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Victus glanced at the pile of skulls and bones and his eyes widened. He had no idea what his fate would have been. He didn’t have the divine sword so he would have died.
“State your purpose.” the drakon asked Victus.
“I’m here to find the Gate Key.”
“Why?” I grabbed his silk tunic by his collarbone. “What are you going to do with it?”
He lowered his gaze to where I had fisted a ball of his shirt, then met mine, cold and unyielding. “Asmodeus had Nadira kidnapped and he wants me to bring the Gate Key in exchange for her.”
No matter if Nadira was a vampire, she was still an innocent child who deserved to live. She loved her little doll, and she’d been so helpless before my blood healed her. Victus, Nina, Kara, and I were so afraid for her. That was the moment we all had a common bond.
We had to protect all the children, regardless of who had spawned them.
I let go and my heart softened. “Asmodeus sent you here to die. Not to find the Gate Key. He gave my sword back because he knew if I didn’t have it, my bones would end up in that pile.”
Victus’s fists clenched to his sides and his irises flickered crimson. “Then won’t he be surprised when I come back alive with the key you’re going to help me find.”
Not a request but a command.
I backed away, closer to the drakon. “Why would I do that? I’m your enemy, remember? I told you I wanted to work together to bring Asmodeus down, but you refused. Then you had me stabbed and tossed me in the dungeon.”
He sauntered toward me with that confident smirk. “So you don’t have the key yet. I wasn’t sure, but now I know.” He tilted his head as if in thought. “What is Asmodeus giving you in return?” He narrowed his eyes, then tilted his head again. Before I could reply, he said, “To free that angel, whatever his name is. Now it makes sense. Let me help you and we can bring Asmodeus down together.”
I crossed my arms. “Now you want to play nice?”
His smug grin spread. “I always play nice. I didn’t bite you no matter how much you wanted me to.”
If you believe I’m your enemy, then bite me. What I had told him, but he didn’t.
His playful tone toward the end confused me, but he had to be on my good side.
I scoffed, but my cheeks flamed hot. I was too embarrassed and ashamed at myself. I had wanted him to bite me from being aroused when we slammed each other down the hallway at his lair when I tried to escape.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” I whirled to face the darkness and began walking ahead. And I could have sworn I heard a soft chuckle and squeaks from the mice coming by the pile of skulls.
When I flashed a quick glance toward them, they had all disappeared. Strange.
“Drakon, let me in through the beyond.” I sauntered across the stone bridge with no fear but with a purpose.
The drakon slinked gracefully into the water with its head sticking out, then blew its breath to the ceiling. The body of water levitated and spun around us, creating a tunnel of water.
Mist kissed my face as the wind blew. In fluid speed, Victus reached where I stood and walked beside me.
About twelve feet from us on the stone bridge, the same golden drakon stood before us, its claws clanking on the stone bridge, but the creature had shrunk to about our size.
The drakon’s whiskers twitched and the horns on its head became more visible, then its gilded scales peeled off the creature like delicate flakes of snow and drifted with the wind, revealing a gorgeous woman with shimmering golden hair draping down in front of her alabaster dress. She glowed in a halo light. So ethereal and mesmerizing.
Was this her true form?
“Who are you?” I asked.
She ignored me and said in a delicate but otherworldly tone, “I am the moon and the sun, night and day. I am the beginning and the end, life and death. I allow you both on this bridge because your hearts are good.”
I stole a quick glance at Victus, and he did the same to me. As I believed he didn’t deserve to be here, he must think the same of me. But I’d always knew there was some goodness in him from the way he cared for his people, and especially Nadira. I just didn’t want to admit it.
The drakon lady continued. “I am the keeper of this gateway, and nothing happens by chance. You’re both here for a reason, even if your motivation to retrieve the key had been fashioned by your enemy. But be aware, the Gate Key can either bring salvation or damnation. Do not allow it to fall into the wrong hands. In order to survive through the veil, you must embrace the darkness and the light. What you will find in the unknown is your deepest darkest secrets.”
“I don’t have any.” I wiped the mist off my face. If I did, no way would I want the vamp to know. “But I don’t know about him.” I raised an eyebrow at Victus.
