Eternity of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 3) Page 2

  Ashor’s arms were steady and strong as they held me to his chest. “No, not really,” he admitted, descending toward the ground near the opposite side of the castle. It had been far faster for him to fly us than it would have been to trek through the expansive halls and twisted stairs.

  I snorted, more at myself than Ashor. It had been a foolish notion thinking I could find a way to save him, to break the oath he took to the Wild Hunt. How stupid it had been to think for even a moment that Ashor and I could leave this all behind.

  “I won’t have you blaming yourself,” he said, reading my thoughts. His feet touched the ground, and he banished his wings, his demon receding back inside him. “This was my choice.”

  Just as it had been my choice to come back to Hell. It was on the tip of my tongue to beg him to leave, to abandon his court as Angel had done, but I knew it wouldn’t fix our problems. His mother was still seeking supreme, a position that allowed her to rule over all courts and destroy my world.

  My thoughts turned to my family, to Angel and the little baby she carried, my niece or nephew. For their sake, I had only one choice. I had to stay here and defeat the Queen of Darkness. It was the only way to ensure my niece or nephew had a future worth living—a world not overrun by demons. If Kali did win this war, would Chase’s baby grow up more demon than human?

  Ashor set me on my feet in front of a beautiful white door, the archway framed with curling ivy and a pair of twin stone snakes. Twigs carved out of gold donned the handle. The prince’s fingers wrapped around the intricate handle and pulled open the door, revealing breathtaking chambers, but I was too tired to give the sitting room more than a fleeting glance.

  Cool fingers slipped under my elbow, guiding me through the room to another door in the corner. This one led to a bedroom fit for a queen.

  A queen. I whirled around, facing Ashor. “Are these her rooms?”

  His features were a picture of calmness, a feat I couldn’t understand how he pulled off. Especially when I was still a bundle of hysterics. “Not anymore. They are ours,” he stated simply.

  He expected me to sleep here. I didn’t even want to know what or who had slept in the massive bed. Or how many. That nauseated feeling I thought I’d gotten rid of came hurtling back inside me. “I can’t stay here,” I replied as I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling so very small in the large room.

  Ashor sighed. “And why is that?”

  “I don’t want to sleep in a dead sex demon’s bed,” I snapped.

  His lips twitched. “I understand your… discomfort, but it is important that I establish my role. Make no mistake, I might be their king, they might have kneeled before me in obedience, but the demons within this court are far from loyal. You are not safe here, and I don’t want you out of my sight, so you can see where my dilemma lies.”

  The truth was I didn’t want to leave Ashor’s side. I could argue that demons were never trustworthy, regardless of loyalty, but perhaps there were a few exceptions. Cayden being one of those rare demons who might have been deserving of trust and loyalty.

  God, Cayden.

  A fresh wave of hurt pierced my heart. He was really gone.

  The fleck of light in Ashor’s eyes extinguished as he felt the sharp stab of sadness through our bond. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, tell him how sorry I was, but I got the sense that he wasn’t quite ready to deal with the loss of his friend.

  Instead, I chose to occupy his mind with other things. Starting with this room. Angling my head to the side, I asked, “How do you know where the royal chambers are?” I narrowed my gaze at him.

  An exhale left his chest as he sank down into a plush chair in the corner. All the fabrics were rich green and white, giving the space a lush wooden vibe. “Luv, now is not the time.”

  I felt it for the first time—his fatigue. My emotions had been so intense, it had been too hard to weed through them.

  And Ashor, being much older and more experienced, could mask his feelings from me. He was exceptional at deceiving and manipulating the mind—too fucking good at it.

  It was tempting to curl up into his lap. Eventually I would, after I got everything off my chest. “When is the right time? Ashor, do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

  He rested his head rested on the back of the chair, hands folded in front of him. “Of course I do.”

  “You can never be saved.”

  “Saved?” He gave me a funny look. “What are you rambling about?”

