A Light in the Flame, page 47
Embers of eather vibrated as I closed my eyes. “How many of the marks on your skin are because of what he has demanded?”
“One hundred and ten,” he answered.
Bile clogged my throat. He’d known that without having to think about the number.
“I’ve lost count of the atrocities I’ve witnessed,” he continued after a beat. “I used to have to force myself to watch if there was nothing I could do. I miss those days. Because now…now I don’t believe I even bat an eyelash.”
He might have no physical reaction to the horror, but I knew it still got to him. It was in the rasp of his tone. “Have you been there when he…when he gets tired of one of his favorites?”
“I have.”
My stomach continued to churn. “And?”
“And I’ve had to look the other way until I could try to get them out. Sometimes, I was too late to do anything.”
“But you have intervened.” I gripped the railing, thinking of Saion and Rhahar and the Chosen he’d saved.
“When I could be sure my intervention didn’t carry a price others would pay.” He paused. “I wish you didn’t even have to think about that or be in this position.”
I nodded, forcing my grip to loosen on the railing. “I’ll be able to do whatever is necessary.”
“Because you’ve killed upon your mother’s request?”
Unable to speak, I gave a curt nod as I opened my eyes.
“Just remember, no matter what happens, a part of you is good. That cannot be tainted by what may come. You are not a monster. And you will not be one when we return.”
That damn knot swelled once more in my throat, replacing the sour taste of bile. “Maybe I’m not a monster, but I, like you, am capable of monstrous acts. And when I really think about that, I’m not sure there’s really a difference between the two.”
“Then all of us, those good and bad, are a little monstrous,” he said.
Preparing myself, I turned to Nyktos. “I’m ready.”
He took my hands in his, and the charge of energy danced up my arms. He fitted me to his chest, and the contact sent a startling rush of sensations through me that I ordered myself to ignore.
“Hold on,” he said, his voice roughening.
Inhaling sharply, I placed my hands against the front of his tunic, breathing in the scent of citrus.
His cool breath skimmed my cheek. “A bit tighter than that, Sera.”
“I don’t remember being required to hold on tighter before.”
“You held me as if your life depended on it before,” he remarked.
“I don’t recall doing that,” I muttered.
Nyktos chuckled as he folded an arm over my lower back. His head dropped, and his breath touched the curve of my neck, eliciting an unwanted shiver.
The air charged, and Nyktos’s body hummed against mine with power. The white mist I’d seen in the Great Hall in Wayfair didn’t come from the floor this time. It came from Nyktos, heavy and thick. It swirled around us, laced with dark shadows. My chest tightened as the swirling mist reached my hips. I locked up.
“Breathe with me,” he said, dragging his hand to the center of my back as his chest rose against mine and held for a count of four, then exhaled. I matched his next breath as the mist churned at my shoulders. “Breathe.”
Nyktos’s lips touched the same spot Jadis had kissed as the mist swallowed us. The Shadowlands fell away, taking me with it.
And I held on.
I blinked.
That was what it felt like this time.
I simply blinked, and when I opened my eyes, we were standing under a shimmery canopy of golden leaves. The branches above our heads were so heavy with them that the glow cast upon us didn’t come from the patches of blue sky but from the sun reflecting off the leaves. I’d never seen anything like them.
Cool fingers touched my cheek as I heard the soft trill of birds calling to one another, a sound I hadn’t heard since arriving in the Shadowlands. Nyktos drew my gaze to his wide, swirling eyes. “Sera?” he whispered.
“Yeah?”
He was quiet as he stared down at me, and I began to grow concerned. “You barely went unconscious.”
I hadn’t realized I had gone unconscious at all. “Is that a bad thing?”
His jaw flexed. “We need to get those embers out of you,” he said, still whispering. “Soon.”
My heart tripped over itself as I stepped back, looking around. The trunks of the cluster of trees we stood in glittered with specks of gold. “They’re beautiful.”
Nyktos’s hand fell away. “They’re called trees of Aios.”
