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Cain, too, would freak. He was probably searching for her right now, since Anabel would surely have alerted people to her disappearance. The news would have quickly reached him.
Saul threw her a look of incredulity. “You do not think that I truly believe you are Favored by Kali, do you?” He snickered. “I have come across a few revenants during the very long life I have lived, so I can be quite sure that you are not one.”
Wynter didn’t correct him. If he wanted to underestimate her and ignore her warnings, that was on him. And it would make it more fun when she proved him wrong. Small pleasures and all that jazz.
“I could have taken you a little further away from here, but no. I am going to kill you right in this very spot. Your blood will soak the ground. Your death will leave a mark on this place. And your body will be left for Cain to find.” Saul grinned. “I have been hanging around Devil’s Cradle long enough to hear that you are his new plaything.”
Wynter narrowed her eyes. He’d been hanging around awhile, huh? That explained why he was in such an unkempt state.
“He will not like that I have broken his toy. Just as I did not like it when he took my sister’s life.” Saul pointed a finger at her. “You are as much responsible for Lailah’s death as he is. You cursed Aeon. You ran here, dragging others into your mess. You forced us to come here to take you back.”
“Whoa, I didn’t force anyone to do anything. You chose to start a war, despite that you had other options. Lailah died because you all made the mistake of launching an attack on the Ancients and their home—that’s not on me.”
He snarled. “They shouldn’t even be alive. They should have been slaughtered long ago.”
“They should have slaughtered each other, you mean. That’s what you figured would happen when you helped cage them, right? You thought they’d turn on each other.”
Surprise rippled across his face. “Cage?”
“Not going to play dumb, are you? I know that the Ancients aren’t here by choice.” Cain had trusted her with that little titbit. “I know that you, Lailah, Abel, and Adam dumped them here and surrounded the place in an invisible shield they cannot break—a shield that’s reinforced by the Ancients’ blood. I also know that the deaths of you, your sister, Adam, and Abel would destroy that cage.” One down, three to go.
“And you think that would be a good thing?” Saul gave a fast shake of the head. “There is a reason we imprisoned them, and it was not simply to be cruel—though, yes, we found some satisfaction in it. The reality is that it is best for the world at large that they remain contained. Surely you have heard enough about them to know that it is necessary.”
She inwardly sighed. The Aeons were so very fond of tossing mud at the Ancients, accusing them of this and that. They even claimed that the Ancients had sold their souls to Satan—a rumor that many people believed, since the seven beings possessed the ability to grant a person their heart’s desire in exchange for their soul.
The Aeons had no such ability. The two camps of immortals were similar in several ways, though. They all lived underground, boasted impressive abilities, could Rest for centuries at a time, rarely ventured out during daylight, and had somehow lost the ability to procreate.
Did it bug Wynter that she was sleeping with a guy who might well have struck a deal with Satan? Maybe it should, but she wasn’t really in a position to judge. She’d made a bargain with a deity in a moment of rage and desperation. Kali wasn’t the ruler of hell, true, but She was no innocent either. Wynter hadn’t cared. She hadn’t cared how much destruction the monster would cause. She’d just wanted vengeance.
A taunting smirk curved Saul’s mouth. “You have no clue what you let fuck you.”
“Maybe I do.”
Saul shook his head, snorting. “If you knew what Cain was, you would never have let him touch you. You certainly would not have run to him for protection. And if you had not done such a thing, my sister would still be alive.”
Back to that again, were they? “I warned her that there would be consequences if she exiled me. She didn’t listen. That’s hardly my fault.”
Saul fisted his hands in anger, and the flickering ball in his hand fizzled out.
Finally.
He growled. “Do not try pinning the blame on her. It belongs to you and Cain. He will pay, but you will pay first. I am going to enjoy hurting you. I am going to enjoy butchering your body. And when I am done, I will . . .” He trailed off, frowning. Most likely because he’d noticed the black liquid ribbons wiggling across her eyeballs, signaling that her monster was ready to surface. His lips parted in surprise. “Not possible.”
“You sure about that?” she asked as yet more black tapers distorted her vision.
He was silent for a long moment. “Well, well, well.” He shrugged, unbothered. “Let it take over if you wish. I do not fear it. Kali’s little pets are bestial, feral entities who can kill with little to no effort, yes, but they would never escape such a net.”
Wynter smiled. “Who says I host one of her pets?”
Her world went black as her monster lunged.
Wynter’s body jolted as she came back to herself. She was still in the woods, but she was now alone. Saul was gone.
She glanced around, taking in the blood spatter on the soil and the bits of flesh here and there. Her monster tended to make a mess. Crimson stains also dotted her skin, hair, and clothes. Awesome.
She had no open seeping wounds, so the blood evidently wasn’t hers. She did sport a few scorch marks, making her think of the flaming hot orb that Saul had conjured. Although her monster had its own form, its injuries became hers when she resurfaced after a shift. Unfortunately.
There was nothing to indicate that her monster had dined on Saul, or that he was dead. No dismembered body parts or pools of blood were anywhere to be seen. He was injured for sure, though. Her guess? He’d escaped through a whirlwind thingy. Shame.
