Page 39

A Black Hole

Death

I trudge into my study to find a fucking shit show unfolding before me. A large pirate God is dancing on my desk with a bottle of my very old and prized whiskey. Meanwhile, Kai is shimmying his chest, prancing around the desk. I turn my head expectantly to Tai, and we lock eyes.

He shrugs at me. “You try and break them up.”

Rage roils in my blood, fury building into every fucking pore in my body. Not only do I have to deal with that shifty fucking human lying in my bed, but now I have two children in the form of fucking Gods in my study. I feel myself cracking, I am ready to fucking explode. I am going to take everyone to the Isles with me. I cannot catch my breath, darkness oozes from my hands, and I turn the air ice cold around me.

“Kai, buddy, really need you to stop and help me with Ro.” I register Tai’s urgent voice, but I am too far gone. I drop onto the ground as I feel my study start to shake. The shadows beg to be released as pressure builds in me like a dam. I cannot breathe. My chest aches as I think of Grace. I am going to lose my mate; she wants to fucking leave me. All this time, she has been plotting to leave. I was falling for her. She made me fucking love her, and she wanted to leave .

I feel my brothers before me, but I do not open my eyes. I want to fall in the Void. I do not like feeling these emotions. She has brought such beautiful things to me, and now I am going to be left with this . I want to rip out my very own soul.

“Make him feel happy, Kai. He’s collapsing, he’s going to fucking kill us all,” Tai orders, his voice fearful.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I can totally do that,” Kai whispers. “Brother? You should be feeling happy right about now,” he says. I feel him bring his fingers to my sides, as if he is trying to tickle me.

“Fuck, Kai, you know that’s not what I meant. Use your powers!” Tai screams.

“Right—right. That makes more sense,” Kai mutters. “Do you feel it now? Like a nice cold midnight breeze on your face?”

I feel nothing. Let me drift into the Void. I want to soak in the abyss of the endless expanse.

“It’s not working, do it again,” Tai urges.

“I am doing it. I see that it’s not working, asshole! What else am I supposed to do?” Kai argues.

I hear a faint humming come from the room, deep and guttural. The ancient hum grounds me as I focus on the voice. Thunderous steps come forward, vibrating the floor. Cael kneels before me and begins to sing in our ancient language. His melodic voice, deep and tethering.

“My heart beats as strong as the winds, our bodies pulled as tight as the sails. Your love is more treasured to me than the sea, the world, the stars. I will stand by you, through drought and through storm. If only to weather, a bit of your love. I will stand by you, my darling, my love, if only for just the mornin’.” He hums his rhythm and places his strong hand on my shoulder. I open my eyes to Cael before me.

“Woman problems, eh?” His teal eyes crinkle as he smiles. “My friend, you cannot have the nectar without baring an occasional sting.”

Infinitely more calm, I speak, “She said she was going to leave me.” My heart breaks inside me. “My mate would have rather gone back to her human world than be with me. Did I do something wrong?” I look them each in their eyes, but I was not expecting Kai to be the one to speak.

“When I found Grace, she was having a full meltdown, Ro, much like the one you just were. She was forced to leave her whole life behind her and watched her family be killed in front of her eyes. Would you not have wanted revenge if we were killed?” Kai looks at me with rare clarity in his red eyes. “She could have left, Ro. She did not have to stay with you. Do you think she was planning to leave without you? Because I do not think that is the case, brother. That girl fell for you long before you fell for her. She may have thought about leaving, but she didn’t. She stayed for you, Ro.”

I inhale a lungful of air. Since when is Kai the one that makes sense? And since when is he right? Grace never left, and she had many chances. Even with how I treated her, threatening to kill her, she stayed. My mate, my Queen, my Goddess. I reacted poorly. I should talk to her.

First, I will deal with this shit show. I look around, feeling the tension in the room. “What the fuck did I walk in on in here?” I raise an eyebrow as I glance between Kai and Cael. The mischievous pair laugh together, their noises bellowing into my study, making me smile.

“We were playing Gods and humans. I was you, and Kai was the little human. Tai wouldn’t play, so he was outcasted into the deserter lands.” Cael grins madly.