I glanced at him. “I assume the name isn’t a coincidence?”
A wry grin appeared as he looked up at them. “No. Aios grew them with her touch.”
My mouth fell open. “She can do that?”
“She can create many beautiful things when she wants to,” he said, and I wondered if Aios had grown these trees after she’d fled Dalos. “We’re at the very gates of Dalos. Once we leave these trees, we must be very careful.”
I nodded.
“Do not allow anyone to lure you away,” he continued. “And trust no one.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
“Good,” he said. “They will already know we’ve arrived. It would’ve been felt.”
My heart kicked against my ribs. “I’m ready,” I told him, and I wasn’t sure if that was a lie or not. Regardless, we began walking through the shining trees, our steps strangely making no sound.
I took the time to focus on making sure my emotions were locked away and that my heart and mind were calm. I breathed in the balmy breeze that reminded me of home, held my breath to the count of four, then exhaled. I did this as we reached the edge of the trees, and the Rise around the city of Dalos came into view. The wall was as tall as the one circling the House of Haides and Lethe but constructed of polished marble that glittered with chunks of glittering stone. Diamonds.
Fancy.
But what caught my attention was the thick mist above the Rise, a shroud much as I’d seen in the Vale that obscured all that lay beyond.
Warm sunlight bore down on us, and when I looked at the sky, I saw no sun, just like in the Vale. Nyktos was quiet as my gaze fell upon the gate of the Rise, which lay open to us. A dozen guards stood at the sides of the gate, and they immediately reminded me of the statue of Kolis in the Great Hall of Wayfair.
Golden chestplates engraved with the same symbol that had been carved into Nyktos’s palm were worn over white, knee-length tunics. Greaves covered their calves. Swords with golden blades were sheathed at their waists. Their heads were bare, but some sort of thick golden paint adorned their faces like a mask—one shaped like wings.
Something about it struck a chord of familiarity in me, but I couldn’t place it as a shadow fell upon us. I sent a quick look over my shoulder, and air lodged in my throat. Massive statues of men carved from marble rose beyond above the trees of Aios, standing with their arms at their sides, in a line that traveled east and west as far as I could see. They were taller than any building in Lasania, even the Temples, and cast an imposing shadow on us as the guards by the gate knelt.
We passed them in silence, crossing into the City of the Gods, and I saw what the Rise and mist hid. I knew my mouth was hanging open as I took in Dalos, awed by the size of the city. It was far greater than Carsodonia, the capital of Lasania.
Trees similar to those in the Vale lined a road shimmering with crushed diamonds, their low, sweeping branches falling in a canopy of white blossoms that stirred gently in the breeze. My gaze followed the road to an immense structure behind a glittering wall shorter than that of the Rise, not too far from the entrance. Its four staggered towers rose from the middle of the dome, seeming to drink in the beams of sunlight. I could see the tips of ivory and gold canopies rolling just beyond the inner Rise. Despite the warmth, my skin chilled. Instinct told me that was where he, the true Primal of Death, waited in the sprawling diamond and crystal fortress.
I dragged my gaze from the fortress and looked out over the sparkling city. Buildings large and small dotted the many hills and valleys as far as the eye could track, some flat and square and others round with sweeping colonnades, their sides diamond-bright. Throughout the city, crystalline towers rose upward in graceful, spinning arcs that disappeared into wispy, white clouds. Vines appeared to grow over many of the buildings, crawling their way up the spires.
“It’s beautiful.”
“From a distance, it is.”
A bolt of unease skittered through me. I glanced at Nyktos as he led me down the center of the narrow road, the only sound that of the breeze playing with the trees’ graceful, arching branches and the whisper of wind. A frown pulled at my lips as I glanced around, seeing no one and…and hearing no one. Not even the birds calling to one another in the trees of Aios could be heard here. Tiny goosebumps spread across my flesh with each step that brought us closer to the fortress.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, my voice low.
“Do you know what many have taken to calling Dalos?” Nyktos said, gaze alert as he continuously scanned the trees. “The City of the Dead.”
