“He can’t have you,” he said in a low growl, dipping his head until his lips were skating along the sensitive flesh at the base of my throat. “You’re mine, until the day we die.”
“He can’t have me,” I agreed. I groaned when he bit the side of my neck, not gently. Marking me. His lips found mine and his kiss was hungry, angry, intense. As he kissed me, every bit of him was open to me. His thoughts, his emotions… everything. It had nearly killed him to see and feel the way I’d responded to Volodhal in his throne room. I could feel his pain, his anguish, at even the thought of me wanting another, and I felt tears stinging my eyes.
Never, I said in his mind. Never, Nain. I’ll only have one mate. One husband. I don’t know what that was, but I know who I belong to, and who belongs to me.
He kissed me more deeply, and before I knew what was happening, he had my top and bra off, and was pushing my pants down over my hips. I kicked them off and he unbuttoned his pants. I heard the scrape of his zipper, and then he was lifting me, thrusting into me, claiming me.
God, the emotions roaring through him. Love, desire, lust, desperation, rage, confusion. He filled me, over and over again, and before long, we were on the floor, the lush carpet in our room abrading my back as he took me, as he rammed into me over and over again, out of control, his hands on my breasts.
“Tell me again who you belong to,” he growled, and I could see his flesh changing, becoming darker, redder, his eyes glowing as he took me.
“You. I belong to you,” I cried. As his desire and rage heightened, he shifted fully into his demonic form, his body bruising mine as he took me brutally. This was exactly why he’d gotten rid of his demon form when we were together this way, he’d slipped into it almost effortlessly and he’d been afraid of hurting me, of losing control when we were together. It had always worried him more than it worried me, and part of me was more than happy to have him this way again, all of him, the way he should be.
I lost myself, over and over again, and still he kept thrusting. I looked up to see that the horns I’d noticed earlier were there again, larger now. I reached up to touch them and he grabbed my hands, pinning them to the floor as he hammered my aching body. He bent his head and captured one of my nipples between his teeth, and I fell apart again, barely able to contain the scream of pleasure.
“Scream. Let the bastard hear the way you respond to me,” he growled. “He’ll never make you feel this.”
“Never,” I promised, and he kissed me, hard and full of need, uncontrolled as he found his release. I felt the heat of his release deep inside me and it sent me over the edge one last time.
We lay on the floor together for a long time, his big, bulky body crushing mine, his hands pinning my hands to the carpet, our bodies connected, hearts pounding.
“I love you,” I whispered. “I only want you. I don’t know what happened in there, but it definitely isn’t something I enjoyed or wanted.”
He kissed me and finally released my hands. I immediately brought them to his horns, running my fingers along the rough, curved edges of them. He trembled and shook his head.
“I don’t know what the fuck to make of those,” he said.
“Do demons sometimes get them later in life?”
He shook his head, and I could feel his fear and confusion. “No. You either have them or you don’t. Most of us don’t. Some of the European demons have them, but for the most part, we don’t have them anymore. And they definitely just don’t randomly show up out of nowhere.”
He rolled off of me and onto his back. We lay on the carpet, looking up at the vaulted ceiling in our room.
“He probably has cameras watching us or something,” Nain said.
I raised my hand and gave the room a finger in response, and he laughed. Then he turned serious and looked away from me.
“What is it?” I asked. I rolled onto my side and rested my head on my arm, looking at him.
“He’s a lot more refined and gentlemanly than I am,” Nain said. “I’m rough with you. We fight and we fuck and I’m generally an asshole.”
“And your point is?”
“Wouldn’t most women prefer someone like that?”
I smiled. “I’m not most women. And if you ever stop rage-fucking me, we’re going to have problems.”
He laughed, and I reached out and ran my fingertips along his jaw. All human-looking now, having worked out some of his rage with me.
“I love you exactly as you are. We’re perfect for one another. You give me exactly what I need, and I do the same for you. I don’t care about what other women might find attractive. You’re mine, and you’re all I want,” I murmured as I ran my fingertips down his chest, to his stomach, following the line of dark hair that led into the still-unzipped fly of his pants. His muscles bunched and trembled under my touch, and I smiled. There is no power like the power I have over Nain’s body. Nothing thrills me as much as knowing that I can bring this rage-filled demonic warrior to his knees. “Never second-guess how much I want you again,” I said, meeting his eyes as I positioned myself between his thighs. And when I took him into my mouth, I got to relish, all over again, just how much power I have over Nain’s body. And when he tangled his hands in my hair, pulling, thrusting, chasing his release, he demonstrated that he has the same power over mine.
Which is as it should be.
The next morning, several servants arrived bearing trays of food as well as packages of folded clothing to replace our blood-stained, ripped clothing from the battle the day before. Nammov arrived with the servants and greeted me warmly.
“Lady Eth-Hades, Lord Volodhal would appreciate your company once you’ve finished your meal, if that is all right with you?”
I nodded. “That’s fine.”
“Very good. I’ll be back here to escort you to him shortly. Enjoy your meal,” he said, and then bowed and left, the servants following him. I exchanged a look with Nain and the others, and we started uncovering the white-domed dishes with no small amount of trepidation.
