My voice trails off and I continue to keep pace with Kane who walks slower than he has in the past when his mind is set on one particular task. Maybe he's slowing his pace for me, giving space for us to talk with each other. But he doesn't respond to me. He keeps his eyes forward on the castle, his face firm with focus and drive.
I wonder if he's heard me at all, so I continue. "I fear that the revival of this God is somehow attached to…"
Kane stops in his tracks, turning toward me. His eyes shift from the castle, toward the sky, and fall quickly on me. The muscles in his arms twitch and he stands for just a moment, taking me in. My heart begins to race, but I keep my shoulders back and my head high. I'm not sure whether he will kiss me or curse me, but I will not move. As his bride, and his future Queen, I find it necessary that I look out for his best interest. Not only that, but I crave the connection that we once had.
He moves quickly, so fast that I don't even see it coming. His hand snaps up and grabs me by the chin, lifting my face upward until our eyes meet. He peers down at me with his onyx stare, and it's almost hard to keep steady. My breath catches in my chest, and his familiar rough touch holds strongly to my face. For a moment I feel entranced. Though his eyes are nothing but black, as I peer into them, it's as if I can see the whole of the Underworld and all the souls trapped within.
His chuckle shakes me and my eyes shift to his lips. They are still smiling, a kindness drifting in and out as he seems to struggle keeping his newly acquired foul temper at bay. It's an unsettling feeling, and I slowly move my hand around my thigh and up my back toward my dagger tucked beneath my shirt. I wrap my small hands around the cool steel and steady myself for whatever is coming next. But as he smiles at me, his fingers soften and he reaches up with his other hand, running the back of it gently across my other cheek.
Just his touch, the cool clam of his skin against mine releases my grip on my blade. A soft sigh parts my lips just slightly and I tilt my head toward his touch. My eyes slowly dance back to his, and though the comfort of his attempt is far better than the wicked words he has spoken, he still keeps his distance. "Don't worry about me little mortal, I am feeling just fine. In fact, I feel better than I ever have before. Things are no longer going to work in dismay. Our next steps will dictate the future of the Underworld. Do your duties as my bride and you'll see the glory that I bring."
He releases me and walks off. I stay standing there, letting him head inside of the castle, gathering myself. I press my hand to my stomach and pull my shoulders back, looking out at the darkening sky. I want to believe him. I want to believe that our bond is not broken. I want to believe that nothing has changed and that Kane’s clarity comes from the immense powers that he not only naturally has but has acquired from Drogaem's crown. But I struggle with it, still feeling that ball knotted in the pit of my stomach. Still feeling that fear that lingers back at the surface. We have come so far only to backtrack.
Turning toward the castle, I watch as Kane disappears inside. I close my eyes for a moment as I feel the warm air cascading across my skin. Flashes of faces run through my mind, the faces of those that Kane killed on our journey. The last face lingers, and while I want to open my eyes and make it disappear, I feel a duty to focus on that little child, an innocence that has long left me, or Kane, or any of the others associated with the Three.
As the boy's face bloodies in my mind, and I watch his small body fall to the ground, I wrap my arms around me, feeling a shiver trickle down my spine. I force my eyes open and try to calm my breathing. I have to remember that it wasn't that long ago that Kane had promised my father he would break me. I thought things had changed but now I wonder if maybe I am being nothing but a fool. I wonder if now that Kane has what he needs from me, he will return to the monster that I haven't seen since I arrived in the Underworld.
No…
I shake my head, unsure of whether the whisper of a word is inside my head or nothing more than the tricks of the wind. From the front of the castle my ladies line up and wait for me. I breathe in deeply and shake the suspicious fears from my face. Whatever link I have to Kane needs to stay walled in. If I'm going to find out the truth, he cannot know of my fear or suspicion. I only hope that wherever his plan takes us, it's with noble intention as he says. Otherwise, Drogaem could be the end of everything.
Chapter 2
Briar
The darkness continues to stretch out in all directions, and I linger, clinging
