AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He reached for me, as if he were going to travel with me. His eyes were intent. For a second, I hesitated. I wanted to be alone when I went to the darkest places in my world and in my own heart, and so did all of these men.
But maybe we needed each other most in the darkness.
It was too late. The world lurched, and I was gone. My stomach turned inside-out as the darkness moved around me, and then I stumbled beneath that oppressive stone ceiling, surrounded by sleeping Scourge.
At least my entire underworld was composed of shadows, and shadows were power.
The Scourge roused and watched me menacingly as I walked through their ranks, carrying their fallen leader. Some of them started toward me with violence in their gaze.
I stuck my tongue out at them and shadow traveled.
At the door to the castle, I turned around and saw them staring around in confusion. An enormous grin spread across my face.
I turned back to find Tor and Kessily gawking at me from the enormous arched doorway, knit together of a million bones.
“I brought you a gift.” I lifted my hands off Zehr, and his long body slipped from my shoulders.
Tor jumped forward to grab him, but he caught him awkwardly, and Zehr still smacked into the ground a bit. He let out a small moan in his sleep, stirring as if he would wake. Tor turned those empty eyes toward me, a wounded look written across his misshapen features.
Zehr was immortal. And he had crossed me. I wasn’t worried about him getting slightly dented. I added, “If you want him.”
“He left us.” Kessily stared down at him. “He was dying, and he ran to… you.”
She raised her gaze to mine, unable to avoid sneering. She didn’t seem like she could parse the thought he’d chosen me.
“You would have told him that was a bad idea,” I agreed. “And he should have listened to you.”
Tor scooped Zehr up, looking worried. He asked me, “What are you doing here?”
I waved my hand airily, indicating the bone castle. “I couldn’t stay away. It’s so atmospheric. And of course, I love Zehr.”
The words were all mockery, but the faintest smile curved Zehr’s pale lips. As if he was having pleasant dreams. As if he heard me. As if he’d known that already.
I should have dropped him harder.
“The Scourge are killing him.” Tor said.
It was funny he was one of the Scourge, and yet he spoke of them as if they were something else. As if his life wasn’t drawn from that dark magic that clung to Zehr, filling the air in his kingdom with its earthy, burnt scent and the electric sense of its power.
I poked Zehr with the toe of my boot, but he seemed to have faded back into unconsciousness. “They should hurry. It’s taking an awfully long time, and I’m bored.”
Kessily gave me a sharp-eyed look. “But that’s why you brought him back here. To help him.”
I scoffed. “To helpmyself.Carry him up to his room.”
Tor bristled. “You’re not my queen. You betrayed him—”
“And yet he chose me,” I cut in brutally. It had been a long day, and I’d used up mynicenesscarrying the zombie king, who was 1) heavy and 2) an asshole. “I betrayed him, and yet he loves me more than he loves anyone else… in his own terrible way. And he would want you to obey me the way you obeyed him, Tor, so carry his ass up the stairs.”
Tor and Kessily both stared at me in shock.
I shooed Tor toward the stairs, and after a heartbeat where I wasn’t sure if he would rip my throat out or not, he growled and carried away the Scourge king.
“I’m going to take a bath.” I needed a moment before I dealt with Zehr. I needed about athousandmoments before I dealt with Zehr, but I’d take what I could get, especially if it involved luminous bubbles.
“I’ll send Pedra,” Kessily said.
“No need,” I said. “No thank you.”
