Page 18 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“The realm is Rordan’s, not mine,” she answered, reaching to sheath her sword down her back, the gold glinting in the gloomy day. “I want nothing to do with this godsforsaken world.”

“You wish to go home?” the being asked.

“I have no home.”

“But you do, your grace, and you would be welcomed,” he purred, a semi-corporeal hand skimming along her lower back, and Luka couldn’t hold in his growl at that touch.

Violet eyes snapped to his, but she appeared to be the only one who heard him. The beings did not react, and the dead did not stir. But her eyes narrowed, and even from here, he could see the lightning flashing in them. Her head tipped to the side, the gold dagger still gripped in her hand.

She was a godsdamn vision.

Golden hair flowed around her, and her entire being was humming with a faint glow. Her white dress was cut low in the front, reaching to her bare feet with deep slits up the side. She had some type of leather armor strapped along her torso with vambraces on her forearms. All of which was splattered with blood. She looked almost as if she’d stepped from another world, standing among the ruin.

Actually, she looked like another version of Auryon, only with blades instead of arrows and light instead of dark.

“You are not supposed to be here,” a voice hissed, moments before he was yanked backwards by one of the beings.

Luka whirled to find a gold dagger at his throat and a female standing beside the phantom being. These had to be the Hunters Tristyn had warned them about. The female was beautiful in a haunting sort of way. Tall and lithe, her ravenhair was stark against her pale skin. It was woven into a simple plait, strands of gold interspersed among it. Her gown was gold, and so were the bangles on her wrists. Her eyes, though, were bright violet as they glared at him.

“Did she call to you? Or were you sent?” the female demanded.

“I don’t know what that means,” Luka replied.

“We shall see, young warlord,” she sneered, before her hand shot out, slamming into his chest.

Luka lurched to his feet, tripping over the mess of blankets and pillows as he looked around wildly, blinking sleep from his eyes. He was still at his cave. It was still dark. His black flames still cast a low glow over the space. He was still alone.

But somehow, he’d also just been in one of Tessa’s visions, and he didn’t know what the fuck to do with that.

5

AXEL

He was dying.

That was all he could think as he sat in the dark room, alone and chained.

Well, that and he needed a drink. Something warm and coppery would do. Something full of power and heat. Gods, he could practically taste it. Practically tasteher.She would taste like smoke and fire, and the magic would be all-consuming. Where would he drink from? Her wrist? Her thigh? Her throat?

Perhaps all three?

He’d heard it was more intoxicating to drink it straight from the source rather than a glass. He wondered how true that was…

“Fuck,” Axel rasped, shifting against the hard wall he was leaning against. Sharp rock dug into his spine, and every movement ripped open wounds that weren’t being allowed to heal. The wound in his thigh was searing. There was no doubt it was becoming infected because Julius wouldn’t let it close. He could feel his blood already trickling down his back, but the pain and sensations brought him back to this place and kept him from thinking about blood, particularly her blood.

He didn’t know exactly where he was. The only light he was ever granted was when the door to the room was opened. Otherwise, he was kept in the pitch black, the room so dark he couldn’t see his own hand in front of his face.

Of course, he also couldn’t bring his hand to his face with the shackles on his wrists.

And the broken arm. That was an issue too.

But the biggest problem was it was so godsdamn quiet in here. There was no music to distract him, and no tasks to keep him busy. He was just left to sit here and think about how thirsty he was, and how empty he felt, and how he would rather be dead than feel likethis.

Out of control.

Deranged.

Powerless.

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