“Well, these’re eggs,” Heph said with a little relief in his voice.
“Yeah, but what kind?” Bren asked, and Heph shrugged.
“Doesn’t much matter, does it? Eggs are eggs.”
“Toast, I guess,” Athena said, poking unsurely at a round slice of something that was a crusty brown color. She reminded me of Heph’s old cat when it was unsure of something, the way she’d gingerly paw at it, ready to jump back at a moment’s notice, and I fought not to laugh at the comparison.
“This is fruit,” E said, gesturing to a large bowl filled with a variety of round, multi-colored fruits. She took a bite. “Delicious,” she said happily.
“For all we know, it’s poisoned,” Hades muttered.
“They wouldn’t risk poisoning her,” Persephone said, giving me a look of disdain. “Little miss important. Center of everything.”
“That’s me,” I said, taking a large bite out of a light pink fruit from the bowl. “I’m a fucking queen, you know,” I said thickly through a mouthful of the juicy fruit, and Persephone gave me a look of disgust. I exchanged a glance with E, and we both burst into laughter, and before long, Heph, Bren, and Nain joined us. Athena shook her head, though I was pretty sure she was fighting a smile. Hades rolled his eyes and stalked toward the window, gnawing at what looked to be a sausage as he did.
We finished breakfast, and I was relieved to find that everyone was in a much better mood than they’d been when we’d parted ways the night before. We’d been exhausted, dejected, and afraid. We were still afraid, but we had a plan. It had to work. If nothing else, Volodhal had not, so far, made any indication that he wanted any of us dead. I mean, besides the initial threat. I hid a grimace. I would have to ask him about that when I met with him. I didn’t know what to think of him. Mostly, I wanted to not have the same reaction I’d had to him the day before. I didn’t want him, not physically, not emotionally, not magically or in any other way. I still didn’t unders
tand what had happened, but I would be on my guard from now on not to let it happen again. I’ve killed gods and survived death dozens of times. Surely, I could handle the smooth talking and mesmerizing eyes of one demonic immortal.
After we ate, I headed back to my room with Nain and we quickly showered in the large stone shower. Knowing I was going to spend time with Volodhal had Nain on edge and I was more than happy to let him turn me around and remind me what was waiting for me when I got back from my visit with Volodhal.
I stepped out of the shower with my body aching pleasantly and Nain’s bite marks marring the already-healing flesh of my neck. Nain lay on the bed, still stunningly, mouthwateringly naked, and watched as I started pulling on the clothing Volodhal’s servants had left for me. A pair of loose-fitting black pants, a pair of flat, soft-soled shoes, and a simple black tunic.
At least he understood my color preferences, I thought as I pulled the shirt on. I braided my hair over my shoulder, then went to Nain. I bent down and kissed him and he pulled me on top of him, hands gripping my ass, pulling me against him where I could feel how much he wanted me again. He bit my lower lip and I gasped.
“I’ll be back soon,” I promised, looking down at him, into his eyes.
He nodded, and then reluctantly let me go. I met his gaze one more time, and then walked out of the room and opened the door into the corridor, where Nammov was waiting, as well as the same guards from the night before, those assigned to watch us and make sure we stayed put.
Nammov greeted me with a bow and a smile, and I nodded at him in return. We started walking down the long corridor toward the stairway.
“I half-expected my party to be murdered during the night,” I murmured
Nammov furrowed his brow. “Why?”
“The first time I spoke to Volodhal, he told me my world would burn and that the immortals were dead unless I came to him.”
Nammov laughed, and I glared at him. “That’s something you find funny?”
“He didn’t mean it,” he said.
I gave him a look of disbelief, and he shook his head. “If he wanted any of you dead, you would be. You know that. You’ve seen what we can do.”
“They’re bargaining chips for him right now.”
Nammov shrugged. “They are. But even if they weren’t, our problem is bigger than you. Yes, there are things Lord Volodhal wants from you. Some of them are… quite personal, apparently,” he said with a shrug. “And others are matters of survival for our people.”
“Because of your enemies.”
“Yours as well,” Nammov said mildly. “After they come for us, who do you suppose they’ll go for next?”
Chapter Fifteen
Instead of taking me to the throne room, Nammov ushered me to a large door adjacent to it. He pressed a button on a sleek panel outside the door and, after a moment, the door just kind of disappeared. As in, it was there one second, gone the next.
“He is expecting you. Please,” Nammov said, gesturing for me to walk in.
“You’re not coming?”
Nammov smiled. “He has waited eons to be alone with you. I hardly think my presence is welcome now.”
There were few things he could have said that would have unsettled me more. I took a deep breath and stepped through the door. The room beyond was light and airy. The walls were white, the floor some kind of gray stone. An entire wall looked out onto the city beyond, and the furniture was all white, streamlined, and immaculate.
Volodhal waited, standing near the windows, and he turned when I entered. His gaze found mine immediately, and I made myself move forward, toward him.
“Lady Eth-Hades,” he murmured, bending low and kissing my hand again.
“Lord Volodhal,” I said.
