Conquest.
Dominion.
Victory taken by sheer force.
Because I am Conquest. The half-Erencei, half-Vy’shi Goddess of Conquest. An unheard-of-before breed tasked with controlling what was once one of the darkest forces in existence.
Exactly as I said I would become.
But where is my sense of triumph? Just like the thing in me, I’m hollow. There’s no success to be found. No elation.
Make them kneel.
I focus on the sounds around me, hoping for a distraction—the sound of the frigate slicing through the water. The beings onboard, ten of us in total, hidden by the powerful Gnetica we willed together.
Even me.
Their shock at how fast I’m “acclimating” wasn’t lost on me although I didn’t comment on it.
I don’t even know how I can do the things I do, just that I can.
Make them kneel.
On the deck below, the sound of Evesse and Cyake going at it again reaches me.
“Eve, will you calm down? Your eyes are doing that creepy bleeding-red thing.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! Have you seen what’s happening to my best friend?”
“Do I look blind?”
“You see how detached she is! That isn’t just her powers. It isn’t even her new breed—”
“Of course it has to do with that!”
“This is all your fucking friend’s fault!”
“You mean the same friend you were being so nice to back in Brownsville? The male that’s your friend, too?”
“I’ve changed my mind. He’s dead. Dead, you hear me?”
“Get your finger out of my face, female!”
Zen intervenes, his voice nothing but a dangerous growl. “Yell at my female like that again. I dare you.”
I sense Ismini’s presence, feel her sit on the bench behind me. Although my heart screams out for her, I can’t bring myself to face her.
The ocean gives me my only measure of calm. Even though its night, I have no problem seeing it with the light of the moon and the stars.
“Sol, please talk to me. You aren’t moving. You aren’t communicating with anyone. I’m worried for you,” Ismini whispers.
Heart breaking, I force out the only words I can. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault. Just . . . talk to us. Please.”
There’s no response to give her. The words are trapped inside me, a ball of turmoil I can’t force past my throat. I sense Dyletri appear in the deckhouse and join his mate.
They’re probably touching, as usual.
Zen and Eve are like that, too. I noticed it when we all materialized to board the frigate to Tenerife. The mating those two couples share is so deep that going mere seconds without contact with each other seems to be impossible.
The burn returns, slicing like an acid-dipped sword across my chest.
I push it back, refocusing on the waves.
Make them kneel.
Ignoring that voice is only possible because we’re en route to an M-Kon base. There’s an enemy on the horizon, one to subjugate.
I can’t even believe I’m thinking like this.
Zeniel flashes into the deckhouse as well. “Soleria?” He sits in the bench across from me. Even if I don’t face him, I can still see his red-and-black armor out of the corner of my eye.
They remained in their armor.
I’m in the outfit I died in. The outfit Nythi willed on my form last night, when she got to me at the restaurant. A charcoal tank top and leather pants. The same boots, as well.
Pressing my forehead to the cool glass, I watch the night stars go by. “Nylicia says I’m going to take your throne,” I mumble dispassionately.
“It isn’t mine. I don’t want it. You’ll be taking it from Cilpera.”
Another presence enters the cabin. Dimithinia sits down next to me. “This is what we are doing now? Alright.” She presses her forehead to the glass as I am, staring out the window. “Then we shall do it together.”
Ismini giggles softly.
Out of nowhere, a short giggle bursts from my lips.
The shock leaking off everyone is once again palpable.
Everyone except Dimithinia. She just slips her hand into mine, squeezing tight.
“Soleria, you need armor before we try any kind of attack. You’re immortal now, but not all healing is instantaneous. We don’t even know what beings are there, or what other types of weapons they may have. We’re minutes away from arriving on the island.”
Make them kneel.
“No, I don’t.”
“Soleria—”
“Zeniel, thanks for the concern but understand me: they won’t have enough time to attack. They won’t be standing that long.”
Yes. Make them kneel.
Dimithinia squeezes my hand, as if agreeing with the bloodthirsty call of Conquest inside me.
Forehead against the window, I let my eyes roll up to take in the seemingly infinite sky above. “I’m going to make them all kneel.”
Half-hour later
CYAKE
“Get me back!” My legless best friend yells from his spot on the ground behind me. “My female’s in there, asshole!”
Yeah.
His fucking She-Hulk of a female.
The same female that flicked us out of the base with a single thought and a move of her wrist.
Roughly a quarter-of-a-mile away, another detonation goes off inside Mount Teide. The ash cloud spewing out of the crater grows even bigger.
“Dimithinia’s also in there,” my brother complains on a growl.
Shit. I forgot Soleria’s powers haven’t eased. They’re right where we left them minutes ago—forced onto their knees on the ground.
Why? Because Soleria commanded it. She said the word and those knees hit the ground a lá Ianthen the night he met her.
Only reason I’m standing is because I went in there with her to get him. Dimithinia was allowed in as well, although I don’t know why.
Ismini, Dyletri, Evesse, Zen, Crius, and Hades are the ones currently paying unwilling homage to Soleria’s will.
Oh, and Ianthen.
BECAUSE THAT PIECE OF SHIT LISRN TOOK HIS FUCKING LEGS!