  Despite my muscles aching and begging me to get off my feet, I couldn’t sit down and began to pace the room instead. “I came here to save you, to break your vow to the Wild Hunt.”

  A clock chimed from somewhere in the castle as Ashor lifted an inquisitive brow. “Did you now, luv?”

  Was he poking fun at me? He knew I had tried to bargain with Verena for his freedom. Had he not taken me seriously? Did Ashor underestimate me? I halted in front of the brick hearth and frowned at him. “This isn’t funny.”

  His voice came out degrees cooler as he replied, “No, indeed, it is not. I’m sorry you are caught up in my mess. It can’t be helped now. You should have stayed put when I sent you home. In fact—”

  “Don’t you even suggest it,” I interrupted, my demon flashing to the surface. “I’m not leaving.”

  His lips pursed. “An argument for another night. Come here,” he said, indicating for me to move with a crook of his finger. “I need you in my arms. I need to feel that you are safe.”

  The Prince of Darkness—correction, the King of Envy was always quick to change the subject, a master of evasion.

  Would I ever get used to the additional title now associated with my mate?

  I stared at Ashor lounging in the chair as if the entire underworld wasn’t about to fall to pieces. I wished I had a fraction of his composure, his ability to show the world a different face than what he truly felt. But for him, it was more than wearing a mask. He could command his mind and body to portray the emotion of his choosing, such impressive discipline.

  “Why do you look at me as if you don’t know who I am?” he asked, still waiting for me to cross the room.

  Blinking, I wondered if I did know who he was. Did I really know him? Did anyone?

  Giving in to that part of me that longed to be close to Ashor, I went to him, sliding into his lap. His hands instantly went around me, drawing me close. A long sigh left me as I let my body sink into his, the tightness within me uncoiling.

  “Have I changed so much since putting on the crown?” he asked softly, one of his hands coming to rest on the side of my thigh.

  My gaze flicked up to the crown in question. “I don’t know. Maybe.” I sucked in my lower lip. “You’re the king of sex and greed.”

  “I fail to see how that is a bad thing.” His fingers drew lazy, seductive circles up and down my upper leg, leaving behind little cold tingles. “Imagine all the pleasure I could give within this castle.”

  I fixed him with a droll look. “You can’t possibly be thinking about fucking me right now.”

  His lips twitched. “I’m always thinking of sleeping with you, luv.”

  I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. “You are absolutely maddening.” How the hell could I be mated to him for the rest of my life? He would drive me crazy. I already felt mentally unstable.

  “It's the shock and aftereffects of your first shift that has you feeling… uneasy,” he explained, studying my face intently.

  It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. “Ashor,” I growled. “Out of my head. Now.”

  A pout formed on his lips, looking like a spoiled prince. “As you wish.”

  I had no real way of knowing if he abided by my wishes other than trust. Unlike Ashor, I didn’t have the skill of shielding my mind. He did it for me, which only worked on other demons, not on the one providing the protection. To Ashor, I was a damned open book. Combined with our bond, I would never have another secret he couldn’t uncov
er.

  “I shifted.” The words were a mere whisper as the memories of relinquishing control came back.

  Crap.

  Through all the turmoil of tonight, I’d forgotten about that little detail. It seemed insignificant now, the freeing of my demon. I barely remembered reining her back in, but I had because I was myself now. No sharpened, elongated canines. No tightening and strengthening of my muscles and limbs. Just my normal Divisa senses were intact. Everything had happened so quickly, there had been no time to examine how I felt in my demon form.

  Shadows curled around his mouth. “You did. And it was magnificent.”

  Would I be able to do it again? I had done so before out of fear, anger, and desperation. I’d been in life-and-death situations before and never lost control of the leash on my demon. Why had tonight been different? What finally snapped the thread? Was it Ashor?

  My fingers toyed with the hair at the back of his neck. “So, princeling, what do I call you now? Your Highness? Sire? The king?”

