“I cannot. You know this.”
“She must rule in the Darklands. An heir I never thought I’d have. My time is coming to an end. All immortals fade eventually. And if we are successful in defeating Scur, you will have your own lands to worry about.”
“I’ll handle it. I need not be at court all the time. Others can rule in my steed, and when we produce an heir, it will solve all this.”
“Arrogant youth. The Dark and Bloods will never follow one ruler. You dream of peace and fair times. We are demons! This isn’t New City.”
“You don’t think I know that!” He steps forward, crossing over the boundary of pleasant company. “She is my world. Everything to me. I don’t care if I have to abdicate once I destroy Scur. Nothing will keep me from her.”
Standing, I get in his face. “She is so much more than you. More than we’ve ever dreamed. I won’t have her wasted on a Blood who thinks he can rule the world with rainbows and sunshine. You’ve lived in the Mortal Realm for too long.”
“I’ve never forgotten where I come from.”
“And yet, you ran.”
His body goes rigid, and his blood leaks from his neck and thighs. Power radiates from him, magic swirling. There is a reason people fear the Blood king, but I roll my eyes as I sit back down.
“There will be no fighting today, King. Our energy is best saved for defeating the evils that are knocking on our door.”
I feel the pull of the fight, the magnetic charge of our two powers clashing, but I must resist. As much as I want to rip Torque’s throat out for battles past, I have to stay the course. My daughter and her people are at stake. Nothing else matters. Kingdoms be damned.
“You walk a fine line, Nox. I am not some young prince you can mess with. I may have been away from my kingdom for a few decades, but the lands recognize me. My power matches your own.”
He leaves the way he came. Thoughts of how this will unfold paralyzes my mind. Anima won’t be happy if Torque cages her in. If she’s anything like me, her will to choose will come first.
Eight
ANIMA
After waking from a dreamless sleep, I pull on a tunic and leggings they provided for me. If we’re to defeat Scur, I must continue my training. Having Nox and Uriel to spar with makes me think we’ll have a chance.
Scur was a dirty fighter, and I plan to know every move to use to my advantage. No one has held me prisoner before, and no one will again. He sampled my blood for days, and not a moment goes by where I don’t wish I could see him dead.
“Anima.” I spin around to see who called my name. Umbra walks toward me with purpose, scowling. I’m not sure this will be a joyful reunion.
“What can I do for you?” My voice is cool. She hasn’t proven that I can trust her.
“I thought we’d train together. It’s been ages since I could spar with another Dark such as yourself. Most of my soldiers aren’t as talented.”
“Do you have shadow smoke as well?” I ask, curious if it’s a Dark thing or a royal thing.
“I do. It isn’t as powerful as Nox’s, but I can hold my own. Many of the Dark have the power to varying degrees.”
We walk down corridors filled with black marble. Silver veins run through the stone, making them glitter in the otherwise dark halls. Statues and paintings hang from the walls, and in the center where all the halls intersect is a beautiful domed ceiling with light shining down.
“This is beautiful and surprising,” I say, face tilted to the sky. The black iron design lets in colors of light from the stained glass. A mosaic of flowers and swirls stares back at me.
“Not everything in the Darklands is evil.” She stares at me as if she’s never seen the piece before.
“I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I’m not used to beauty in any form.”
It’s the truth. My entire life, they brought me up to be a warrior. An assassin for the Tenebris witches. I’m nothing without my titles. I don’t know how to be a normal woman.
“You’ve had a hard life? Surely your mother cared for you?” Her face softens as she studies me.
“I never knew the woman who gave birth to me. As far as we can tell, they implanted my soul into a witch at the Tenebris coven. I had no family, only a purpose.”
“You were alone for all that time?” She grabs my hand, holding it in both of hers. In another life, I would have loved to call her aunt.
“Not alone. I trained with other witches. I’m incredibly good at killing, so I leaped up in the ranks.”
“I’m sorry we missed you growing up. If you were at court, fighting would have been secondary. There’s so much we could have taught you.”
A tear slips from her eyes, and a strange twinge twists in my gut. It’s hard for me to see someone cry. It’s an emotion I’m not familiar with.
“It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault except Rahna, and once we defeat Scur and go after her, we’ll find out the reason. Living for revenge is sometimes what makes us move forward.”
She wipes her face while keeping my hand in hers. We walk across the center of the building, then enter another corridor. This one has glass doors, and the muffled sounds of people talking comes from the far end.
As she leads me through the largest double doors, we come face to face with the rest of my traveling companions. Seated at an enormous table are Torque, Mammon, Nox, and Uriel.
My giant demon cat is lounging on pillows near an open balcony window. He looks right at home.