I exhale a sharp breath, trying to ease my fury. One godly being on a rampage is more than enough.
“Cy!” Ian shouts.
“Get the fuck in there! What if they’re in danger?” Crius joins in, struggling against the colossal power of Conquest.
I turn, pointing at his red face. “First off, I’ve heard your female’s been dead twice and she came back from it just fine. So relax.” Facing Ianthen, I point at him next. “And you?” I aim my finger behind me. “Do you not see that fucking gigantic ash cloud?”
Ian grunts at me, his body phasing each time he tries to dematerialize. His skin’s gray from blood loss. He’s too weak to manage it, but his mated instincts don’t understand that. “Of course I see it, you dick. My female’s still in there.”
“Your female’s causing it. In less than twelve hours, she’s figured out that the powers of Conquest are, in reality, all about domination.”
“Cyake, get me the fuck in there.”
“Brother, you broke that female’s heart less than twenty-four hours ago . . . she’s been immortal for only twelve . . . and now she’s in there causing the eruption of a volcano that’s been dormant for over a century! Motherfucker, I need to get you out of here and save your life!”
Behind me, what sounds like an atomic explosion ruptures the air.
No need to turn around to confirm what I already know. I see the lava flow reflected in Evesse’s and Ismini’s wide eyes.
Sighing, I straighten, hands on my hips. “I wonder if my bot had enough time to harvest all the data it needed? Probably not, since it was only running for five fucking minutes before she obliterated the entire place.”
Ten minutes earlier
SO
LERIA
Nylicia said they’ll sense us as soon as we step foot on the island. The dormant volcano hiding the base is nearly hundreds of miles away from the shore.
Dematerializing is the only way to get there in time.
As soon our feet touch the sand, wards will go off on the island.
No time to waste then.
I’m the first off the boat as soon as it docks, flashing towards the base of Mount Teide. Last second, I change my mind and momentarily stop almost a mile away.
Cyake is right behind me. The others arrive after him.
“You’ll wait here,” I hear my split voice say.
Dimithinia walks by me, her eyes flooded completely black, a hungry, dazed smile on her face. “I need to get in there, Soleria.”
“Fine. She can come. Other than her, I’m going in alone.”
“The fuck you are!” several voices cry out.
“Dimithinia, what are you doing?” Crius snaps.
She ignores him.
I look over my shoulder long enough to say, “Kneel,” and face Cyake. As he stares at me with what might be horror, knees hit the ground in a succession of hard thuds. “You’re not coming either.”
“Female, to begin? If I wanted to, and was willing to risk losing myself, I could bring you to your knees for the rest of eternity—stop growling. I’m not going to do it. Next? That’s my best friend in there and you know he means everything to me. Don’t do this. I can help heal him if something’s wrong.”
Something wrong . . . with Ianthen.
“Fuck.” Cyake eases back. “Those eyes. Never seen anything like them.”
Destroy them all.
I grab Cyake’s arm, dragging him towards Dimithinia. Grabbing hers as well, I close my eyes—there’s no thinking about it, no imagining it. I just wish it and it occurs.
We arrive at the base of the mountain. I can’t see inside, but every sense I possess is homed in on the activity within. Raising a hand, I curl my fingers, as if gouging them into the stone.
Yanking my hand to the right, I mentally rip into the volcano’s side.
Stone goes flying as well, taking what looks like an entire steel wall with it.
To my right, Cyake hisses, “Shit.”
To my left, Dimithinia smiles. “Perfect. Soleria? Kill them all.” She’s in there even before I am.
I’m not too far behind.
Alarms blare, along with flashing lights within the wide tunnel we enter. I register the sight of what looks like empty, high-tech holding cells.
No sight of Dimithinia.
Cyake rushes past me. “I scent him. There’s too much blood.”
Blood?
They’ve hurt him.
I send a wave of power into the wall, destroying half the holding cells in a swirl of light blue fire.
Not too far from us, the shouts of mortals fleeing fill other tunnels carved into the rock.
Get him out first, then annihilate them all.
I head in the direction Cy went, my boots thumping against the smooth, stone walkway. It opens to an amphitheater-style operating room. Cyake’s down on the first floor, at one of the computers, typing so fast his fingers are a blur.
Strapped to the operating table on the ground level? Ianthen, in a leather coat, arms shaking as he holds himself up in a seated position.
His skin is the palest shade of gray I’ve seen.
The scent of blood is a ferocious wail in the air. It’s a lake beneath him, bodies’ worth of it.
He’s looking me over, obviously shaken at the sight of me, his eyes changing to that large, pre-werewolf state. “Sol . . .”
My eyes trail him, searching for the source of the blood.
My heart. Someone help me, please. I can’t take this.
Don’t remember thinking it, but when I blink I’m feet from him, eyes on his legs.
What’s fucking left of them.
Breathes—heaving.
Pulse—racing.
I lock eyes with him, disbelieving. “They cut off your fucking legs?” It’s just my voice talking this time, tiny. Fragile.
His expression tightens, white eyes locked on me. “Baby.”
Calmness falls over me.