  “Mine,” he answered, tiny stars sparking in his eyes. “The titles mean nothing between you and me. I am your mate first and foremost.”

  My heart somersaulted at his response. Tingles of possessiveness ran down our bond. “This is all so surreal.”

  “It will make more sense if you kiss me, luv.” His smile was a dark, mischievous thing. Ashor’s lips alone could distract me from the most important of matters.

  I opened my mouth to give him a snappy retort, but for a split second, his walls dropped, and the torment I felt caused me to gasp. I nearly cried out but clamped down on my lip. It was too much for any one person to bear, let alone keep bottled up.

  Then it was gone.

  Lifting a hand, he brushed a stray strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry, luv. I didn’t mean—”

  I silenced him with a kiss, sealing my lips over his. If he would let me take even a fraction of his pain, I would. I’d take it all, anything to prevent him from suffering. He had endured far too much misery for one soul.

  It was very rare for Ashor to slip. He was suffering. How had I not seen the pain he covered with wicked smiles? He had all but told me what he needed, but I hadn’t really listened. I’d been so consumed with sorting through my own feelings. But I heard him now.

  Doing the only thing I knew how, I offered him comfort.

  He didn’t take or command the kiss but seemed to just savor the feel of my lips against his. In fact, he didn’t move, not a muscle, and I began to wonder if I was way off the mark here. Maybe he didn’t want this kind of comfort at all.

  I went to pull back, but Ashor caught my chin, keeping my lips touching his. “Stay,” he whispered. “I’ve not nearly had enough.” And then he kissed me harder.

  The demon inside me purred at his response. He was real and solid underneath me. My fingers moved up his chest, tangling into his hair as I changed the angle of our kiss, going deeper, demanding more from him. I had only meant to give him solace, a few moments to forget the agony of his heart, but our still semi-new mating bond made it difficult to keep things simple or light between us.

  With every shared breath, every kiss, he seemed to let go of the pain, bit by tiny bit, but some of the scars ran deep or were too raw.

  He stroked his thumb over the column of my throat where he had bitten me. I shuddered at the memory, wanting his teeth there again. His lips curved wickedly. “I am more than happy to bite you again, luv, if you desire. Or you can bite me. You don’t need permission.”

  I shouldn’t entertain the idea, but of course, once Ashor put it out there, my mind toyed with the thought. What would it feel like to sink my demon canines into him? To taste his Divisa blood?

  Ew. I wasn’t a vampire. Blood didn’t give me a rush of pleasure or desire. My human side balked at the idea of biting him, but still, I couldn’t deny that the other part of me was very, very intrigued by the prospect. I lifted my head, scanning his eyes, hoping to see a fraction of his guilt and pain had dampened. “Maybe another night.”

  “Hmm.” Ashor lifted my fingers and nipped at them, his canines grazing my skin. “I’m guessing it also isn’t an appropriate time to try to convince you to go home.”

  I snapped out of my haze of desire. “I’m not leaving.”

  His mouth tightened. “How did I know that would be your response?”

  “I thought you couldn’t let me go again,” I pointed out, throwing his words back at him. He had told me when I showed back up in the underworld that he wouldn’t be able to let me leave a second time. As long as he was here, then so was I. He was a part of me now, as I was him.

  “If it means you live, then there is nothing I wouldn’t endure.”

  My lips turned down at the thought of separating from him. “The problem lies in that it turns out I can’t live without you.”

  “That is a problem,” he agreed, rubbing the tip of his nose against mine.

  We could go round and round about staying or leaving. We’d never agree. I pressed a gentle kiss to each corner of his lips. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, laying my palm over his beating heart, uncertain what else I could do or say.

  He stilled, and his audible inhale cracked my heart. He peered out a window as if he was expecting to see Cayden’s ghost through the glass. “I don’t know how to live in this world without him.” I had felt the gutted sadness Ashor endured at seeing Cayden’s soul destroyed.

