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“Proof enough.” Neo jerks his head in a nod and cradles the top of her head. I curl my Halo currents around his shades because I know what he’s about to do.
The Goddess said I would not face Thanatos, not Death. I would face Destruction. If I don’t act now, he will destroy her twinkle of a heart.
Destruction fingers her dirty blonde hair, shrugging before directing his gaze to the inner circle. He picks her up and carries her there to where he deals his version of justice. My heartbeat gallops in my ears, raging out of control. Pulse burning. Breath pounding drumbeats in my ears. She is but one grain of sand in an hourglass, squeezing into the slit as her time runs out.
For the first time, I sense the former-bonded souls of Death and Destruction treading close to one another. Invisible to all but me thanks to our bond. The tremulous dark haze of Death abides in the Inner Circle, awaiting his younger brother’s Destruction table scraps while Death courts the heaviest burden. Neo’s muscles bulge, his shoulders tight from what he believes he must do.
All the Court stirs, eager for their destructive Prince to work his skill…even upon the innocent.
Raw emotion and power hum under my skin. Slamming my eyes shut and sucking in a deep breath, I unleash my Halo-light to suffocate Neo’s shades—and rise to my feet in one Father-fucking monarchial move.
With his past words wrought into my very blood and flesh like a bridal seal—You are a Princess. My equal in every respect. You will always behigherthan me, Elysia. You are the Halo-Bearer, the Everblood.—I stand!
Rippling murmurs and all laughter choked, the entire Court stills as I boldly approach the Inner Circle. An even greater transgression than my exalting myself to a higher position before him within the viewing box balcony. Girded in blazing beacons of Halo-light with heat pulsating through my entire body, I embark into the realm of Destruction. Earning every single eye in the arena.
The bond unlocks. Neoptolemus opens the door, his shades struggling to emerge through my holy fire bathing him. He sweeps inside like the brush of a raven’s dark wings, bending before my righteous glow. Still, I descend the staircase as if I’m in a trance. I descend into the lower dais of the Inner Circle where the Prince stands as fixed and frozen as a god statue, similar to the Father ones surrounding us.
With my Halo like a million stars shimmering from my flesh and blood, radiating from my chest, I stride past Neoptolemus, who has no choice but to lower his eyes from my blinding light. In this moment, I am not Ezer to be his shield. I am not here to protect him from danger.
I am the Everblood, the Halo-healer. Even with Death waiting in the wings to welcome her one-in-a-billion-soul into his domain, I ignite my angelic flames and command Thanatos to his knees. His shade form bows before me while Neoptolemus’ eyes nearly self-destruct to my maddening power.
Unwavering, I strengthen my muscles and lower my head to take the girl’s face in my hands. No words, I rub away her silent tears and slowly lean in to kiss her eyes, the windows of her soul—my Halo-healing kiss.
A million blessed breath prayers from my mind unite with a million blessed golden arrows from my chest to inject deep into her skin. Full-bodied tremors explode within me. Together, those prayers and arrows cast out the Scourge, repair her flesh, and annihilate the blood tears from her eyes.
“You have no power over her!” I profess in a voice like the seraphim, like the cherubim, like the mighty Nephilim warriors of old.Myrobe of light mantles her shoulders.MyHalo torpedoes through the whole arena like a missile—one that transforms into a shower of constellations to burn the heads of every vampire until they fall.
I bring the whole Court to its knees!
Finally, the last stars rocket from my chest. Once the girl’s eyes open with no blood tears and healthy blushing flesh, the last of my strength ebbs. Undone, my breath labored, I fall into the familiar arms of my husband. Too exhausted for surprise. Because, for the first time, his eyes have become silver mist—not scythes.
Somehow, I resolve not to pass out from using a surge of Halo power. Instead, I huddle up in Neoptolemus’ arms as he dips his head low, brow kissing mine. But my very heart shivers when he purrs a low promise, “You will pay for that, Elysia. Inblood.”
Chapter5
The most beautiful kiss I could ever imagine. A kiss of Elysium
Dazed when Neo carries me across the threshold, I comb through my glittery thoughts, wondering if it was all true. Did I really crack Neo’s Court?
For some reason, I remember my power detonating through the arena, not just to sprinkle holy embers upon the Father’s children, but it also fissured the bone pillars and fractured the Father’s statues surrounding the Inner Circle. When one crashed, Neo unleashed his wings and carted me up to his glorious throne. He’dprotectedme. Even now, the memory causes me to shudder, to whimper.
“Forgive mysecond-wife,” he’d roared at the audience even as I was trembling in his arms, stroking my cheek to my halo mark in his chest. “Her jealousy toward my true bride has led her to some extremist sexual passions. Perhaps we should give her a guest spot onHades.”
Despite how the Court had laughed at the joke, I could still feel the undercurrent of my power in the bone powder dusting the air from my cracks, the Father’s shattered statues in the Inner Circle, and how the knights had led the restored girl away. I’d gone so far as to tap Neo’s jaw and hummed, “I don’t think they bought it, Neo.”
Now, he ushers me into his bedroom where his shades massage my body, bearing up my neck when my fatigued head falls, curls tumbling over his arm. Gold dust pirouettes from my skin to tempt Neo’s shades.
Slowly, he lowers my fatigued body into the dark expanse of his bed. Sheets fresh and pulled back, to the familiar scent of incense and vetiver…but not deep water. I sigh, knowing it’s been too long since he visited the grotto, our Soul Pool. For some reason, deathly roses clothed in frost haunt my senses with longing.
Desperate to stay centered, for this first true glimpse of care from Neo to last, I tug his arm before he can leave, desiring his strength—those powerful muscles surrounding me…his bulwark of wings.
To my great astonishment, Neo pauses, roams his gaze to my fingers, then sweeps his eyes across my painted bodice to settle on the Grail ring nestled between my bosom. Heat flushes my cheeks, betraying how much I still want him.
Sighing, the Prince of Destruction climbs into the bed, weaving his right hand around my head and tucking it under my chin so his well-muscled forearm drapes around my neck. The other secures my waist, jerking me back until his pelvis nudges the base of my spine. Well…notjusthis pelvis, especially when he idly traces the outline of my breast, rubbing its swell. I’ll allow that. Warm butterflies erupt in my belly.
“Mmm…” I moan and try to arch my neck so I may eye him, but Neo grunts and tightens his forearm, giving my breast swell a slight pinch in warning.
It’s the first time in months that his drawbridge lowers. His blood bond tether cinches around me and grants me entrance for him to growl in my mind, For once in your damned existence, couldn’t you stay on your knees?
