Eternity of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 3) Read online

  “Kira, so glad to have you home,” Ashor welcomed with casual grace, stepping into his role of king. And just like that, he looked very much like royalty. “I’ll leave the two of you to catch up.” Violet eyes met mine. A silent “Behave” trickled through our bond.

  A soft sigh escaped me as I watched Ashor leave.

  Kira pressed her dark red lips together, suppressing her grin as her gaze landed on me. “So, you’re still in love with him. And now he is my king. I can’t decide if that makes you smart or foolish.”

  “I’m not in love with him,” I snapped, dropping down into one of the other chairs.

  Her lips twitched, calling me a liar.

  “I don’t believe in love,” I added, feeling the need to justify myself.

  “Ah, my daughter, the cynic.” The twinkle in her eyes laughed at me. She returned to her seat, crossing her long legs. The dress she wore had a slit that slipped off the side of her thigh, exposing flesh. She could have been headed to a society event instead of having tea with her daughter. “Perhaps you’ll change your mind if we make it through this war,” she proposed.

  Was I actually listening to my demon mother give me love advice? Had she ever been in love? Were demons even capable of such an emotion? She had not one child but two with my father, after all.

  “Is it true that Ashor released you from your banishment?” I asked, steering the conversation away from my relationship.

  Kira’s smirk wasn’t reassuring. “It died with the queen. The order was severed the moment Verena’s soul no longer existed.”

  Which meant every demon indebted, banished, or oath-taken to Verena now wandered as a free soul. Good or bad, that remained to be seen. I made a mental note to ask Ashor about it later tonight. “So, you knew she had died before being summoned home? Why didn’t you come back immediately?” The Court of Envy was her home.

  Kira picked up the forgotten teacup and took a sip before replying, “I knew the queen had been killed but not who had taken her crown.”

  “It could have been Kali,” I concluded, understanding her worry. If the Queen of Darkness had succeeded in taking the Crown of Envy, things would have been unfolding very differently. Would she have allowed me to leave? Would she have separated Ashor and me? Killed me?

  Kira nodded, her expression remaining impassive.

  One of the human souls came into the room, setting down a tray with a teapot and cup. After a bow of her head in my direction, she wordlessly left the room. It was a peculiar feeling being treated with a certain level of respect I wasn’t used to, particularly by a human. I might like having demons bow or kneel before me, but humans? Then again, they were in Hell for a reason. It made me curious just how bad a person had to be to enter the Gates of the Underworld.

  “Would you have ever returned then?” I asked, pulling my gaze away from the porcelain teapot.

  Kira blinked as she confided, “I wouldn’t have had a choice if I’d been summoned.”

  Like now. Ashor had ordered her return. I understood he had done so for my sake, but it would have meant more if Kira had come on her own. It also made me wonder if Ashor had another reason for bringing her home. Had he summoned any other demons to the Court of Envy?

  “Are you upset with Ashor for bringing you back?” I needed to find out how she truly felt about the change in leadership. Was she livid? Pissed off enough to do something? Her opinion might give me a feel for the court.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” she answered honestly, surprising me.

  I poured myself some hot tea, needing something to do with my hands. Restlessness had settled inside me. “You don’t have to stay, you know. If you don’t want to be here, you can leave at any time.”

  Kira stiffened slightly, swirling the tea in her cup. “Can I though?”

  “If you’re worried about Ashor, don’t be. I’ll talk to him. I’m sure he was only thinking about me when he called you home.” I was alone here, with no family, and since I refused to involve Chase, Angel, Travis, or Emma in this underworld war, Kira was the next best thing, which I wasn’t sure said a whole lot.

  She set her cup down on the little round table between us and folded her hands over her knees. “I’m assuming your plan to break the Prince of Darkness out of Hell didn’t go according to plan.”

  “You could say that,” I grumbled, taking a cautious sip of the hot tea.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly, sounding like an actual mom and not someone trying to be my best friend.

  Maybe she saw the sudden pain spring into my eyes.

