the air. I let out a little squeal, clutching him tightly. I peer from his back as we soar into the sky, the ground becoming smaller and smaller. I’m flying. I laugh excitedly as we soar into the grey clouds, the cold, wet air kisses my skin. I admire his wings as they pump us with amazing force. They’re incredible … I’m going to touch them.