“At what price?”
“It’s the circle of life in a demented way.” He had a few backpacks propped at his feet, and his unusually cheery demeanour was unnerving. Hunter would forever keep the secret of that night’s event close to his chest. “At least you won’t need to worry about going dark.”
“Like you?” he sneered. “Selling your soul to the darkness isn’t worth anything.”
“Easy for you to say,” Castor said, with no malice.
In the end, it boiled down to selflessness, and not wanting to steal another Nephilims life to extend his own. The problem with deadlines was once the time was up, there are no more extensions. In his case the word deadline was all too poignant.
Nephilims lived for four hundred years, not a day more, after that it’s over. Hunter was three hundred and ninety-eight, and if he didn't take drastic measures he'd die, his soul forever in limbo. This time around the stakes were higher, and Cane held the key. Deliver Luxor to him, and not only would he give him his father, it would mean immortality.
What Luxor would never understand was the rite of passage known to the Grigori, and Nephilim. Orion and Hunter had known when the time came Orion would pass his immortality onto him, but it had to be at his son’s hands. Now she'd think of him as a killer. A person who had no regard for another person, and he'd never be able to set the truth straight.
"Time to escape this hellhole," Castor slipped on his backpack, and moved towards his Hummer. "Minus one."
"Minus two," Hunter informed him. "I won't be leaving with you, I need time alone."
He had no idea where he'd be going, he had saved a lot of money from his fights in case of an emergency. This was as big as it would get. He was sick of having to stick to a regimented plan, and planned to distance himself from his brothers. Especially Castor. It was hard to comprehend the way Hunter had treated Luxor, it disgusted him, but he owned up to it, Castor on the other hand was all too complacent and had no remorse. The daily verbal and physical fights they'd gotten over Luxor continued to escalate.
"No, we stick together," Castor growled, his eyes blazing with anger, and pushed Hunter back.
Hunter brushed him off, he wouldn't be taking the bait and add fuel to his rage. He didn't expect anything less from Castor, he was the most temperamental out of the four of them, the operative word being mental. He retrieved his mobile from his back pocket, time for him to be mental. Dropping it onto the floor, he stomped on it with his heel repeatedly, each blow harder than the one before, until only glass and metal remained.
The temptation was gone. He couldn't call her even at his weakest moments, and Castor and Theo couldn't contact him.
"You can't do this," Castor said.
“I’d say it’s set in stone,” he said. Theo looked over wistfully to Luxor, a deep sadness in his voice. "She truly is a modern-day Helen of Troy; two males fighting over her and a war will be on the horizon."
"Jesus Theo, can you be any more dramatic. Zeus wasn't maniacal and has nothing on Cane, and whatever is coming up goes beyond Xavier and I. Besides, I've taken myself out of contention and she'd never be with him," he told him out of frustration.
She couldn't, anyone but him.
Hunter hiked his backpack up higher, and with one long glance, he watched her star up at the stars, and he craved to know console her. With a brief wave to them all, he turned his back on his family, and the girl he loved more than anything else in the world and walked away.
In the dead of night, the vortex opened in a violent wind which made the trek back simple. Luxor jumped the gates to Deer Park Cemetery, followed by the only two people who hadn’t stabbed her in the back. She’d witnessed death, and the burial of a loved one only to do one of the most heinous things she had ever done. For the second time in as many weeks, she was able to be close to her mother…too close. Standing by her side, Pandora and Becky not only leant a shoulder of support, but a bundle of condemnation.
“Are you sure about this?” Pandora said, leaning against a shovel.
“It’s for the greater good,” she almost laughed at the hypocrisy.
Ayla had committed a crime by bringing Xavier into her life for the “greater good,” and now Luxor would go even further on a whim. The vision of her mother and Orion stealing the gladius domini paradisum had proved her mother had it in her satchel when she gave birth to Luxor, but after Astrid had died so did any vision. Luxor had banished Ayla from her life before she could attain any further information.
Desecration. Can I sink any lower?
After Evie’s funeral she was more adamant then ever to fulfil her mothers’ wishes and she hadn’t hesitated in what she had to do. Becky had cast a mild spell on Luxor, one which would minimise the pain of being on sacred ground. It would have been easier and quicker to either let Becky raise the soil, but using magic, something the holy banned, seemed like the crime would be worse. And besides, she wanted to be punished.
“I hope it literally isn’t six feet, that’s a whole lot of digging.”
“Yep almost as tall as me,” Luxor calculated.
“Are we ready?” Pandora said.
“I am, but you’re not helping. This is my burden.”
“Cut the martyr talk, besides I’m your guardian.”
“My last guardian stabbed me in the back, I need a friend. Please, please, I need to do this alone,” she urged. Pandora nodded solemnly, and passed the shovel.