  “Not really.” The whole day from beginning to end was still too fresh and raw in my mind. Swallowing, I lifted my head. “I’m sorry about Verena.” I didn’t really know how she felt about the change or my part in it. “I didn’t know what Ashor had planned.”

  “Of course not,” she said dryly, like there was no possible way I could have been at fault.

  Little did she know that I had actually stabbed the queen, only it turned out not to be Verena but Colin. But the intention had been the same. I’d wanted to kill her.

  “The Prince of Darkness is cunning like his mother,” she added.

  She wasn’t wrong. It was a trait in Ashor I was coming to terms with.

  I cleared my throat, remembering Cayden and all he had done for my mother. Unable to look her in the eyes, I asked, “Did you also hear about Cayden?”

  “The king informed me,” she admitted.

  When the fuck had she spoken to Ashor? How long had she been at court? I dared a peek at her, steeling myself for her reaction. “I know he was important to you.”

  “Yes, well, like humans, demons come and go.” Her tone contradicted the blasé words and sounded just a little resentful.

  I wasn’t sure how to maneuver this relationship between my mother and me. My mate was her king, and she might be plotting to kill him, or she might be accepting him with open arms. It was impossible for me to tell.

  And unfortunately, it would have to wait, because the room began to rattle.

  WTF.

  Windows shook. Bricks trembled under my feet. Teacups clattered to the ground, spilling lukewarm liquid over the white floors. I clutched my wobbling chair, for all the good it did me. Either Ashor’s temper had been unleashed… or something else was responsible. Something most likely not good.

  Kira shot to her feet before I had a chance to catch my breath. “Are you all right?” she asked, her aqua eyes shining bright, alert with a speck of fear.

  That little fleck of fright had the blood rushing through my veins. Nodding, I forced my fingers to relax on the chair arms. “What was that?” Was the castle under attack? Had Kali returned for a second chance to take the crown?

  “We need to go,” she ordered, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.

  I stumbled behind her, not anticipating how fast Kira moved, but I regained my composure by the time we reached the door. “Where are we going?”

  For someone in a fancy dress and heels, she moved swiftly and with feline grace. “To safety. You are the king’s mate, essentially the queen. Your well-being comes above all others, besides the king, of course.”

  Before we could take a step out the door, I ran into a muscular wall. Apollo blocked our path. “I’ve got her,” he told Kira gruffly.

  My mother glared up at the demon in her way. “Ah, Apollo, my dear. How nice to see you again.”

  She seriously wasn’t trying to charm him right now.

  I dug in my heels, refusing to budge another inch. “Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Apollo and Kira shared a disconcerting glance.

  “Has the king settled into his powers?” Kira demanded, both demons staring at me expectantly as if they would find the answer there.

  I blew out a breath. “I don’t know. It’s only been a fucking day.”

  Kira lifted a brow. “I don’t have time to lecture you on the language of a lady—”
br />   I snorted. “As if you’re a lady.”

  A hand touched the spot where her heart would have been if she had one. “You wound me, dearie.”

  Apollo grabbed me by the elbow, and a chill shivered through me. His hand was icy, like being touched by death himself. “We don’t have time for this,” he grumbled, dragging me down the hall.

  “That we can agree on,” Kira snapped, following closely.

  What the shit is going on? The castle was in an uproar. Not like when the Queen of Darkness and her armada showed up, but still, something was going on.

  “Where’s Draven?” I asked, seeing that I only had one guard.

  “With the king,” Apollo answered, clipped and robotically, surveying the hallway as we came to an intersection.

  Kira’s steps easily matched Apollo’s long ones, the slit in her dress not impairing her in the slightest. “You feel nothing from your bond?”

  My trepidation tripled as I searched inside me, looking for anything out of the ordinary from my connection to Ashor. Surely he must have sensed my rising anxiety. “Should I?”

  A smug curve slashed over her lips. “I see your mate is still hiding things from you.”

  Apollo growled at Kira as we flew around the corner.

