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“I didn’t know the Corrupted could speak.” His hand reaches for the second glass.
“They don’t.” I slowly tilt my head to the side, curious to see if he plans to throw yet another glass. The smoky scent wafting from the fireplace swirls into the room as the flames continue to pop against the wood.
“Why do you want me?” he rushes out as his eyes stare wildly at mine.
With a sigh, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t ask questions; you are nothing more than a task to complete.”
“So, you’re what…like, a lapdog who does the dirty work?” The sneer distorting his face is almost amusing.
I must admit that I feel a twinge of admiration for his bravery in confronting someone like me, a monster, so recklessly. Nevertheless, I can’t shake the sense of unease that is starting to churn in my stomach. After this, I will never again be anyone’s obedient servant, because I now possess my own powers. But until this is over, I have to tread carefully.
Whiro cannot suspect my true intentions—that I hunger to claim his power for myself. He has initiated a new game, and he assumes he’s already won. However, what if the opponent has been biding her time? Quietly positioning her pawns until she can revive herself and master her abilities? Becoming a silent killer, but that means no one can know that this game is far from over.
I narrow my eyes at the male before me, taking my time before responding. He has no idea what demon is standing before him, yet I still indulge his question. “For now, but death isn’t what I consider dirty work… It’s a beautiful form of art, watching what kind of expression will be painted across one’s face when their life is moments away from ending.”
His brows furrow from my response. I quickly conjure a ball of black, fiery shadows and aim it at his hand, creating a distraction by shattering the glass he’s holding into a million pieces. His mouth falls open at the same time I command a tendril of power to snake tightly around his body, while another coils around his mouth to stop him from uttering a sound.
With calm focus, I open a shimmering portal to take us to Gehendra. I drag him towards the opening, and with one final step, we enter the portal and emerge back into Whiro’s realm.
CHAPTER SIX
Emma
It’s a shock to the system to enter Gehendra from another realm with how deathly still the air feels. But the sense of wrongness that slithers over my skin is stronger near the Sea of Souls, with how the scent of jasmine invades my entire body. It’s a pretty flower that weeps with grief for every heart silenced in its presence.
I let the Fae male drop and roll along the stone as I unwind my shadows from him. Whiro’s back is to us, and the Fae has yet to notice his presence, but I get the sense he can feel it. Every muscle in his body tightens when he braces his hand on the ground, curling his fingertips in.
“What is this place?” he grinds out between his teeth, refusing to lift his head to look at me.
“My home.” Whiro’s voice vibrates through the silence, bouncing off stone and making the Fae’s head snap up.
I often wonder what the first thought is in one’s mind when they come across Whiro. Do they feel immediate fear to make their lungs lock up? Do they feel anger and the desire to attack? Or maybe shock of being in the presence of one so powerful. But for this male, he seems to understand the level of danger his life is in without being given any other information.
“Why am I here?” There’s a slight shake in his voice even though his face looks unfazed when he finally chooses to tip his head back.
Whiro turns around, walking to stand a foot in front of him. “To appease my interests, for you escaped the fate that comes from my Scavengers.” He clicks his tongue. “And I’m not in a forgiving mood.”
His words make me wonder if he can sense who his Scavengers spread the curse to, since they are created directly from his power. I refrain from asking and let that thought crumble to dust as if it never existed.
The Fae pushes himself upright to stand, his breathing becoming harsher as he gasps for air. The impact of the realm is already weighing heavily on his weakening body. His chest rises and falls rapidly as he stares at the figure in front of him and asks, “How do you— Wait. Who are you?”
I remain rooted in place, a blank expression on my face as Whiro’s grin turns sinister. “I’m the God of Darkness.” He takes a gliding step closer and his shadows swirl under his skin. “But I do despise unnecessary chatter.” He whips his hand out and latches it around the Fae’s throat. “So, enough talking.”
Whiro slowly raises the male until his feet hover off the cave’s floor. The male’s hand grabs hold of Whiro’s to try and pry himself free. “I–I—” his words get cut off when Whiro tightens his hold.
A bored sigh leaves my blue-tinted lips. “Maybe we should let him say what he wishes.” I gather the ends of my tunic and twist it in my hands and squeeze. Water trickles out and splashes against my boots until a few drops remain, and then I repeat the process on the other side.
“Why is that, Daughter?”
The Fae’s eyes bulge farther out of his skull than they already are at the realization of our relation. His veins stand out and pulse aggressively from Whiro’s grip.
My father only looks at the male with boredom as I speak. “I’m intrigued, and he can’t possibly escape. So, his fate will remain the same.”
Power vibrates around his body and the blood coursing through Whiro grows darker beneath his skin, seeming to come alive in the silence between us. He drops the male onto the ground. The sound of bones hitting stone is muted with a deep groan as he curls on his side.
“I was saved,” the Fae grunts out between harsh breaths. “The shadowed male saved me and my mate from a gruesome death. I don’t understand why you are targeti—"
A tendril of midnight lashes out and plunges down his throat, silencing him. “Insufferable. You are an example of what happens to those who run from me once they are marked.” Whiro turns to face me. His swirling gaze penetrates through skin and bone, piercing straight into my deadened soul. “Throw him in.” His head nudges towards the Sea of Souls.