“I trust your accommodations are adequate?” he asked.
“Aside from being kept prisoner in them? Sure,” I said as I looked out over the city, forcing my gaze away from his.
He drew a breath as if he was about to say something, and I interrupted him. “You said you wouldn’t lie to me. But you also didn’t tell me what you did to Nyx to cause her to imprison you here like this.”
“Why do you assume I did anything to Nyx?” he asked.
“She didn’t imprison you for shits and giggles.”
I glanced at him to see him with his brow furrowed, processing that, trying to decipher my meaning, and I sighed. “For fun. She didn’t imprison you here for fun, or for no reason.”
“Ah. Earth vernacular is… charming.”
“Sometimes.”
“In answer to your question, I must first say that I was not trying to avoid answering last night. You are distracting.”
I didn’t answer, well aware of his gaze on me. I was responding to him, my entire body warm in his presence, an electricity between us that I didn’t want to feel and didn’t understand.
“Are you capable of mind control?” I asked.
“Which question of yours do you want me to answer first?”
“That one first.”
“No. I am incapable of mind control. I have some gift of foresight, but that is all. Our people do not have the magic your kind has. Even my people, Nyx’s children, do not have those types of gifts.”
“How did you talk to me through that thing’s mind? And through the mind of that AntiThiest asshole the first time?”
“I knew you would break into their minds. It is how you operate. All it required was the placement of a small device in their brain that would be triggered when you did so. I waited for the signal that their minds had been breached, and then we were able to communicate.”
I thought that over, then frowned.
“All of that, just to tell me you’d see me soon?”
“Well, the technology isn’t all that advanced, really,” he said. “We’ve been able to do that for—”
“No. Not the fucking technology,” I growled, and he stared at me in confusion.
“I am sorry. You seem angry, but I don’t understand why,” he said.
“You don’t—” I broke off, shaking my head.
“Please, explain it to me. If I have offended you, I wish to know.”
“You used an AntiTheist to talk to me.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it hardly matters, does it? The point was to be able to speak to you. The conduit hardly matters.”
I glared at him, felt my lip curl in disgust. “It’s no wonder Nyx trapped you here, whatever her reasons. You people clearly have no fucking empathy or regard for lives other than your own.”
“That is patently untrue,” he protested.
“Oh, go fuck yourself,” I snarled.
He gave me another confused look. “We have not yet developed the technology to truly—”
“Oh my god.” I rubbed my temples. Aside from wanting to kill the being beside me, Nether was restless and I could feel Nain’s worry and rage through our connection.
“I am quite confused,” Volodhal said.
I glared up at him, immediately regretting it when our eyes met. “The AntiTheists are terrorists. People who hurt other people in the name of opposing me. They murdered an entire small village that day to get my attention, knowing it would bring me to them.”
Volodhal stared, a look of horror on his face. “No.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, looking away. “As if you care. But if you’re looking for a partnership, murdering a bunch of my people is a shitty way to start the negotiations. Taking my friends hostage is also not high on the list of things to do to earn my respect.”
Volodhal was silent for several moments. “I apologize, from the very depths of my being, for the loss of life that our actions caused. Nammov set that up for me… perhaps he did not realize what it was, exactly, that these AntiTheists would do to gain your attention. I will speak to him, and he will be reprimanded most viciously for not ensuring that your people would be safe.”
“As if you care,” I muttered.
&nb
sp; “Did you not hear me when we spoke yesterday? We consider every single life precious and beautiful. As fellow children of Nyx, you are our brothers and sisters. It pains me to know we harmed you.”
Right. Sure. Yet he’d threatened that my world would burn if I didn’t come to him. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath.
“My other question, now,” I murmured after a few moments. I kept my eyes on the city. Volodhal had stepped closer to me, mere inches now separating his body from mine, and the pull I immediately felt toward him was almost painful.
“You feel it, too,” he murmured, and I stayed silent. He took a shaky breath, and it made me feel even more freaked out that he was as affected as I was. “Your other question,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I did nothing to Nyx. I attacked her other lover. The one after me.”
“Why did you two end your affair?”
“I foresaw you, and it felt wrong to be with her. We parted as friends, and she found other lovers, created other children,” he said. “She took a lover who was not worthy of her. Who was power hungry and believed himself to be all-knowing, all-powerful.”
“What is his name?”
“Odin.”
I turned to stare at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“The Asgardians live for two things: drinking and war. And Odin was possessive and angry that Nyx had mothered more than one realm of beings. He considered himself to be the only mate truly worthy of her, and that, therefore, all of her other realms should also belong to him. She thought he was joking. He was not. Two of the realms she’d mothered were decimated within a matter of hours once Odin set his sights on them. I vowed to make him pay, and she imprisoned me here.” The edge of anger in his voice made my stomach turn. “She locked us up here, to keep us safe,” he said disdainfully. “My realm. Yours. A few others that have since fallen. All of us, cut off from the rest of the realms as well as from one another. Your realm, the youngest, was kept ignorant of the rest of us.”
Godkiller (Hidden: Godkiller Saga Book 1) Page 14
