Chapter One
Bale
I stoodat the edge ofthedarkness and leaned forward to peer into the unknown. Though I’d been here countless times before, and the darkness had haunted me since I was a child, I had no idea what lay within or beyond the fathomless pit of night below me.
Was it as endless as it appeared?
After centuries of dreaming about this place, I should have learned what secrets the darkness concealed, but it was as much of a mystery to me now as when I was a child. There was a reason I had this recurring dream, a reason why the darkness haunted me so; I just didn’t know what it was.
Was this place a premonition? I’d never had a premonition come from a dream before. They usually came in small flashes until the pieces fell into place and I knew what they were telling me. And lately, they hadn’t told me anything.
They’d also never told me anything about this place. This dream, and the darkness, had haunted me for most of my life. Like every other time I had the dream, I peered over the edge of the darkness into the nothingness below as a cold sweat coated my body, my heart hammered, and my mouth went dry.
I had no idea what lay down there. I’d resigned myself to the fact I might never know, buteverytime I found myself here, unreasonable terror gripped me. Ever since my encounter with Wrath, I’d found myself here more often.
Before our fight in the minotaur’s cave, the darkness only came to me a dozen times a year. Since realizing Wrath was my Chosen, I’d found myself standing at the edge of this great unknown nightly.
Leaning forward, I strained to see through the darkness so I could learn what lay below, but, like always, I saw nothing. There was no parting of the way, no sudden awareness; there was absolutelynothingbut the booming thunder of my heart.
There had never been a reason to fear anything here; nothing more than this had ever happened in these dreams, but even after all these years, I still couldn’t control my visceral reaction to this place. The darkness was coming to me more and more often, and it was only a matter of time before it consumed me.
“We’re back here again,” a voice drawled from behind me.
I spun so fast my heel went over the edge of the pit and my weight shifted back. My arms wheeled as I tried to catch my balance and threw myself forward. I was desperate to learn the answer to what lay below, but I had a feeling that once I toppled over the edge, I would never return.
When I caught my balance, I scowled at the arrogant prick standing across from me. A small, cruel smile curved the corner of Wrath’s alluring mouth as his black eyes shone with amusement.
Hatred and desire burned through me in equal measure as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the rock wall behind him. That rock wall had never existed in my dream before. Usually, it was me, the darkness, and nothing but shadows encompassing us. Recently, Wrath had been showing up too. I hated that more than my recurring nightmare of this place.
“Why does it hold such fascination for you?” he asked. “What’s down there?”
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“Are you ever going in there?”
Yes.I did not doubt that. Even after all these centuries of never being able to climb down, of unknowing and uncertainty, one day, the time would come when I would go in there. Iwouldlearn the answer to what lay below. I both longed for and dreaded that day.
Before I could reply, Wrath moved to stand in front of me. He was so fast and, even in a dream, so powerful that I felt it rippling across my skin as it caused goose bumps to break out on my arms. Whereas my mouth was dry before, it suddenly watered as he loomed over me and rested his hands on my hips.
I suppressed a shiver of revulsion and lust when his fingers skimmed under my shirt to my flesh. I should hate this man; Ididhate this man and everything he represented, but I was finding it increasingly difficult to resist him in these dreams.
I’d spent my whole life fighting Lucifer, fallen angels, and traitorous demons like him. I loathed everything he represented, his selfishness, and the destruction he and his fellow horsemen left in their wake.
Yet, I couldn’t stop myself from almost melting beneath his hands as they stroked the waistband of my pants. I should push him away, but I found myself unable to move.
He lowered his head to whisper in my ear. “Are you ready for the answers to your questions?”
He wasn’t talking about the darkness, but I couldn’t form a reply. As part fire demon, I couldn’t produce fire, but I could withstand its flames. I wished I could withstand him so easily too.
It’s only a dream.
But if I couldn’t push him away in a dream, how was I ever going to refuse him when I saw him again?
I had no doubt I would see him again outside of my dreams. He would come for me. If not because I was his Chosen, but to make me pay for running him through with my sword. A swordhestill possessed, and Iwouldget it back.
That reminder rankled me enough to brush away his hands and take a step back toward the darkness behind me. At five foot nine and a half, I was tall for a woman, but I had to tip my head back to look at him. This movement of my head was one more thing that annoyed me about him.
Taller by a good six inches and broad through the shoulders,everythingabout him was so overwhelming. However, I was aware enough to acknowledge it wasn’t the size of him that was so overwhelming; it was the way he made me feel things no one had ever made me feel.
