This close to what?
If the god of the dead himself was nervous for me, why the hell was I down here?
To kill a god, apparently. This Wednesday may be one of the weirdest yet, and I’ve cavorted about with vampires, and gods.
“What has he done?” I asked quietly, before stepping out, showing I could handle it. But could I? Could I really do this? Kill a god? But if he was a threat, wouldn't it be better for everyone? Or was I just trying to convince myself?
A different male voice answered. “Hehas lived too goddamn long.”
Something about the voice sent a shiver down my spine. While it had a masculine timbre, there was something unhinged about it. The cadence of his words bounced unevenly, irreverently.
Grim sighed and gestured for me to enter further.
The long, narrow room extended to either side of me. Ten feet in front of me were the bars of a massive cage. Inside the cage was mostly darkness, but the floors and walls in there were concrete like the entrance chamber.
I’m not one to shake in my boots, but I suddenly wished I’d worn flats or maybe heels instead of the lace-up shit-kickers I favored on off-hours because I was shaking in them now. Power pulsed against me, threatening to push me back and out of this place.
“So you are a god of your word, Grim,” the same voice said from within the darkness. “Brought the mortal woman to kill me?”
“Is today a good day, or a bad day?” Grim asked in a gruff tone.
There was a trickle of creepy laughter before it halted suddenly. “I’ve had worse,” the same mysterious voice answered in a dark, bitter tone. “Looks like it’s about to get a whole hell of a lot better.”
My grip tightened on the hilt of my blade. “I haven’t agreed to kill anyone.”
Silence fell, and my breath turned shallow. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as I stared deep into the darkness, but I didn’t see anything.
Whoever, or whatever, was in there was dangerous. It was ancient, and it melded into the shadows. The energy filling the room made my body feel strange, and the chaotic swirl made me feel dizzy and nauseous.
I edged closer to the bars, my heart pounding. I needed to see what was inside. Staring harder into the darkness, I tried to detect an outline or any movement, but there was only inky blackness.
CLANG.
A body slammed into the bars in front of me, causing me to jerk back. My heart leapt up into my throat. One moment there was nothing, and now there was a bare-chested man pressed against the bars. No, not a man. A god. A hazy glow surrounded the figure.
Ocean blue eyes captured me like a tracking beam. The air shifted around me as his scent invaded my senses–a potent mix of saltwater and sandalwood filled my nostrils. It was wild, invigorating, stirring a strange warmth within me.
His strong fingers gripped the bars. Wide nail beds. I found wide nail beds appealing. His abs formed a washboard and his navel was halfway to an outie.
Xander was as painfully gorgeous as any god. He had a body built for speed, dexterity, and power.
There were also the hundreds of scars across his chest. Like someone took a knife and sliced his flesh over and over again, leaving behind countless pale lines.
He was dangerous, there was no doubt about that, but there was something in his eyes that made my heart race for a different reason. An unseen thread seemed to weave between us, binding us in an intimate connection. It pulsed like a current, a magnetic pull I couldn’t deny.He’s a god, Miranda. You are a mortal. All gods are beautiful and alluring to better sway you to worship them. Don’t fall into the trap.
But his eyes, so intense, unsettle me in ways unfamiliar and uncharted.
The air thickened around me and electric energy raced along my skin, each charge a reminder of the power that was trying to force itself on me. The electricity in the air surged and sparks spat out, sending searing heat through my skin. My muscles tensed as my instinct to flee was overruled—I had no choice but to stay put. I felt a magnetic pull towards him.
My eyes widened as I fought against it, but what I saw in his gaze made me clench my fists in fear. His blue irises bore into mine, trapping me in their depths. Their striations seemed to move and swell like ink spilled in dark choppy waters--threatening to pull me under its cresting wave. I gasped for breath, struggling to keep my head above the overwhelming tide.
They ensnared me, drawing me into their depths with an intensity I hadn’t expected.
Breathe, dammit.
While I couldn’t pull out of the gravity of his eyes enough to even register the rest of the god’s face, I saw curiosity, or maybe surprise, flicker in his gaze.
Don’t step back. Do not retreat, Miranda. Remember, you are a badass.
