Page 125 of Spellbound
I held my breath, letting my hunting senses overthrow the mortal version of Elle who’d never have crouched over a rock, listening for heartbeats, or smelled the air for a hint of blood or flesh. My lips curled, a snarl escaping them when I heard Alexander’s voice reverberate down the mountains. The words, although intelligible, carried an unmistakable angry yet fearful tone.
Quieter than a whisper of a breeze, I climbed the side of the mountain, finding crevices to hold onto with ease. My sharp vision latched onto them, my hands instinctively reaching for them. The clumsiness attached to my mortal self had all but disappeared. My lips parted when I reached the small cabin, nestled into the ledge on the mountain as if it were a part of it. It was more like a house. It was made from stone, undoubtedly Freya’s doing. Only she would have had the strength to build something like this up this far and the desire to do it somewhere so out of the way. The stone bricks jutted out, arching over a door of thick oak. Carefully I stepped forward, holding my breath as I reached the front door.
Hesitance paused me for a second. One mistake and he could snap my sister’s neck just as fast as I could reach them. I closed my eyes, recalling our plan word-for-word, and opened the door. Tears welled my eyes when I saw Mona hunched over by a crackling fire. Alexander whipped around from the sofa. My bottom lip quivered, and a tear trickled out. I let every emotion spill through me, crashing into me like a waterfall. I used the memories of Mona and me as children to guide my anger toward Alexander. It helped make my story believable.
“Where’s Freya?” I looked around, scanning for her even though I knew where she was. Fortunately, I’d had the sense to change out of my blood-soaked clothes before making the journey. “She said she was coming back here after hunting Aziel.”
He looked from me to Mona, uncertainty frowning his lips. “She’s not here.”
“She did this.” I balled my fist. “Raiden’s dead.” My breath hitched. I placed my hand against my chest. “He’s gone, and she made me take his place.”
“You’re a goddess?”
“Yes! I’m here to kill her for it.”
“No.” He stood, shaking his head. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
“Where is she? She must’ve killed Aziel by now.”
“She hasn’t. She must be still hunting him because she hasn’t returned yet.”
Mona’s shoulders slumped as she looked from Alexander to me. “Ellie, I’m sorry.”
She was so close. In arms’ reach. If I could just get close enough, maybe I wouldn’t have to go through with the plan. Maybe I could...
He stood in front of her. “You can have her back once Freya says so.”
“You’ve both taken enough from me,” I cried, cupping my face in my hands. “At least let me have my sister. If you don’t, I will hunt you. Both of you.”
His bottom lip trembled as I watched him through the gaps between my fingers. “She’ll return your sister once she returns.”
“Aziel won’t let her get away with this.” I lowered my hands. “He’ll kill her for it. He’s stronger than her. She may have tricked Raiden, but Aziel doesn’t care about me or Mona. None of us. You know it’s true.” I maneuvered my next words carefully. “But in a way, I’m glad you’re being stupid and staying here, protecting leverage she doesn’t even need anymore. It means Aziel will actually get the chance to kill her when she goes up against him in the forest—alone.”
His eyes darted to the door. “Where did Aziel go?”
“They both fled to the east of the forest,” I lied.
He stepped away from Mona, relief flooding me, but then paused his foot in midair. “I smell blood on you.” He sniffed the air. “Yes, I’m sure that’s blood.”
I must have missed some. Crap. I hesitated, then gulped, pushing another tear over the edge. “It’s Raiden’s.”
His expression dropped. “I-I am sorry, but understand.” He moved toward the door. “I did this for love.”
“I know.” As soon as he was away from Mona, I unsheathed the dagger, looked at her and mouthedrun,and jerked my head in the direction of another door.
She took off, and I lunged at Alexander, dagger in hand. He was too fast, spinning around and kicking my legs out from under me. I caught myself before tumbling to the ground and jolted upright, then lunged for his neck again. He sped out of the way before I could plunge the blade into his side. I rushed him again, but he hit my shoulder and knocked me back against the sofa, which splintered to pieces under my fall.
Alexander looked me over quickly and fled out the door. I ran out into the cold and raced through the wind-caught flurries, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the white as I traced his scent into the snow. He was stronger than I expected, even for a god. Alexander had always seemed so weak.
He’d left a trail in the snow when he raced around the ledge, and handprints along the ledges scaled down the side. I lowered myself, holding onto dips and rocks until I reached the bottom, and threw myself onto the snow-carpeted ground, the air whooshing from my lungs. I whipped my head around, sniffing the air and looking at the silent fir trees that welcomed me into the forest.
A twig snapped, and I followed it, then another. Separating snaps and cracks from the sound of a boot versus an animal was easier than I thought it would be. The way twigs sounded against rubber was hollower. I sped toward the sounds, picking up his scent again on a nearby tree, until his heartbeat pounded in my ears, his quick breaths a song to my senses. Baring my teeth and curling my lips up, I curled my fingers, then turned my head slowly. He was close. As I moved through two trees, bloodlust took over, guiding me to his warm body. I didn’t recognize the beast that took over me. It was as if the goddess of the hunt were its own being and we were simply intertwined.
Looking up at the pale sky, I inhaled deeply, the cold-pinched air filling my lungs. A leaf crunched under a sole, and my eyes snapped open. I sped toward him, lunging through the air like a tiger to its prey. Slamming into his hard body sent a crack through the ground and toward aged trees.
“I don’t want to kill you. I just want to find Freya,” he said.
I gazed at his dreamy, far-off eyes, and for a moment, guilt shocked through my chest. He wasn’t like Freya. He didn’t truly deserve this, but he would kill us if he found the truth, and he would have killed us if she had asked.