It’s for the greater good, it’s for the greater good, it’s for the greater good.
No matter how many times she said the mantra, it didn’t ease the pain.
The first dig in the ground mildly broke the surface, but it struck Luxor so deep into her chest, her chest tightened, robbing her of air. Each time she dug deep, she wanted to cry out. She would be opening her mothers’ coffin, and disturbing her bones. She didn’t stop for fear she would change her mind and continued, flinging the soil to the side but not too far, she had to replace it after she finished. Luxor reached a point where she had to jump into the hole.
What if it’s not here?
Dig. Dig. Dig.
Particles of dirt flicked over her arms and into her eye. She hissed as the scorched earth bit away at her skin.
“Luxor, get out of there, let me help,” Pandora said.
“Or at least let me strengthen the spell,” Becky chimed in.
Dig. Burn. Dig. Burn.
It’s for the greater good, it’s for the greater good, it’s for the greater good.
The shovel hit steel, and Luxor jolted back.
The pine coffin was simple, unlike the shiny mahogany ones she’d imagined with a silver cross affixed on top.
“It’s not too late.” Pandora offered a hand, and Luxor grabbed on to be pulled up.
“I’d say the gaping hole says otherwise,” Becky said. “Are you sure you want me to do the honours?”
Luxor nodded. It was one thing to dig up the ground and another to open the coffin entirely. She shuddered to think how tough it would be after sixteen years, or even coffins had locks.
Becky closed her eyes and circled her hands around each other, and a whirl of wind came. “Repeat after me,” she said. “Beatus te.”
“Beatus te,” Luxor and Pandora repeated in unison.
After a few moments, and a beat of silence the coffin creaked open, and not a breath was taken. Luxor remained rigid, yet her feet wouldn’t behave, stuck in the middle of fleeing and venturing forward. She crouched down, her stomach contracting as the lid of the coffin became fully exposed. She subconsciously looked away, afraid once she saw the skeleton, the image would forever be seared in her mind.
“Oh my!” Pandora squealed. “What in the gods?”
Luxor whipped her head about, expecting to see grotesque remains beyond the expected norm but instead the coffin. Instead, the bottom was covered with golden ash.
“Was she cremated?” Becky said, her eyes wide.
“If she was, why would she be burie
d?” She slipped into the hole and teetered on the edge of the coffin. Her fingers inched forward, then retracted. She skimmed the outside of the coffin, a little bit of the ashes coating her finger.
Luxor chewed on her bottom lip and pinched the edge of the white material, and held it high, the blood stains now turned a dark brown.
Her dress.
“I don’t understand. Where are her bones? Nothing is here.” She held the dress close, and as she put it down a clang echoed against the wood. A blinding gold rod tumbled out and rolled away gathering golden dust along the way. “Gladius domini paradisum.”
“That’s a mouthful, can we simply call it the sword?” Becky said.
Luxor picked it up and a surge of electric current travelled up her arm. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed. She thumbed over the ‘L,’ surrounded by the sun, as if it was made for her.
“Okay come out now before we are busted. Grave digging is a crime you know.”
“I’m holding a piece of Eden. Mumma I can destroy him. Are you proud?”
“Luxor, get out now,” Becky urged.
The dust sparkled and every single particle floated and seeped under Luxor’s skin. An infusion of glorious lightness spread throughout her body, her hair illuminated in a beacon of white, her eyes pearls of aqua. The blanket of security tightened, cradled within her mother’s embrace, sixteen years in the making. Her life had reached a pinnacle of peacefulness, and with the essence of her mother rebirthed, victory would be hers.
To my family, mum, pop, my sisters Rebecca, Samantha and Jessica, Jase and aunty Shad, who put up with my quirks and endless days of me living in La La land where I spent time with my second family. They have embraced Luxor, Hunter and co as if they are their family too! To my beautiful boys, Hunter and Phoenix, life would be dull and the sun would cease to shine without you in it. You might drive me crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other day. You're full of life attitude brings an unbridled joy into my life. I hope one day, if you ever read this, you'll see dreams come true if you're willing to believe and try until you succeed.
To Peta and Laura, my early readers. I cannot thank you enough for all the fan-girling and letting me run through scenes, and chatting about the characters at all times of the day. The amazing posts you put on Instagram make my heart sing, and I’m so glad to have met you.
To Amy, your edits are invaluable and I love how your there at all times whenever I need to run scenes through you, even to add at the last minute.
Cat @TRC Designs, how can I articulate the love I have for your work. You’ve done it again with another mind-blowing cover, and interior formatting.
Last but not least, the readers who have taken a chance on this newbie author, and reached out and shown such love, I cannot say thank-you enough!!
Get ready for the next installment, it’ll blow your mind!
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Betrayed: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Book Two Page 44