That didn’t bode well.
“Those who still live are likely at Court.” He gestured with his chin at the fortress. “Held within the grounds of Cor Palace.”
My mouth dried as we neared the pillars of the inner Rise. There were no guards at this gate, but there was a strange scent in the air—a sweetness mixed with something metallic. The trepidation amplified, and the embers in my chest hummed unsteadily as we walked between the pillars and entered the courtyard of Cor. Nyktos cursed under his breath as our steps slowed and my gaze swept over—
I jerked to a stop as horror gripped me. It hadn’t been the wind I’d heard. Good gods, it was moans. The sound came from the trees inside the courtyard, from the gleaming coves of the fortress, and from the billowing white cloths that weren’t canopies but veils, torn gowns, and tunics rippling in the wind.
Nothing—absolutely nothing—could’ve prepared me for this. My gaze darted from the nude body strung above the golden doors of Cor, stained with dried rivulets of crimson, to the swaying, limp forms beyond the white blossoms of the willows. Bile choked me. My heart pounded as my throat tightened and seized at the sound—the moaning—echoing from the branches and from the spaces between the pillars lining the colonnade, where hands and feet had been spiked to the stone.
I thought I heard Nyktos whisper my name, but I couldn’t be sure because the moaning was a chorus far more brutal than that of the sirens’. I couldn’t even count how many bodies there were—there were that many. My mouth moved without sound, and the embers…
A new horror dawned as the embers vibrated frantically in my chest, responding to not just the death but also to the dying. I tried to look away, desperately hoping that would stop the embers, but there was nowhere to look. Bodies hung like wind chimes from trees and balconies. My skin heated and hummed, and I could feel my weak control over the embers slipping away. The corners of my eyes started to turn white as my legs moved without will, drawing me to the colonnade, where a male’s blue eyes screamed what his stitched mouth could not beg for.
Life.
Or death.
A release.
My arm started to lift. I couldn’t stop it. The power of the embers was too strong, the shock of what I was seeing too much. The crack inside me began to crumble away as power seeped out, spreading.
The embers—the source of life—rose inside me, in the heart of Dalos, and there was nothing I could do to stop myself.
Chapter 34
Nyktos spun me around, tugging me to his chest. I barely noticed the charge of energy coasting from his body to mine as he clasped my cheek.
“I didn’t know it would be like this. I would’ve warned you. I swear,” he said. “Take a breath, Sera. Just take one breath with me.”
My wide, panicked gaze shot to his as the embers pressed against my skin, sparking eather into my veins. “I can’t stop it,” I whispered, chest rising and falling rapidly. Understanding flared in his eyes. “You need to stop me, because I’m—”
Nyktos’s mouth closed over mine, stunning me. I gasped, and he took full advantage of the opening, delving in with his kiss. The press of his lips, the unexpected flick of his tongue along mine, and the minty taste of his mouth were like a streak of lightning through my senses, scattering the cloud of panic and then all thought. I never knew a kiss could have such power, but Nyktos…his did. His hand smoothed over my cheek and through my hair, cradling the back of my head as the kiss deepened.
His lips moved against mine, hard and wild as traces of midnight and smoke flowed out from him in thick, rising tendrils. They rose over our legs and curled across my lower back. The icy touch was another shock, reminding me of the night in my chambers when he’d watched and then touched.
I clutched at the front of his shirt, the edges of the brocade itching against my palms as the throbbing in my chest intensified. Silvery light sparked from my fingers and was snuffed out by his shadows.
Nyktos was stopping the embers, not in a way I had foreseen but in the same manner that I had distracted him after Attes had left his offices. I’d been about to beg him to use compulsion, and he must have known that. Instead, he’d kissed me.
And he kept kissing me.
We stood in the courtyard of the dead and dying, but we couldn’t have been farther away from it as his mouth and tongue traced mine. I relaxed into him, shuddering as his fangs nicked my lower lip, drawing just a hint of blood that he licked away.