Focus. Purpose.
Cyake spins away from the computer. “Soleria, whatever you’re thinking, wait.”
“Both of you wait outside.” I flick my wrist and imagine them back with the others.
That easily, they’re gone.
This base, however, is still filled with beings.
Mostly mortals.
A handful of immortals.
Are any of them innocent? No way of telling. Neither Eve or Zen are here.
And, sadly, I really don’t care.
They hurt him. Would do the same to your friends. Think they can fuck with your loved ones.
Smiling, I ignite the amphitheater, triggering a detonation of red fire.
Somewhere in the distance, I swear I hear Dimithinia laugh.
I will myself in her direction, appearing on the other side of the first explosion I caused.
The metal and stone hallway is awash in blue-and-red flames and debris.
Scattered on the floor, bodies writhe in death throes. Most were killed by the searing heat of the blast. Others by shrapnel.
AKA: metallic poles and beams embedded throughout their bodies.
This is how my enemies suffer.
Among all the carnage, Dimithinia stands over one of the bodies, her hand held above it, fingers splayed.
A line of pure white, crystalline energy trails from the dead man’s face into the center of Dimi’s palm.
Her fully black eyes find my own, brimming with satisfaction.
The air around her is electric, sparking off the heat of the fire. In the shadow on the wall, I see two currents of dark energy trickle from her back.
As if trying to form a shape.
It’s gone before I can make sense of it, or the gloating being inside me. “I know you, Death.”
She smiles. “I know you as well, Conquest.”
What the fuck is this? What’s happening? Panic chokes me. Inside, I’m freaking out. Why am I enjoying this so much?
Why don’t I feel any guilt for the beings I’m killing?
Why am I connecting with Dimithinia like this?
One word: Conquest.
My new powers.
And even as I’m becoming convinced this forceful energy inside me has to be a separate being, a random thought is whispered in my mind.
His legs are missing. He lost so much blood.
Vedlyl.
We need to get back to Enzyria.
“We need to return now,” I tell her. “I’m ending this.”
“I sense other souls out in those woods that are close to death. I will just have to make do.” She’s gone.
Turning my hand towards the floor, I try to sense the active core deep within.
One blast. Aim it right, and the eruption will wipe out this entire side of the installation.
A deep tunnel to the west will take care of the rest.
Again, I don’t know how I know this. There are no images in my head. No visions.
Just cold, hard knowledge being funneled straight into my mind. Spreading my fingers, I imagine red-hot light shooting from the palm of my hand.
And just like that, it manifests, barreling straight down through metal and stone.
Chapter 29
Present time
IANTHEN
T he cold settled over me a while ago. Within minutes of him separating my right leg from my knee. If I were human, the hypovolemia would’ve made me pass out already.
Instead, I’m still awake. Still aware.
The radiating agony is nothing compared to the panic my inner wolf is experiencing. Raw, anguished terror.
The kind that motherfucker feeds on.
He pauses midway through sawing off my left fibula. In the background, the steady glunk sound of
my blood dripping to the floor continues.
Shaking, sweating on the table, I meet his stare. I might not be able to control my physical reactions, but I haven’t given him a sound. Not even a fucking peep.
Lisrn smiles down at me. “There’s nothing like the terror you Hyrens give off. Nothing. Especially when threatened with the loss of mobility.” He turns on the saw for a split second, letting me feel the blade slicing into my bone. Then it’s off again, pressed to the wound. “Have I told you we’ve discovered a way to stop regeneration?”
As he intended, the fear ratchets up in me, until I’m jerking on the table as I bite back my response. He doesn’t mean it, just wants to fuck with you. It’s what this motherfucker does.
“You know I do mean it,” he drawls, not because he can read my mind but because he’s picking up on every nuance of my terror. Before he can turn the saw back on, a cell phone starts ringing.
The humans are on the other side of the Gnetica, by the computers. The sound is too close to be coming from them.
Lisrn removes the saw from the gaping wound on my left leg and brings out his phone. “What?” he snaps and I know instantly who he’s talking to. “I’m in the middle of cutting off Hunt’s legs. Do you have any idea how fucking satisfying this—why the fuck does she need me back now?”
Letting my head fall back, I laugh through the dizzying pain. “The little bitch is being called back home. What happened? Mommy forcing you back?”
Those yellow snake eyes snap in my direction, narrowing with hatred. “And she expects me to walk away from making this cunt suffer?” he asks. The reply must be an unyielding yes. “Fine.”
The Gnetica around us disperses.
Lisrn snaps his fingers at the group by the computers. Like they’re no more than servants. Yet these blind idiots align with the Aviraji, not understanding the truth of what we all learned long ago:
To the Aviraji, that’s all humanity is meant to be. Slaves. Cattle. Not a species to be respected and left alone to thrive—as so many other species are—but one that needs to be brought to heel.
“Luckily for me, I know of the only other thing that can hurt you as much as me cutting off your legs”—smiling, uncaring of how warped and monstrous his teeth now are, Lisrn holds the saw out to one of the human’s dressed in surgical scrubs—“a human doing it.”
Blood Drenched Conquest (Ryze Book 3) Page 25