  Damn Ashor! If what my mother said was true, I needed to find out what he was keeping from me. I had sensed it before, but hearing her once again tell me my mate was hiding secrets set me off.

  Twisting my wrists around, I freed myself from Apollo’s grip and jerked out of the way before he could latch on to me again. The demon frowned in my direction, looking as if he wasn’t in the mood for any shit. Good, because neither was I.

  “Okay. That’s it. I’ve had enough,” I said to both of them. “One of you better tell me what’s going on. Are we under attack? Is Ashor in danger?” If so, then I needed to be by his side. I had to fight alongside him.

  “We need to go” was all Apollo said as he reached for me.

  I knocked his hand away midair, the muscles in my body tightening in automatic defense. If Apollo fought me on this, it would lead to an actual fight.

  His gold eyes narrowed, and he squared off, facing me. “I took a damn blood oath to protect you. Now let me do my job.”

  “So there is danger?” I prompted, not giving up. I could be relentless if necessary. And a pain in his ass. He was about to find both out.

  “Whether there is or not, my order remains the same. I will get you to the king’s chambers with your willingness or by force. The choice is yours.”

  “That’s simple.” I cracked my knuckles. “If you’re not going to take me to Ashor, then I guess we’ll do this the hard way.” I crooked my finger at him.

  Kira tossed her head back and laughed. “That’s my girl.”

  “I am also not allowed to harm you,” he replied dully.

  The castle rumbled again, and this time, a roar accompanied the trembling. I pressed my hand against the wall, the humidity making the bricks damp as I steadied myself. “You have to protect me even from you?”

  “Yes,” he stated.

  I rolled my eyes. “Neither of you have any idea what’s happening?”

  Kira grinned, looking like a proud mother. “Either your mate is losing control, which seems unlikely. The king is the most disciplined halfling I’ve ever met.”

  “Or?” I prompted, my patience waning.

  Apollo glanced down the hall, the vein in his neck throbbing. “Or something has been broken out of Verena’s dungeons.” Like me, I could see how much Apollo wanted to go to Ashor and stand beside his king. Guarding me was the last place the demon wanted to be.

  What a fucking pickle.

  “There are other ways.” An impish grin crossed Kira’s lips. Leave it to my mother to come up with a plan. She turned me to face a mirror that hung at the end of the corridor. “The reflection is a gateway to the show,” she whispered.

  Apollo’s eyes flashed in the mirror behind me, right beside my mother. “This is not a good idea. The king wouldn’t—”

  And just like that, I was sucked out of my body and tossed into Ashor’s head. My eyes became his.

  It had been more than two weeks since our souls connected this way. From our soulbond, I was able to see through his eyes. If we were both staring at our reflections, we were able to see the other. But Ashor wasn’t looking at himself. He was… fighting?

  A tumultuous power of darkness swirled inside me. No, inside Ashor. His veins flooded with it, and yet it was a bit off-kilter—a tad wilder.

  Is that a… fucking dragon?

  No. That wasn’t quite right. Upon further inspection, the beast lacked flesh and muscle. It bore nothing but a black skeletal frame. Just bones, no substance, which also meant no heart. The creature’s spiny tail swung through the air toward me—not me, Ashor. Draven was right beside him, and together they lunged out of the way. The beast turned blazing red eyes to my mate, so bright they looked as if they could incinerate a body on contact.

  Shadows weaved around him, the darkness gathering as Ashor faced the hellish beast, for a creature this vile could only be evil. Had it been born in the underworld, or did it come from another dimension like the Ngah, the creature that the Queen of Darkness had locked in her dungeon?

  Regardless of its origin, Ashor didn’t seem shocked by the sight of it, leading me to believe this wasn’t the first time he’d come face-to-face with one.

  The nasty thing landed in the already trashed throne room, where shattered glass still lay scattered over the floors, and the ceiling had a massive hole. Basically, the whole thing was in shambles, except for the throne, which sat like a beacon on top of the dais. At the weight of the dragon’s feet hitting the ground, the castle shuddered again.

