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An unusually large number of soldiers congregated in the foyer, filling the area and surrounding Kanta, the male in charge.
What happened?
“Take your wolves north,” the dragon shifter shouted. “Send yours south. Yours east. Yours west. Put your vampires in every room of the catacombs. Set your Amazons loose in the forest.”
In that moment, Azar knew. The Underworld king and his oracle had visited.
He grunted.My mistake.He’d assumed Rathbone would be as easy to manage as before, when Azar’s blessing task had revolved around Lore’s original death. Then he’d had only to await the perfect chance to strike—when her husband and protector was busy winning a kingdom. Why wasn’t he there now, protecting it?
Azar should’ve known this go-round would be different. Lore’s demise had transformed him as well as Rathbone. Change brought, well, change.
Do not think of the goddess yet. Forget.
“Forget,” he echoed. But he forgot nothing. He never had, never would. That was his curse. To see his great shames and mistakes play in Technicolor detail for the rest of eternity.
Kanta noticed him and paused for a beat, momentarily disconcerted. Then the dragon shifter kicked into leadership mode again, completing his litany of orders. When he finished, he joined Azar.
“Tell me,” Azar demanded.
Fury grew in him as the other male outlined the events of the invasion. He balled his hands into fists. The oracle had made it inside the Hall of Secrets. What had she learned?
“The blame is mine,” Kanta said, raising his chin and squaring his shoulders. “I trusted her word.”
“No, you trusted your instincts, and I cannot fault you for it.” The shifter possessed the innate talent to detect truth and lies. The fact that Neeka tricked him meant she believed her own lies, or she wielded an ability greater than his. “I, too, made a critical error with the female.” Though Azar had already regrown his severed hand, the sting of humiliation had yet to lessen. “Continue on. Alert me when you find their trail.” He didn’t await a response. Knowing the shifter obeyed without question, Azar marched off.
Anyone in his path moved out of his way fast. He could’ve flashed to the Hall, but he required the extra minutes of foot travel to prepare himself for what was to come: an onslaught of voices soon to join the others. A permanent part of his life, no matter how terrible.
Had he known he would be forced to kill Lore a second time, he might’ve done this ages ago.
When he reached the red door, tension gouged him. A strike more crushing than those delivered by any enemy. Considering he and his Astra brothers had fought and conquered every species currently living in Nova, he’d overcome a wealth of powerful foes. Kanta was an excellent example. The shifter was able to torch entire cities in a matter of minutes, summon smoke storms and control others with his voice, and yet, Azar had defeated the male on the field of battle. He might have lost limbs in the process, but he’d still rather do that than this.
Deep breath in. Out. Azar turned the knob and entered the Hall. The flood of voices crashed into him, and he wavered on his feet. Fighting to stand, he crossed from one end of the corridor to the other. He struggled to keep his thoughts centered on Rathbone, Lore, and Neeka and block out the rest of the chatter. The more stalwart his focus, the faster he would draw information featuring the trio.
One whisper merged into another, his ears twitching each time he identified the objects of his study.
I don’t care what she’s calling herself. That’s her. Jezebel the Destroyer. I know it. I served in her temple as a child, and I’ve never forgotten her wretched face.
As soon as he finishes carving a bone, take it. You’ll be unable to destroy even the smallest fragment, so you will sell some and hide others. Convince me you understand your mission.
If he’s anything like his father, his greatest strength and weakness are the same—his eyes. Blind him, and you can do whatever you wish to him.
You wed her. Now you own her. Give her the remaining doses at once. If she dies, she dies. If she survives, she’ll be able to withstand your fire at last and you can bed her anytime you wish.
She ruined me! Built me up then tore me down. She’ll do the same to him. I just have to outlast him.
When he learns about the child—
A hard rap echoed from the walls. Azar jerked and spun toward the source. Clarity came. Someone stood on the other side of the red door. Only Kanta would dare. Meaning Rathbone and Neeka had been found.
Dizzy from information overload, Azar wiped the sweat from his brow and hurried from the enclosure. He tried to blank his mind and failed. What he’d heard...
What was true and what was a lie someone told someone else? What mattered, what didn’t? At least he’d recognized two of the voices. The male who’d commanded demons to take the bones and the king who’d considered himself ruined. Erebus, who still lived, and Styx, who didn’t.
The tidbit about Jezebel disturbed Azar. Jezebel was a goddess of passion and treachery. A malevolent seducer who left destruction and devastation in her wake. He’d never met her, but he’d certainly heard tales. A lover of legions, a stealer of spouses, and worst of all parasites. After empowering a partner, she syphoned every drop of strength so subtly, they never suspected what had transpired until it was too late.
Was Lore actually Jezebel? She definitely fit the bill.
Deal with the king and his oracle, then figure it out.