  Cayden had been Ashor’s best friend. How they managed to maintain such a friendship given the state of Cayden’s position in the Court of Darkness was a marvel. I didn’t know if I could have forgiven Chase or any one of my friends as easily as Ashor had Cayden for the things he had done to my mate. Perhaps it was just the way things worked down here. He grew up knowing no different.

  As the queen’s punisher, Cayden tortured and killed at his queen’s command. It didn’t matter who the receiver was. Cayden had to take out all feelings when he executed his duties. In a way, I almost respected him. I didn’t understand how he managed to do the things he did and live with the amount of guilt he must have carried.

  Once a demon’s soul was extinguished that was it—final death. You just didn’t exist anymore. You needed a soul to survive in any world, Hell, Heaven, or others.

  I’d lost friends because of who I was. It never got easier. No words could bring Cayden back or relieve Ashor of his hurt, so I didn’t try. I couldn’t even offer him the chance for revenge, because I had already taken that when I killed Colin, who I thought was the Queen of Envy. Turned out it was just an illusion, one of her many games. Regardless, the demon who took Cayden’s soul was also gone from this world. So I just nuzzled my face against his neck and shoulder, wrapping my arms around him.

  Time passed. A few minutes. An hour. Two. I couldn’t tell. Time was irrelevant. Neither of us moved from the chair, and I was more than content to fall asleep right here in his lap, both of us reassured by the closeness of the other.

  “How did you obtain her power?” I asked, breaking the long stretch of silence that had fallen comfortably between us.

  Ashor had used his power sometime during our bout of stillness to light the hearth with his dark, eternal flames. The wood crackled, providing the room with an eerie warmth that also cooled the room. “When I killed her, her abilities adhered to her crown,” he explained.

  “And when you put it on…” I gazed into his eyes under lowered brows.

  He nodded. “Those powers became mine.”

  Catching my reflection in the gold-framed mirror above the fireplace, I wrinkled my nose at the shadowy crown still grazing my head. “If you’re the King of Envy, how is it that the Crown of Darkness still sits atop my head?”

  “Because I am still the Prince of Darkness,” he murmured near my ear. “The throne is still mine to inherit.”

  “Your mother must be throwing a queenly tantrum right now.”

  He chuckled, a half smile playing on his lips. “Likely. Be glad we are
not within the Court of Darkness tonight.”

  I shuddered, briefly conjuring an image of what that might look like. Who would be subjected to the queen’s torture as she released her demon frustration? I didn’t want to know. I was only glad it wasn’t Ashor. “How does that work exactly, you being a prince and a king?”

  “I’m not entirely sure yet. Verena’s power is inside me, but my darkness seems to be overriding it at the moment. It feels as if there is an internal battling happening within me, the two warring for domination.”

  “And the darkness is winning?” I guessed.

  He nodded. “It seems that way.”

  My head angled to the side, the flames from the fire warming my face. “What happens if the darkness does win? Will you still have access to Verena’s power?”

  He had the nerve to look mildly intrigued as he pondered the idea. “Eventually, the two will settle. Both will remain until someone takes them from me.” By killing him. If someone did manage to end my mate’s life, they would be killing two birds with one stone, essentially obtaining both the darkness and the envy, which put a massive target on his back. “I don’t intend to let that happen.”

  A grave foreboding of the future flashed before my eyes. Fear hit the back of my throat. “She will come for you. Soon.”

  “Yes,” the prince agreed, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “But don’t worry, luv, I just need to teach the two to play nice.”

  That wasn’t all that concerned me. Would Ashor be strong enough to stand up against his mother? Many assumed if anyone could take down the Queen of Darkness, it would be her son. I just knew he couldn’t do it alone, not with the army she had at her ready.

  My grin turned brazen. “I’m mated to you. Being worried comes with the territory.”

  Lifting a hand behind his head, he relaxed deeper into the chair. “You have a point.”

  A yawn tugged at my lips, but I suppressed it, not ready to give in to the drowsiness that nipped at me. Despite my efforts, Ashor noticed.