Nylicia putting Conquest in Soleria, though? That one I won’t swallow that easily. Next time I see the Watcher, I’m letting her have it.
“Sol! We’re still your best friends. Did you forget that, bitch?”
“No, Eve. I haven’t forgotten . . . it’s all so distant.”
“Distant? Ismini asks. “What’s distant?”
“All of it.”
Fuck this shit. I can’t take this anymore.
Outside, the sun beats down on one of the circular courtyards. Ismini and Evesse are standing side-by-side, each with their arms crossed.
Each facing Soleria.
She’s standing on a short step at the edge of the courtyard, facing the southern woods. Those Erencei markings hug the sides of her face and the sharper curve of her cheekbone.
Her eyes are now full-on black and light blue.
The light red from before was clearly due to her emotions.
I suck in a breath, the hunger for her magnified to unimaginable degrees.
Gums tingling, I try to ignore the other urge rising. That dry, throat-burning desire that demands her neck between my fangs, her blood pumping down my throat.
I run a shaking hand along my mouth right as Eve turns and sees me here.
“Oh, no. Not you. Get the hell out of here.” She flashes before me.
“Let me talk to her.”
“No. You did this,” Eve hisses low.
I have no doubt Soleria can hear this anyway.
She isn’t looking at us. Isn’t reacting to my presence here at all.
Just remains there, staring off into the woods, the sun bringing her aura to blazing life.
Eyes on Sol, I grab Eve’s hand and place it on my wrist, inside the sleeve.
Her eyes widen at the reminder.
Ismini stops and peers down at the half-inch of steel beneath Eve’s fingers. Her questioning glance lands on my face next.
I nod at Evesse, letting her know I’m okay with Ismini knowing, and drop her hand. “Between us, please.”
Ismini gives me a hesitant nod.
“Evesse, please leave me alone with her.”
“Fine! But don’t you dare make it worse in any way.”
I dip my chin, my attention back on Soleria. Without another word, I walk towards her, my eyes trailing over her.
Looking for change.
Any kind.
Instead, I get nothing as I approach. It’s as if she’s too lost in her head to sense me.
My heart pounds. Just how power hungry is she going to become? Already the voice of Conquest has her in its tight grip.
Desian was lost because he wanted the comfort that voice gave him whenever he gave into it. We never knew why he needed it, just that he did.
Is Soleria that hurt she’s already succumbing?
No. I won’t allow it.
“Soleria, baby . . .”
At last, a fluttering of her lashes. It’s quick, but I catch it anyway.
“Sol, I know this is going to mean nothing coming from me, and that no explanation I ever give you will be good enough, but I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. Rip my heart out of my chest right here, right now, if you must. I’ll give you anything to make it up to you.”
Coherency finally leaks in, as if her restrained anger sharpens her focus. The marks on her skin vanish and her eyes return to their human form.
“I know you are,” she says. Spinning on her heel, she walks right by me, giving me a view of her back. “All of you are always sorry. Story of my life.”
In a horrifying moment, I understand what this means.
She’s lumped me in with all her cheating exes.
A desperate male never to have her again.
Chapter 32
IANTHEN
“I ’ve changed my mind. This isn’t right. I’m going with you.”
It’s the seventh time today that I’m hearing this. My reply has been the same every time.
“Bro, you’re on a countdown as much as I am—”
“Not mated or bonded yet.”
“You need to fucking find her. You know it as much as I do.”
Cyake grabs my arm, halting my momentum. “So that’s it? That’s where we’re at now? Females before friends?”
Sighing, I move his hand off my arm. “Yes. Welcome to mated life, my friend. Adjust to the idea faster than I did or end up in my shoes.” Without my female, with almost no hope of truly getting her back. Going on blind faith in a ghostly female that I barely trust as of late.
“I’m already in your shoes. Spari hates my guts. You saw it.”
“Then find her and get the information you need to fix it. Before it gets worse.”
He glares mutinously at me.
“He’s right, little bro. Besides, lucky for him, I’ve sworn to come along and watch his back.” That cocky voice is accompanied by the equally-as-cocky swagger of Existence as he makes his way to us. Even with that air of malady that follows him, his skin forever a shade too pale, the bastard walks around like he owns everything.
Because he does.
At least until the primal force of Creation shows itself again and claims part-ownership of this physical realm.
“You’re talking about mated issues? You, who isn’t even truly mated—thank Dad, since the female is dead—yet run around moping as if you are?” Cy snaps at his brother.
“That’s the point. Learn from our example brother, before you end up stuck like us. Oh, and if this asshole over here would let me go back in time, I could’ve fixed my mistake eons ago.” Zex jerks his thumb over his shoulder at an approaching Keiros.
I narrow my eyes at the God of Time. “Word. Lift those blocks.”
Keiros arches an eyebrow. “And let you disrupt the fabric of time to such an extent? In the infamous words of my little brother: ‘fuck outta here’.”
Cy’s smile is all dimples. It isn’t everyday Keiros curses, or uses modern vernacular, but it makes Cyake deliriously happy every time he does. “Okay. Fine. I’m a little more excited about you staying behind with me and helping me with this.”
