Page 26 of Kiss of Death
If those words hurt him, he hid it well from his expression. “Then I hope it works out for you, Lily.” He held my gaze like his words were sincere rather than concessionary. “But the god of the underworld is not only the king of the dead—but the undertaker of souls and a servant of demons. It could all be an elaborate ploy to harvest the most powerful soul he’s ever come across in the mortal world?—”
“No.”
“Lily, I just ask you to be careful.”
“He would never take my soul.”
“But perhaps he would manipulate you to give it to him freely.”
“No.”
“I don’t say this to you as the man who wants you for himself. I say this to you as the man who defied the orders of his king to sail all the way here to save you. I say this as the man who would still take a blade for you even when another man’s name is on your lips. I say this to you as a man who still doesn’t regret his actions, even as you tell me you love someone else. I care for you deeply, Lily Rothschild.” He paused to take a breath, to stare me down with the same intensity. “I don’t want you to be deceived.”
I didn’t understand what I’d done to earn this man’s loyalty and love so effortlessly. How he continued to stand before me without a hint of resentment. “Viper, I appreciate your concern, but I share none of those worries. If you met him, you would know that your fears are misplaced.”
“But I haven’t met him, and I suspect no one else has either. So you’re bound in a relationship without the outside perspective of anyone who loves you—and that’s dangerous.”
“Viper, I hear you.”
“But I don’t think you hear me loud enough. Because when you needed him most, he wasn’t there for you. He abandoned you in your time of greatest need.”
“He didn’t completely abandon me. Because I still had the strength he granted to me, the strength of a god.”
A slow progression of understanding spread across his handsome face. “That’s why you were able to defeat the Barbarians and the vampires on your own. That’s why the smell of your blood drives me mad as we speak—because it’s the bloodof a goddess.” He took a step back, like he needed a break from the aroma that excited his nerves. “Be that as it may, you should lead with your mind and not your heart, Lily. Because you’re risking everything for a man who can never wed you, father your children, or even live in this world with you.”
It was the first seed of doubt that I felt, the first destruction of the barrier that protected my heart. But I pictured Callum in my mind’s eye, remembered the way he told me he loved me, the way he’d shown me he loved me every day long before he’d said it. While the world didn’t believe in what we had, didn’t believe in the goodness of Callum’s heart, I did. And that was all that mattered. “I’ve heard your concerns, Viper. I wish to speak of this no more.” I wished to carry the vigil of Callum in my heart in privacy.
He stared me down and let whatever words lay behind his eyes fade. “Neither do I.”
“I would understand if you didn’t want to escort me the rest of the way. I’m sure if you draw a map, I can figure it out.” I didn’t want to waste time with trouble and detours, but after I’d brutally rejected his love, I didn’t deserve his aid.
Both of his eyebrows furrowed like that was the most peculiar thing I’d ever said. “I’m not a sore loser. I want your heart, your body, and your blood—but I will accept your friendship instead. I lost my father recently and don’t want you to lose yours. I already know it’s a type of wound that never heals. I want to help you, Lily.”
His words were the exact comfort I needed, and they instantly brought me into the past, when the two of us were cuddled in blankets in front of the fireplace. He would trace the vein along my neck with one of his fingers before he dipped his head andpressed a kiss to it. I never feared he would extend his fangs and bite me, not when he promised he never would without my consent. I’d instantly trusted him, a creature of the night, dropped my guard in his presence, enjoyed his body as well as his mind. There had been a closeness there that I’d forgotten shortly after I’d left because my life was stricken by tragedy…and love. But if I’d stayed a bit longer, or the captain had just avoided the storm like I’d suggested, everything might be different. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
7
LILY
When Viper said it was a long journey, he didn’t exaggerate. It took several days of flying from sunrise to dusk, many nights spent in foreign lands. After a week, Zehemoth started to tire, so we stopped for a full day of rest so he could recuperate.
Viper and I were cordial toward each other, but we didn’t have any more deep conversations or intimate chats by the fire. While I cooked my dinner, he stayed in his tent, either to avoid me or respect my space.
He didn’t mention Callum again.
And I didn’t see Callum again.
I sat by the fire with my belly full of dinner, my knees to my chest, a throbbing pain in my heart that was so torturous it might kill me. My eyes started to smart on their own, and I clenched them shut and battled the tears back as best as I could.
It’d been two weeks since I’d last seen Callum.
What if…what if he wasn’t coming back?
Are you okay, Lily?Zehemoth had been asleep a short distance away from the camp, but he raised his head and turned to me like I’d just screamed for help.Your heart mourns in a river of tears.
I’m okay.I didn’t speak aloud so Viper could hear from his tent.Just stressed.
Your heart doesn’t feel stressed—but broken.