“Cael, if you ever touch my whiskey again, I am taking your hands,” I warn as I stand up.

“Oh please, I think you owe me one, buddy. How about we crack open a bottle and sing some tunes!” Cael slaps me on the back.

“Maybe another time, filthy pirate. We have important matters to discuss.” I walk to my desk, boot marks and crumpled papers are everywhere. I scowl, looking back to the two idiots. They both beam at me, even Tai is chuckling at me. I sigh, running my hand through my ragged hair. I fall back into my chair and look at the stone ceiling, suddenly exhausted.

“Alright, Cael, I hope Kai filled you in.” My sullen eyes look to Cael. His warm-brown hair, windswept from the seas.

“Yeah, we need to kick some ass.” He licks his lips, pounding a fist into his hand.

“Tai, now that Cael and Kai are back, I will have you go get Talon. Chances are he knows what is happening, since his sister is likely joining the others.”

“Speaking of others, Pearl says Velaya is back on the far end of the mountain,” Tai growls.

“Well, let’s give it a lash then! Let’s go kick some fucking ass!” Cael shouts.

“Did she say if it’s just Velaya? It won’t be fair if all five of us gang up on her. We won’t all get enough time to get our punches in.” Kai laughs darkly.

I listen to them bicker while I hear the front door open. Who the fuck is going outside?

“Ro? What’s wrong?” Tai asks, concerned, coming to stand in front of me.

“Oh, it is just … the front door was open for a moment,” I mutter, feeling a sick reaction boiling in my stomach. Something is not right here.

“It was probably one of your servants,” Cael mentions, eavesdropping on our conversation.

“Where is Grace?” Tai asks me, worry in his voice.

“She was in my room. She knows better than to go outside,” I mention. The room goes silent as we all look at each other, nervous eyes looking back at me. “She would not go outside, right?” Fear seeps into my voice as my heart drops into my gut.

“You know her best, Ro, should we go check?”

“ Ro —”

I hear her voice, weak and frantic. I instantly bolt out of the chair, diving over my desk as I sprint out of the study like a wild creature.

“ Grace !”

I run as fast as I can through the Grand Hall, heading to the front door. The men follow on my tail. My heart thunders louder than a hurricane as I run outside, her scent is here. My boot hits something on the ground, kicking it before me. My dark soul seizes when I recognize the bone-handled dagger laying on the icy stone. Dread fills my chest.

“Grace, answer me!”

Why will she not answer me?

I track her scent. She was excited in the courtyard and trailed through the bushes. Under the trees, I smell another scent: snow, air, sea, earth. A waft of her fear hits my nostrils, powerful and sour. I spot a scuffle on the ground. The snow is mussed, and I see … blood. My throat seizes as my chest tightens. I fall to my knees, reaching for the red drops in the snow. He hurt her .

Acteem has taken her. I get up frantically, desperate to track them, but the tracks disappear. He has taken her into the air. “Grace!” My anguished voice explodes into the skies.

Acteem has taken my mate.

Fear washes over me, and I start to shake. They have her. They are going to torture her. Rage rams itself into my chest, and I roar into the trees. I am going to kill him. I am going to kill them all. I get ready to take off after them when Tai tackles me, pinning me onto the icy ground.

“Brother, wait! We need to be smart about this! We are outnumbered! We have no chance to get her back like this. We need to gather Talon and Aesha like planned,” Tai urges.

I bare my teeth and snap at him; my mind is gone. I must get my mate back. “Get the fuck off me! I am going after my mate!” I thrash under him while the other men jump onto me. I roar into the air, trying to buck them off me. “Get the fuck off of me!”

“We need help! Do you really want to risk her safety? What if having backup is what saves her life!” Tai shouts at me, rattling my head. “I want her back too! You are not the only one that lost her!”

I freeze, breathing deeply as I let his words cut into me. I look at them piled on me, loss and grievance clear in my brother’s eyes. Helplessness seeps into me as I think of my mate. They are right, we need help.

Please be ok, Grace.

“I am coming.”