Page 103 of Lost and Stolen Gods
His companion had the grace to look ashamed, but Bash merely lifted his chin in defiance. “Your kind have done much worse to us, and we will do whatever it takes to protect ourselves. Kill as many times as we must.”
My scalp prickled. The demigod that Ravi caredabout had been murdered. Her throat slit.“Youkilled Devi.”
“Yes,” knife guy said. “And now it’s your…” He paused to sniff the air, and all color drained from his face. “No…”
Bracken crunched to my right, and Prem stepped into the clearing. His emerald eyes, so like his brother’s, burned brightly in the gloom, fixed on the two males standing before me.
“You killed Devi?”
Bash and his buddy exchanged glances, and I could practically see the cogs in their minds whirring. Knew where this might go.
“There is no need for a spare,” Bash said. “Not really…”
Fuck. “Prem, run. Run and get Ravi!”
Prem’s eyes flew wide as he realized the mortal danger that he was in. He spun on his heel, preparing to run, but too late. Bash leapt across the clearing, landing on him and bringing him to the ground.
“No!” I tackled him, trying to get my arm around his thick neck. “Let him go!”
The other rakshasa tore me off Bash. I thrashed, attempting to get free, but he was stronger and managed to pin me to his body. A blade glinted, aimed at my throat.
I screamed, but a monstrous roar eclipsed the sound, and the next moment, I was free. I hit theground with my knees as the crack of bones breaking snapped at the air.
Bash released Prem, turning to look my way, his face bathed in the glow of phantom flames.
Flames.
I followed his gaze, the sight of the monolithic fire man standing behind me acting like a punch to the gut.
His shoulders heaved as he stalked toward Bash.
Prem, now free, rolled to his feet and ran.
“NO!” Bash held up his hands. “Mercy!” A jet of fire hit him in the chest, and flames jumped free, climbing all over him, devouring him until he was nothing but ash.
The fiery male turned to me, and I stared up into eyes like lava, at a face I’d studied surreptitiously way too many times. At lips that I’d longed to kiss again. “Araz?”
The fire creature blinked slowly, then exhaled. The flames went out, leaving my drohi standing before me in all his naked glory.
His jaw flexed, eyes flinching as he took in my dishevelled state. He held his hand out to me, and when I took it, he hauled me up and into his arms.
I curled against his hot skin. “You came for me.”
“For my sins,” he growled. “For my fucking sins.”
Chapter 34
YOU CAN HATE ME TOMORROW
The heavens opened on the way back, rendering the trek from the other side of the complex to ours even more arduous than it already was. Not that Araz complained. In fact, he didn’t say a word as he carried me effortlessly through the woodland and onto the road leading to the complex.
The rakshasa had planned to leave my dead body close enough to the native demigod barracks to implicate them in my murder just like they’d done for Devi.
I had to hope Prem was okay. He’d managed to get up and run, so I hoped he wasn’t too hurt. My mind drifted back to the present, to the fact that I was in Araz’s arms where it felt like home. I shouldn’t enjoy this, because any minute now, he would say something awful, and my heart would fracture a little more.
So no. I would not revel in this moment.
I laid my cheek against his chest, allowing him to shield me a little from the rain, then remembered he was butt naked.