  At least I’d found the source of the shaking, and yet I didn’t feel any better. I actually felt worse. What was this thing? What did it want? Had it escaped Verena’s dungeons like Apollo suggested? If so, what other things might pop out?

  Draven’s eyes flashed, a long sword appearing in his hand. “Why don’t you let me handle this one for a change?”

  I felt Ashor’s reluctance, yet he said, “As you wish. Just don’t get blood on my floors.”

  Draven snorted, kicking a chunk of broken bricks out of his way. “A little splatter of blood might be an improvement to what you’ve done with the place.”

  Claws slid across the floor in a piercing shriek that had the few other demons in the room cringing in pain. A feral growl rumbled low from the dragon’s throat.

  Draven stepped in front of Ashor, his sword raised diagonally, ready to strike. The demon grinned like a wolf, pointing the tip of his blade at the beast in invitation.

  Crimson eyes flared brighter. “I’m not here for you, hunter,” the creature said dismissively, not once opening its mouth. I really hated things that could communicate by infiltrating your mind. It was intrusive and just fucking wrong.

  Ashor excluded. Only because he was my mate, but even then, sometimes it was bothersome being unable to keep him out.

  This dragon seemed to be able to not just penetrate a single mind but everyone in the room.

  “It doesn’t matter to me why you’re here,” Draven replied, his golden eyes gleaming. “Either way you die by my sword.”

  “You can kill me after I deliver a message.”

  Ashor cocked his head to the side. “And what makes you think I want to hear what you have to say? I think I’ll stick to the plan of killing you.”

  “Lexi.” The thing hissed my name, and Ashor froze on command.

  Darkness exploded in the throne room, violence inundating through our bond. Ashor was suddenly inches from the beast’s white teeth. I never felt him move. It was as if he had jumped from one shadow to the other in less than a blink. He thrust his hand around the thing’s long neck, needlelike nails piercing bone. “You dare speak my mate’s name? I should break your neck for it.”

  Dramatic much? It had just mentioned my nam
e. I imagined if the creature had threatened me, it would already be nothing but ash on the ground.

  “Then you wouldn’t know what your mother has planned for the mate you so fiercely protect,” the thing rasped, no fear or concern for its own life in its voice.

  Unease began to clench my gut. Those who didn’t fear death were the most dangerous of opponents.

  “You think I’m not prepared for my mother’s games?” While Ashor continued to chat up the skeletal dragon, Draven closed in, not that the king needed his help. Ashor could end the beast with a flick of his wrist. The restrained anger pulsed down my mate’s arm. He wanted to kill the thing. Desperately so. The demon inside him demanded it.

  “Ah, yes, the Hunt.” The dragon’s head turned to the side, almost laughing at Draven. “It will take more than your bringers of death to withstand what is coming your way. Are you not still the Prince of Darkness?”

  Ashor’s chin lifted a notch. “You know I am.”

  “The queen wants the crown that rests upon your head.” Those unholy eyes flicked upward.

  “No shit,” Ashor spat. “Tell me something not obvious or we’re done here.”

  “Patience, young king.”

  Ashor held up a hand for Draven to halt, and the demon did so immediately, sword pausing midair, inches from the creature’s throat. My mate nodded gravely at the beast, giving the bony dragon a moment to speak.

  “She looks forward to welcoming her to the family,” it crowed.

  What the fuck did that mean?

  Of course this thing would be from the Court of Darkness. There was only one queen now in Hell. Angel lived in the mortal world, and she sure as shit wouldn’t have sent a skeletal dragon to deliver a message. They didn’t exist in our world.

  “If she touches my mate, I will take her throne as well. It is my right, after all. You take that back to my mother.”

  The creature hissed in response. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Tell her to try me.”

  “You have much to lose going up against the queen. Have you thought about what would happen to your mate if you lost? What do you think your mother would do to her then? Give her to your brother, perhaps.”