Page 88 of Kiss of Death
Viper had never been there before, but he wore the same intense but indifferent expression, like he wasn’t the least bit affected by the darkness that reached every corner. “Lead the way.”
The three of us traveled to the center of the small island, a dot out in the middle of the sea, only accessible to expert sailors who knew exactly where to look. Most of my visitors came from the other doorways around the world, three of them altogether. And people always seemed to know where to find me, the legends of the demon passed down from generation to generation.
We stopped when the clearing came into view. I turned to look at Viper. “Ready?”
He stared at me with that scathing expression he wore every time he looked at me. “You’re the one who needs to be ready. So, are you?”
“Yes—”
“Because if you don’t bring her back, I’ll kill you before Talon gets the opportunity.” He seemed even more wounded by the loss than either of us was, but he was still lost in the throes of his rage. He behaved the way Talon had for the first days after he’d found Lily’s body in the courtyard. Lashed out at me just the same way, even though this wasn’t my choice.
“I return with her, or I stay with her. Talon knows what to do if the latter comes to pass.”
“But the latter betternotcome to pass?—”
“Stop acting like you’re the only man here who loves Lily Rothschild.”
He finally shut his mouth.
“We’re all devastated and broken and hollow. It’s not just you. Stop eviscerating me and put that energy toward Lily’s rescue. When she’s back safe and sound, you can rip into me all you want.”
His eyes showed their viciousness as they stared, but his words didn’t match his rage. “We have a deal.”
Talon remained behind in the tree line, while the two of us went forward. Viper stayed outside the ring in his armor and cape, and he watched me circle around the edge to the rear of the enormous skull carved by a hundred slaves. When I was in place, I gave a nod in his direction.
His eyes shifted forward, and he crossed the line of torches, the fires coming to life in the morning light. He didn’t look in my direction again as he walked farther, kicking aside a femur as it poked out of the sand. He surveyed the area before he looked ahead again. Then his eyes stopped in place.
Because Leviathan appeared.
In the uniform of the king of the dead and the armor of a god, he stepped forward as he surveyed Viper. “This is the first time an immortal has sought my audience. Tell me, what more does your heart desire?”
Viper retained his composure as he faced off with a god, a demon that could shape-shift with only his intention. When a breeze moved across the island, it shifted his cape around him. “You’ve taken the woman I love—and I want her back.” He said it with so much conviction that it didn’t seem like an act to distract Leviathan but a genuine plea.
Leviathan took a step forward, taking the bait that Viper dangled in front of him.
That was when I made my move, stepping over the line of torches against the side of the rock. I inched around, careful not to let my boots disturb the sand audibly or leave a distinct trail behind me.
I moved to the front of the entrance and entered the mouth of the skull before I was plunged into the darkness of the interior. It took my eyes a moment to adjust as I moved farther inside the skull, leaving the daylight behind and inching closer to the eternal darkness.
The door came into view, completely comprised of the bones of those who had traded their soul for a temporary gift. The door handle was the tip of a femur, and I grabbed it before I gently turned it and felt the door come free.
The second I opened it, I recognized the dank and stale smell of my former home. The constant humidity that came from nowhere, the darkness so rich that even torchlight could barely penetrate it.
Unsure of how much time I had before Leviathan noticed, I stepped through and closed the door behind me.
25
LILY
I knew Leviathan would eventually deduce where I’d gone, and while the occult served me with reverence, they would be powerless against the god of the underworld. They couldn’t defend me with force. All they could do was lie and say I wasn’t there.
That would buy me time, hopefully enough time for Callum and my father to get me back.
Living in the woods was far preferable to the castle. The only monsters out here were bats and large spiders, but both stayed far from the house because of the spells the witches cast to keep them away.
The only light we had was from the fires in the hearth inside the home and the bonfires outside. I was given the best bedchamber in the house, and while I didn’t need to rest or sleep like I did when I was alive, it was nice to have solitude. To have a moment alone without worrying what might be creeping up behind me.
I didn’t know how much time had passed because I didn’t sleep. It felt like just a few days, but my mind told me much more timehad passed, like weeks…maybe even months. I remembered when Callum had described the passage of time, it was a vastly different experience in this dark prison.
