Page 56 of Inheritance
Before I could respond to the massive figure now standing in the center of the balcony, creating a black hole of power that wrapped around him as massive wings extended out behind him, my father reached us. He surged towards us, blood lust present in his gaze, and I knew it would be far too easy to kill him.
He wasn’t nearly as skilled or powerful as my mother. No, he had also been just another puppet on her strings.
It was like Ama snapped awake reflexively because she knew what was happening. One minute she was lying in my lap, and the next she had her scythe against my father’s neck as she stood over him.
I watched as she sucked the soul from his body, the glow of her power brightening as it floated out of him and disappeared into the metal of her scythe before he dropped to the ground.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck as she seemed to relax. I knew it wasn’t the time or place because of the chaos around us, but I had never felt such pure love and adoration for someone.
I worshipped this woman.
“Finias,” she breathed, turning towards me.
When a sonic blast of power rippled out, I ducked and flattened her against the stone balcony. All at once, the capitol building grounds seemed to go silent. I could smell death around us, and when Ama turned her head slightly, her mouth parted and shock seemed to filter through her gaze. I didn’t want to look away from her, but as I turned my head, I had to admit that the sight was fairly shocking.
My father’s guards—no, actually, if I had to assume...most of their military—were dead. I don’t mean normal death. I meanskin ripped from their bodies and not even a recognizable humanoid formdead. The other men were standing on the edges of the room, staring at the person who seemed to be the cause of the very efficient slaughter that I found myself nodding my head in respect for.
I didn’t have confirmation, but I had a feeling who this was, and I could already feel my possessive and protective urges growing. I didn’t care who this bastard thought he was, but there was nothing in the world that could convince me to let go of Ama.
I had just nearly fucking lost her. It wasn’t going to happen again—not even to the devil himself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ama
This was a lot of blood.
I mean, seriously, this was probably the most blood and gore I’d ever seen, even compared to the battlefield. This was just a new level, and I hated to say it, but…I was impressed. Not only by my men, who had very clearly continued to fight, but by Luce.
Speaking of which, I gently moved from Finias’ arms and made my way towards the devil, who was standing in the center of the room with blood splattered on him, ruining his nice clothes and flecking his golden hair as if he had crimson highlights like mine.
His golden appearance seemed to appear only fiercer with the blood on him. I offered him a small smile, reaching towards him cautiously and noticing the tension running through him. The way he was staring at me was like he was almost scared of me. Maybe scared of my reaction?
I couldn’t blame him, seeing as we had a quantifiable fuckton of issues to work out between us. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted to have his arms wrapped around me right now, and that was all that mattered in this moment.
“Luce?” I spoke softly, “Are you okay?”
His eyes ran over the space, and he nodded sharply before tugging me forward. I let out a squeak as I was suddenly wrapped in his wings, his hard body pressed against mine. I blinked in surprise, not really understanding what was going on, but more so, wondering why the hell he’d shown up.
I mean, last time we had talked he had literally kicked me out after admitting he could never give me what I had asked of him.
“I thought I had lost you, Little Temptress.” His voice was rough as he tilted my head back and gripped my jaw. I could hear the others outside of our little bubble, but I was perfectly content like this. I could see remorse and darkness in his gaze, and I craved hearing these words. This was the man I’d known was in him this whole time.
“The dream in the cave…” I blinked remembering it. “You came for me?”
Regret clouded his features, “I should have never left your side. Fuck, Ama…I fucked up so badly. Again. It seems to be a natural characteristic of mine. I realized the moment you left that I had made a horrible mistake, and the sensation of you being out of my sight had my skin crawling. I so badly wanted to go to you but I had seen the expression on your face. I knew you hated me—”
“I do not hate you.”
My words were soft but serious, and he swallowed, looking insecure, “Well, you don’t like me either.”
I reached up and cupped his jaw, “I think the issue, Luce, is that I do like you…even if you are fucking crazy and have made mistakes— but I need to know that youlikeme. Not this dream of what you thought your mate would be.”
“Of course I fucking like you! That word doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel!” he bellowed.
“As I am—that you like me, as I am, with my other mates.”
He nodded slowly and closed his eyes, “I am not going to adjust to this right away. I know that. I know I will still be jealous…” he trailed off as his eyes opened once more, shining with such intensity my mouth parted slightly. “But I can’t leave you alone, Ama. I need you in my life. I felt like my heart was being torn apart the minute you were out of reach. I may not be one hundred percent okay with sharing you yet, but I willneverbe okay with losing you. I need you…and if you don’t think I am a complete monster, I hope that you will have me. I am so sorry, Little Temptress. I will work on becoming someone worthy of you, if you can just give me the time to change.”