“All because I said fuck.”
“That’s twice in two minutes. We’re definitely making progress.”
Zexistr watches as I tug my sleeves down to hide the cuffs. “Cyake, I need you to modify the oath I made to you in case I have to return for Vedlyl.”
Oh, fuck that. “You aren’t my fucking nanny.”
“This one says I am.” He jerks his head in Cy’s direction.
“You’re allowed to leave his side if Vedlyl is needed.”
“This is bullshit,” I tell them. “Anyway, he needs to be here with Suffering. We don’t know when she’s going to flip and we need to be prepared. On top of the fact he can’t follow us to South Eren. He steps one foot in war Erencei land and we’re all fucked. Fucked.”
“Ergo, why I’m the one coming to him, if needed. Your sister is also staying to help with the girl. Stop bitching and let’s go.” Zexistr heads past me, down the steps to the main hall.
Cy claps me on the shoulder.
I lower my chin in acknowledgement and follow Zexistr.
Everyone accompanying us is gathered by the statues. Everything’s set back to rights, but I heard how Soleria demolished the place when she found out I was taken.
My eyes find her immediately. She’s off by one of the archways, staring off into the woods outside. Arms crossed, she’s apart from everyone, even her closest friends that eye her with concern.
“Is everyone ready?” Dyletri asks.
As one we join him in the middle; Sol is the last one to approach. I eat her up with my eyes, starving for her. As if I didn’t have her days ago. Although as a mated/bonded Hyren male I need my female multiples times a day. What happened between us wasn’t even full sex—not the way my inner wolf needs it. Deep. Hard. All-consuming.
She’s taken a new liking to leather pants and watching her legs flex with each step is agonizing.
Zexistr steps into the middle of our small gathering. “We’ll be materializing straight into Katgin. That’s the realm of the mind demons. Everyone grab onto someone so we don’t lose the ones that haven’t been there before.”
My first impulse is to head to Soleria.
She spins on her heel and makes her way to her two friends. Dyletri and Zeniel already have an arm around their females’ waists. Ismini and Eve smile sadly as a stoic Soleria steps between them; they each place a hand on her arm.
Not enough. Eve and Iss have a direct connection to their R’manns’ through touch. Sol needs more to assure she isn’t lost as we travel through dimensions.
Closing my eyes, I do what should be the impossible: I grit my teeth and call out for another male to take what should be my place. “Hades, Crius. Can one of you lay a hand on Soleria’s shoulder?”
“Excuse me?” Soleria snaps.
I open my eyes and see Hades walking up to her. Staring down into her eyes, he smirks. “Going to try to put me on my knees again?”
“I don’t know,” my R’ma answers archly, meeting his stare. “Are you going to do something to tempt me to?”
Laughing, Hades curls his large paw around her shoulder.
Is Soleria fucking flirting with him?
“Dimithinia—” Crius begins.
She blows right past him in her leather trench coat, making a beeline for Hades. “That is alright. Your brother can help me as well.” She grabs Hades’ free hand, as bold as can be, and places it on her shoulder with a smile.
Hades winces at his brother’s glower.
“Alright. Head out everyone. Asgaix can be a little bitch about lateness,” Zex calls.
We dematerialize at once.
- Katgin, “North Eren”
Realm of the Mind Demons
The sprawling, crystal and technology-overrun world we arrive in is one that I’ve been to many times in my immortal life.
The gasps that leave all four females, though, doesn’t come as a surprise.
“Holy crap,” Eve gasps, yellow, brown, and black irises glittering from all the lights. “It’s like the super high-tech version of Burj Khalifa.”
A group of males march towards us in their royal uniforms—light gray, technology-imbued full body suits. The capes draped over their shoulders are open on one side, exposing the right side of their chests. Made of what looks like quartz scales, the material shimmers with each step.
Those capes can transform into any known material in the universe. Can become heat-resistant—any type of heat—as well as ward off cold, energy, you name it. They’re some of the most coveted defensive weapons in existence, ones that the mind demons guard zealously.
Their white-on-black irises are focused on us.
No doubt trying to judge what kind of threat we might pose.
The male at the front, the one with long white hair and the glowing, blue staff in his hand is the leader of the entire mind Erencei. These beings don’t subscribe to the idea of a monarch, but if they did, this male would be it.
Asgaix grins politely at us, his white-and-black facial markings twitching. “Welcome. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen many of you,” he says in perfect English. His eyes cut to Soleria. “And some of you I’d hoped never to see again.”
“You’re seriously going to blame her for what her predecessor did with those powers?” I may have my own doubts and worries about those powers being in Sol, but fuck if I’m going to allow anyone to talk that way about her.
“Indeed,” Asgaix replies evenly. “You’re right. She’s due the benefit of the doubt.”
Zexistr brushes by me. “You agreed to this meeting quit easily, didn’t you, Asgaix?”
Beneath that shimmering cape, Asgaix raises a shoulder good-naturedly. “Well, the Watcher can be quite convincing, as I’m sure you’ve heard. She has promised to deliver to us something very dear, and although I respect your supreme status, Existence, I will say nothing else on the subject. We’ve set aside an entire floor of chambers for you all, right here within the tower, where it’s the safest. The entire realm knows of your arrival and you’re free to travel wherever you wish.”
