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At the base of the staircase, she touches his arm. While his shades and flames ride her like a carousel, she stands on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his neck. Her lips seem swollen, and I understand it’s due to the aftermath of their honeymoon.
“What an encouragement to see you in a better mood after you debased our bed earlier,” Neo mocks me, upper lip curling to glimmer a fang.
“Oh, you mean my Satan’s sacrificial waterfall?” I hint and stand with my hands on my hips, reveling when his eyes roam to my painted breasts. “Perhaps I can fill your bath tonight, Neo.”
“Um…” Quillion’s words trip over themselves as he tugs at his ascot. “The Satan comment, Neo…I—” he rubs his chin.
“Just give her a damn hundred,Bishop…” Neo seethes before slinking his hand around Lux’s waist, but when she winces, he sighs and stops. I pinch my eyes, focusing on one of her marks…or several since so much of her skin is exposed.
Yes, sweet Ezer…Nita tries to assuage my suspicions, my mortification.There are one hundred andonefang marks in all, including his. The same road map as yours. And he has sunk his fangs into every last one throughout their honeymoon. One hundred days and one hundred marks.
I bristle but make my way to Nita to continue our mental conversation while granting Neo a decent view of my painted back.Just saying…when this is all said and done, when I put your damned origin in the ground and close up the Chasm, I’d better get a one-hundred andone-day honeymoon!
Valhalla will be yours if you desire it.
“Elysia…” Lux’s voice sparkles behind me.
The guttural low growl in Nita’s throat is not lost on me. Lux approaches me, but I stay Nita’s protective instincts because Lux is inevitably a pawn of the Father. Regal, I raise my chin because this silicone halo hussy won’t intimidate me. Not even with the spider web-like lace that barely covers her breasts and sweeps to curve along her sex—a simple gauzy lining covering her privates. Long and sinuous, white drapes cascade from her hips to exhibit her swan-white legs. She also wears a single birdcage lace veil over her eyes, whatever that’s about.
Lux clasps my hands and stands on her tiptoes to kiss my cheeks. I steel my spine as the soft feathered wings of her circlet crown brush my crowned hair. “I know I am first-wife, and your history with my husband has beentempestuous, but I truly hope we may all be family.” She squeezes my hands, her gold eyes glistening with tears. “I dream of the sound of our children’s laughter filling the Tenth Court!” I guffaw at that last statement, swallowing back bile, ready to interrupt when she continues sing-songing, “Of course, I’ll have the oldest ones and the most as theshiningfirst choice for Neo’s bed.”
Steady, Elysia,Nita declares in my head.Remember the end goal: his heart. Be that Ezer Queen I know you are. You will command his throneandoverthrow her pedestal.
Adopting Ezer, I lean in to touch my lips to Lux’s cheek, tap her shoulder, and sweetly banter, “Because that worked out so well for RachelandLeah, didn’t it?” Not that I am Rachel or Leah, but it’s still a blessing to watch Lux’s cheeks flush right before I flick one of her ghostly white tresses and saunter past Neo, beaming.
Before I can escape, he seizes my arm, smoldering those silver blades right onto my gold-ringed thrones. Nita hisses from the invasion, but I shake my head to her and face Neo, burning my eyes against his.
“You will treat my first-wife with the respect she deserves, my bride,” he growls through gritted teeth. “Or we will see how well you can playBathshebato my David.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. That fucker didnot!
Behind me, Quillion tilts his fedora down over his eyes because he can’t bear to watch.
I give you full credence to emasculate him, Ezer,Nita liberates me.Any punishment will fall on my back.
So, I raise myself proud and sure—higher than him—clutch the Grail ring between my breasts, and pronounce with my chin high, “The next time you get the urge to try anddebase me, Neo, remember that David had to sendsoldiersto bring Bathsheba to him. And shefreelyleft David the morningafter.Because she never fucking wanted to be there in the first place. And she still ended up commanding his throne as histruefirst wife at the end while he went on to ruin.”
Kitty fans herself, Quillion gives me another hundred, and Nita…bows at the waist. A low, deep growl buds in the Prince’s throat, but I wrinkle my nose and twist my arm from his grip. Chest tight and muscles tense, I flip him off and head for the breakfast hall, already plotting how I’ll get Thanatos back for the “he will scentdeathvsDeath” mis-capitalization.
Chapter4
From the depths of my pure-blooded heart, I cannot allow Death to take her
Despite how the Prince spent the entire breakfast serving Lux at the head of the table, nothing can mess with my ‘red sun’ victory. Not even when Neo stands at the end, narrows his deadly hooded eyes to slits, and commands me, “You will come to Court today. I wish to keep my eye on you.” Neo knits his brows low and snaps his head to Quillion. “My bishop will escort you both…”
Nita rises to confront her brother, stalking around the table where his back faces her. “Neo, for the love of the Goddess!”
Something is lost on me. Some mental stream she has read in his mind, but Neo swings back to his sister, seething, “It is that Goddess’ blessing inherheart that is my greatest curse, Nita. And she will learn to respect me in my Court.”
“OurCourt,” Nita reminds him of their significant bond—one bought and paid for with their blood that dark night in the dungeon where Neo’s Dragon came face to face with Nita’s Hydra. Her curled, keen horns stab the air as if reminding him of how he’d signed away his Destruction license to his Father so he could buy Nita’s freedom.
I study Neo’s body language. How the tension in his shoulders abates for a few precious moments when he stalemates with Nita. Even from the side, I discern how his mouth curves down, his eyes turning to soft silk—alert to a fresh wound. Wounds his Dragon had caused and the ones she’d grown her alters from.
“Nita…” his voice is tender as he pronounces her name, and I close my eyes and slow-tiptoe into the backdoor of our bond, asking and seeking but not knocking yet.
I lurch when Nita tethers my consciousness into their bond, folding around me like a net of silver blood.Neo, welove,she repeats from our history the first time he asked her about her opinion of me, desperate for her approval.
I do not.His words destroy my hopes, dimming my Halo currents to a deep place that only dreams of lovely and dark. I curl my fingers along my aching throat and bite back tears as Nita combats Neo.
