Page 72 of Kiss of Death
He slowly turned his head to look at me, his eyebrow raised.
“She was willing to do it for me, but I declined her offer.”
“You declined?” he said with a voice full of accusation.
“I didn’t want to risk Lily, her family, and the mortal world for my freedom. Not when it was my choice to be there in the first place. If I’d known what Lily was going to do, I wouldn’t have protested.”
“And you expect me to believe that?” he asked as his nostrils flared. “You’re the god of the underworld. You trick your victims with half-truths and outright lies. You wanted Lily’s soul from the beginning, and this was your plan all along.”
“I’ve done many horrific things I wish to forget, but plotting to steal Lily’s soul is not one of them. Hate me for what’s happened and kill me when everything is said and done, but don’t ever accuse me of something so atrocious. I would give my life and my soul for hers without reservation. I’m devastated by her decision, but I’m also so fucking angry that she did this to me. That she would kill me like this.”
He didn’t blink as he stared at me, listening to me unleash my fury that wasn’t aimed at him.
“Because if we fail, there’s no reason for me to be here. She has been my sole purpose since we met, and if I have to live without her, then I would rather not live at all. Which would make all of this for nothing. I told her I wanted her to move on. I told her I wanted her to marry someone else and be happy. I have no idea why she would ignore all that and risk the one thing I told her to never risk.”
He continued his hard stare, showering me in his silent anger.
Right now, I didn’t care what her father thought of me. I couldn’t fight his judgment, not when I would have reacted the same way if this were one of my sons. All I cared about was getting Lily out of there, not making nice with a man who would hate me forever, regardless of the outcome of this.
I moved to Zehemoth where he stood with his claws submerged in the water. I cut through the shallow water and climbed up his side into the saddle and waited for Talon to do the same.
He hesitated at the shore, probably conversing with the dragons in the privacy of his mind. They undoubtedly had constant conversations I wasn’t privy to. If Talon hated me, so did the dragons.
Except maybe Zehemoth…since he knew that this whole thing had been Lily’s idea.
That I had nothing to do with it.
Talon took off first and launched into the sky, leaving the dead island behind him.
I watched him soar into the dawn, his cape flying elegantly behind him.
Zehemoth took off a moment later, and we were in the sky within seconds, turning immediately northeast in the direction of Riviana Star.
By the time we landed on the continent, both of the dragons were exhausted. We were just a few hours away from Riviana Star, but Zehemoth said he couldn’t go any farther, not when he’d taken Lily to the dead island and back before this current trip.
Talon was visibly annoyed but gave no verbal protest.
I was anxious myself but didn’t issue a complaint.
Khazmuda took off to hunt for both himself and his son, so it was just the two of us at the campsite, Zehemoth already asleep as soon as he landed.
Talon stood off alone, looking into the valley that stretched before his eyes, a breeze rising and flicking his cape up before it turned lifeless once again.
I came to his side. “We can continue the journey on foot. I won’t be able to sleep anyway.”
He stared ahead and ignored me.
“But if you need to rest, that’s fine?—”
“I don’t need to rest.” He turned his maniacal stare on me. “When Khazmuda returns, we’ll continue on. I won’t leave Zehemoth unprotected when he’s this weak.”
I nodded then stepped away, moving to a boulder thirty feet away and taking a seat.
Talon continued to stare in the direction of the forest.
It was thirty minutes before Khazmuda returned with a black bear in its mighty jaws. He dropped the carcass beside Zehemoth then nudged him awake with his snout, trying to get him up to eat.
I watched as Zehemoth slowly rose to his feet then took a bite of the bear, ripping into the muscle and the tissue as he fed.
