Page 82 of The Blood of Gods and Monsters

“You may set him in my chambers,” I say. “The snakes would certainly keep him company.”

She blanches but Ruen seems to consider the idea. “That might not be a poor plan,” he says. “You can keep an eye on him in case he rouses.”

My smile drops back into a scowl. “It was a joke,” I snap, not at all pleased by the idea of some human vermin being allowed access to my chambers.

“Too bad.” Ruen strides past me towards the stairs. “We have little time.”

“We have an hour,” I state. “That is more than enough time.”

He ignores my comment though to take the stairs two at a time. My scowl deepens, but I don’t stop him as Kiera rushes past me to assist Ruen in getting the human male into my chambers. An assertive mental push, and I send several of my familiars to the room to keep watch over the annoying pest Kiera seems intent on nursing like a wounded bird.

Life would be far less complicated if I were permitted to simply kill all these little irritants that distract my brothers and Kiera from the important things. Me. Sex. Pleasure. Pain.

With a grumble, I stalk towards the door as a knock sounds against the wood. I open it and blink down at the sharp faced woman with shit brown eyes and a rather breakable looking fist half raised to perform another knock. I blink at the intrusion. It appears my serpents were wrong—we do not have an hour.

Chapter 35

Kiera

Dauphine is the one who arrives to take me to see the God Council. Her face is slimmer than I remember seeing it last with dark shadows bruising the skin beneath her eyes. She practically trembles under the dark glare Kalix is leveling her way, but when he moves to follow after us as she asks me to follow her—far more politely than she ever had when I was a Terra—Dauphine stops him.

“I’m sorry,” she says, voice strong despite the fine tremor that makes her fingers shake as she holds up a hand, palm outward. “The Gods have only requested Kiera’s presence. No one else may attend their Council.”

The low snarl that erupts from Kalix is quickly cut off by Ruen as he grips his brother and drags him back into the North Tower quarters. I keep my gaze firmly planted on the two Darkhavens in front of me even as my mind wants me to check to make sure the door to Kalix’s room remains shut, hiding away the fugitive that is Regis.

“It’s fine,” I tell them. “I’ll be okay.” I hope the words aren’t a lie.

Dauphine glances my way, and for the first time, I catch a hint of regret and sympathy in her attention. I close my eyes and breathe deeply through my nose and mouth. When I reopen my eyes, I fix them on Ruen. If anyone can read the request in my eyes, it’s him. Dark sea storm eyes meet mine and he nods as I step back towards the stairs that will lead me down the tower and outside. No matter what happens, at least, I know that Regis will be safe.

Dauphine wastes no more time, now that someone is holding Kalix back, hurrying me towards the exit. It’s almost as if she hopes the sooner we’re out of sight, the sooner Kalix Darkhaven will forget both of our existences. Though I know there’s no chance of that, I let her believe so and follow her silently and amiably as she leads me out of the North Tower, across various courtyards, and through darkened corridors until we’re back in the same building I’d met the God Council before.

This time, though, she doesn’t take me immediately to the main chambers. I spot the man—the God—waiting at the end of the hall and immediately feel tension spread throughout my shoulders. My heart thuds a rapid beat inside my chest as sweat coats my palms. Anger. Red hot and wicked spears through me. No matter that I shouldn’t care. No matter that the Darkhavens are no more trustworthy now than the Underworld—especially if Regis’ last note is any indication—I still hate the sight of Azai, God of Strength.

Head tilted down, he stares at me with both arms crossed over his massive warrior-like chest. I hate him even more because of the small notes of his features that remind me of his sons. The liquid gold of his eyes makes me think of Theos. The sharp jaw that reminds me of Kalix. The stoic expression that is all Ruen.

I despise them all.

“My Lord.” Dauphine stops before him and bows deep.

Though I know I should probably offer the same respect—as anyone else would—I don’t. I meet Azai’s gaze with a glare and wait for his response. He arches one dark brow but otherwise doesn’t say anything as he turns to the side and gestures for me to enter the smaller door that is far less gilded than their original chambers. The slab of wood is plain and without any ornamentation. For some reason, that makes me dread entering the room beyond all the more.

Pushed along by Azai’s attention on my back, though, I don’t hesitate as I reach out and twist the knob, letting the door swing inward to reveal a smaller but no less opulent room full of familiar bodies. My throat goes dry when I spy Danai and Makeda standing side by side as they had during the mock battles in the arena. Unable to help myself, I reach out for a mind I know almost as well as my own. Ara responds without pause, and sensing my anxiety, floods my head with her own emotions. Though not as complex as mortal or Divine emotions, the sensation of her hope and care eases the strain in my shoulders and mind as I step into the room and approach the Gods.

“Hello, Kiera.”

I dip my head as Caedmon appears around the corner of a large pillar. The room itself, unlike the door leading inside, is a beautifully decorated parlor of sorts. The only thing that makes it unparlor-like is the large open stone chalice that takes up a large portion of the center of the room around which are six pillars.

“Lord Caedmon,” I acknowledge the God of Prophecy with a dry throat and Ara still sending me her emotions to calm my own.

Discreetly, I wipe my palms against my trousers. So fast had Dauphine come—a fact that Kalix had seemed surprised by considering he’d given us a good hour to prepare for her arrival—I hadn’t even gotten the chance to change into a gown or something else that they would have likely preferred or expected. No one says anything, though, about my inappropriate attire as I approach the center of the small room.

“Do you know why you’re here, child?” Danai asks, the first, other than Caedmon, to speak.

Behind me, I sense rather than see Azai enter the room. His presence is an undesired weight on my shoulders, but I ignore it and look to the God Queen as I respond.

“It’s not the Spring Equinox yet, Your Majesty,” I say, dipping my head in deference to her in a way I didn’t for Azai.

The door at my back shuts with a harsh thump and I repress the urge to smile, knowing that respecting one God over another has certainly annoyed him. Good. If I do decide to kill the God King, then I also plan to slaughter Azai along with him. After what he’s done to his sons, to Ruen, he cannot be allowed to live. My hands are stained with the blood of my kills. One more death on my conscience won’t affect my already damned soul.

---