He didn’t stop kissing me, not until the power invading my blood retreated and the embers calmed, still thrumming but manageable.
And still, he drew from my lips. His mouth danced over mine until a different kind of heat flushed my skin, coaxed forth not from the horror of the courtyard but from how I responded to him. No matter where we stood. No matter what I had seen him do. No matter how unwise this was.
A throat cleared.
I tensed.
Nyktos’s lips slowed against mine. He took his time, gentling the sweep of his tongue and the press of his mouth. When he finally lifted his head, and my eyes opened, the shadows of eather he’d called forth had disappeared.
His gaze met and held mine. There was a question in his stare. Was I in control? I thought so now that I knew what surrounded us. I gave him a small nod.
“So strong. So brave,” Nyktos murmured, sliding his fingers from my hair. He dragged his palm along my cheek as he said in a louder voice, “Is there a reason you’re interrupting, Attes?”
Thank gods it was Attes and not someone else, but that relief was short-lived. Attes likely suspected that I was not as Nyktos had presented me, and none of us knew what he would do with that information.
Calling on the bravery Nyktos had spoken of, I looked over my shoulder and saw that the Primal wasn’t alone. A dark-haired male stood beside him, face painted with golden wings.
I blinked as that painted mask stirred memories that I couldn’t quite latch onto. The twist of the unknown male’s lips was nothing like the amused smile on Attes’s, but I kept my eyes on them, not allowing myself to look anywhere else because I knew what I would see.
“It wasn’t me who interrupted,” Attes replied, arms folded over his armorless chest. He jerked his chin to the one who stood beside him. “It was Dyses. I was enjoying the show.”
The spark of energy radiating from Nyktos was as cold as my cheek was warm against his palm. “You really are bound and determined to lose those eyes of yours, aren’t you?”
Attes chuckled. “Worth it.”
I watched the Primal of Accord and War raise a dark blond brow as Dyses stepped forward and bowed. Pale blue eyes looked me over as he rose. The god lifted his chin. “His Majesty is currently holding Court and isn’t yet ready to receive you,” Dyses said, his voice carrying a heavy lilt that reminded me of the Lords of the Vodina Isles. “Others are in the atrium. I will escort you and…” He cleared his throat. “Your mistress there.”
I blinked once, then twice.
Attes ducked his chin as he dragged his hand over his mouth, failing to hide his widening smile.
“And how long will His Majesty be occupied?” Nyktos asked as he dropped his hand from my cheek and moved so he was beside me.
“He will join you when ready,” Dyses replied, his pale gaze flickering over me.
“I’m sure he will,” Nyktos all but purred as frustration scratched at my skin. “And she is not my mistress. She is my Consort.”
“Only if His Majesty grants such a title,” Dyses corrected, his lip curling as he eyed me. “Until then, she should realize that she’s in the presence of her betters and bow.”
I stiffened, realizing I should’ve done that the moment I’d laid eyes on Attes. Though I had a feeling Dyses was more offended that I hadn’t shown him respect. Swallowing my annoyance and proving that I did, indeed, have common sense, I started to bow.
“You will not,” Nyktos said quietly, stopping me with a hand on my arm. His eyes briefly met mine, and then he turned to Dyses. “My soon-to-be Consort will bow when she’s in the presence of those deserving of respect.” His lazy smile set off warning bells. “But until then…”
Nyktos shadowstepped, appearing behind Dyses in the span of a heartbeat. There was no warning. Dyses’ chest simply exploded in a spray of hot, shimmery red-blue blood.
I jerked back out of instinct, hand going to my thigh where the dagger was strapped, but then I saw Nyktos’s hand.
My gods… Nyktos had punched his hand straight through the god’s back—through bone and tissue.
Nyktos jerked his hand free, and he was…he was holding a fleshy, reddish-blue lump in his palm. Dyses looked down at his chest, his mouth gaping.
“You will bow before her.” Nyktos’s fingers closed over the heart, destroying it in a burst of silvery eather.