Multiple voices sound out their thanks.
“However,” Asgaix says, eyes on Zen. “They also know that you’re once again you, Mavrak.”
“That’s not all he is,” Eve spits in defense of her male.
“Your deeds in Brownsville have also circulated throughout the realm, Justice.”
Her lips part at that.
“And you, Conquest. I’m sure you understand why everyone might be a bit cautious around you.”
Sol grins at him playfully and although her markings aren’t showing, there’s something sinister to it. “As they should.”
Fuck. She’s sexy.
And she hasn’t spared a single glance my way.
It’s as if we never happened. As if all those weeks together, in her house and in her restaurant, were simply erased from history.
This is how she accidentally created a small army of desperate males in her wake. Upon their fuck-ups, she simply turned her back on them and went on with her life as if they never existed.
While they were left stuck, dealing with the repercussions of their mistakes, yearning to have her near again as they watched her move on.
I would know. I’m now one of them.
“They’ll show you to your quarters. Enjoy your stay.” Asgaix departs without another word, leaving two of the guards to escort us.
Eve and Iss each loop an arm around Soleria’s, dragging her forward.
Away from me.
Can’t even fault them. They’re clearly desperate to get their friend back to normal.
Dimi rushes to join the females.
Zen and Dy take their spot behind them, leaving me, Zex, Crius and Hades to take up the rear.
I need a distraction before I throw myself at Sol, begging like a pathetic loser—like fucking Nick every time he reaches out to her. “You never told me what happened when you went to Ixalir to confront the baby momma. Did you question them about the elementals being in their possession? Cyake told me he text you as soon as I told him.”
Cold, cruel rage twists Zexistr’s expression. “I wasn’t able to get in. They’ve found a way to bar my entry to the dimension.”
“What the fuck?”
“Lower that tone, Hunt. This isn’t the kind of information we want others picking up on.”
They already did.
In front of us, Dy and Zen’s shoulders are tense, almost as if bracing for battle.
The two muttered curses from Zex’s brothers behind us weren’t lost on me.
“What did Rivi say about that?”
“My daughter hasn’t reached out to me at all.” Pain replaces his rage, an injured look I’ve seen one too many times in that male’s eyes.
Maivera had to use her powers, as well as those of other divine beings, to tie him to her. What he felt for her wasn’t real and eventually he broke free. She never forgave him for that. Even worse? His obsessive, almost sickening quest to find a way to trigger the reincarnation of his lost love . . . or find her if it happens on its own.
Seeing him pining over another female has sent Maivera on a never-ending quest for vengeance. One in which she has no problem using their daughter as her pawn.
“I’m sorry, bro, but your baby momma is a bitch.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” He wills a Gnetica around us, audibly closing us off from the others. “You never told me what those cuffs you’re wearing do. All I know is that Vedlyl hooked you up with them.”
“Actually, Nylicia did.”
“Her again.”
My brows rise at the bitterness in his tone. I’m aware why he feels about her the way he does, and I can’t say I don’t understand. Lately, I
really do. “The cuffs are keeping me alive and somewhat sane.”
“What’s it like being bonded and mated?”
Is that a shimmer of eager curiosity I’m seeing in those gold, silver, light green and light blue eyes? “It’s a bitch, dude. Without these cuffs, I’d either be on a murderous rampage through all the dimensions, or a weak, prostrated, bleeding-from-everywhere mess. And even with them, I feel like it’s a matter of time before that all happens anyway.”
“And Nylicia designed those?”
“Yeah.”
“Seems complicated and intricate. Wouldn’t a being need to have some kind of intimate knowledge of the symptoms to make it work?”
I’d never thought of that before, yet his point is valid. “Firsthand knowledge, I would say.” Holy shit. Is Nylicia mated to someone? Is that the reason we can only see a holographic version of her?
Zex scowls, the two piercings in his left eyebrow pulling tight. “Does Cyake’s future R’ma, Spari, resemble her sister?”
“They aren’t twins, but there’s no denying they’re sisters. You haven’t looked into Cyake’s mind to see her?”
That scowl turns my way. “That’s the thing. I tried. Just like her fucking sister, I can’t see a semblance of her in anyone’s mind either. As for searching the human databases? Her image comes up, but I can’t make out the details of it. Same as with every drawing I’ve ever received of the Watcher.”
Chapter 33
IANTHEN
O pening my eyes, I’m met with a view of my private chamber. The one the mind demons hooked me up with. As with everything else in this world, it’s a technological wonder, with the optic tubes inside the black floors and walls. Those tubes glow with tiny orbs of light flying through them at the speed of light—bits of information.
To my right is the open doors leading out to the balcony. Beyond it, the lights of the city, the backdrop of the huge full moon of this plane.
It doesn’t affect me like a full moon on Earth would since that’s the plane I was born in, but just looking at it ratchets me up nonetheless.
Or is it the knowledge that beyond the sliding doors to my left, Soleria’s sleeping in her own chambers?
Blood Drenched Conquest (Ryze Book 3) Page 28
