Page 100 of Another Damned Storm
Damn him.
“Spare your son,” I said. “Keep my brother and his daughter out of the Alius. And you can do whatever the hell you want with me.”
“Oh, you sweet, naive child. I can do that anyway,” Iapetus crooned. “But you are just spunky enough to be entertaining.”His gaze slid between us. “I agree that letting my son die at your side would be an injustice. He does have his own responsibilities, after all. The real dilemma here, as I see it, is that you struggle with control, and I don’t just mean with your newfound powers. I’ve looked back through your life, Never, and I’m fairly certain you’ve never met a rule you weren’t willing to break.”
Well, that just wasn’t true. Looking both ways before crossing the street? I always followed that one. Wearing my seatbelt in the car? Yep, that one too. I tried to come up with another one, but I drew a blank.
So, yeah. Maybe he had a point. I just didn’t know where the hell he was going with it.
I offered him a shrug. “I do bear the mark of defiance. What else did you expect?”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully before his lips curled up in a smile that was anything but friendly. “I will give you a choice.” He held up an index finger. “But I warn you now, this will be one or the other, Miss Darling. There will be no negotiation. Are we clear?”
Hope flickered in my chest, followed immediately by an empty uneasiness. Iapetus didn’t exactly strike me as the kind of god who went easy on anyone.
“What if she refuses to choose?” Hook asked, glaring at him.
Iapetus shook his head. “Not so fast, son. Never must first earn the right to make the choice.” He studied me for several seconds. “You see, you must be punished for the damage you inflicted upon Thrain.”
Agree to disagree. That fucker had it coming.
“And you must learn to control not just your power but also your impulses,” he went on. “I believe the best place for you to learn these things is in the Alius.”
“How will trapping me in hell prove anything?”
His smile was like ice. “Therein lies your test. You won’t be trapped. There will be nothing but your own will and fortitude to stop you from flashing to the Nassa or the human realm. Impulses, remember?”
I could do that. A few months, a year? I could hold myself in check for that long if it meant I would get to be with Hook in the end.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
His head ticked slightly to one side. “There are three. One, you will remain in the demon realm for one-thousand years.”
I blinked in silent horror as I replayed his words in my head.How long?
I was pretty sure I was going to be sick.
“Alone,” he added, casting a poignant glance at Hook. “Two, you must learn to control your power and your impulse to break the rules tomysatisfaction while you’re there, whilst retaining your humanity.” He held up three fingers. “And three, should you fail on any count, you will all be destroyed, my son included. There will be no goodbye, no afterlife. You will all simply end.”
I tried to breathe but my lungs were locked in an invisible vice that cranked tighter with each word he spoke.
“What happens if I say no?” I asked, fighting not to wheeze.
“I thought you might ask that. Should you refuse my offer, your family will be sent to the Alius immediately.” He glanced briefly at Hook before turning back to me. “My son will return to the Nassa, where he belongs, and only you will be destroyed.”
“Your cruelty knows no bounds,” Hook snarled.
I reached out and caught his hand. I wanted to argue too, but what was the point? His terms were clear. If I played the game and failed, we were all dead. If I didn’t play, I could save Hook, but my family would suffer forever.
I’d spent so much of my life worried about keeping mybrother safe, it should have been a no-brainer, but what if I failed? The only chance I had of saving everyone was to survive a millennium in a realm packed with demons, where my blood and Hook’s power were pretty much guaranteed to turn me into a monster.
What if I lost my humanity? I’d only been in that place for a few minutes, and its effect on me was undeniable.
Then there was the more likely scenario: what if I lost control in a moment of weakness and heartache, and accidentally flashed to Hook, damning us all to destruction?
I was shaking when he looped his hand around the back of my neck and ducked his head to meet my gaze. “Don’t worry about me, Never. If you do this, do it to protect your family.”
“Youaremy family.” Did he not realize that? I would die a thousand deaths for him if I knew it would keep him safe.
