Page 18 of Until Death
I move to stand by the window, hoping to distract myself as I look out over the city below, but I cannot help but replay the events of last night over and over again in my mind. The way the girl had looked at me, with her big doe-like eyes and trembling lips, had stirred something deep within me.
A hunger that, until last night, I had thought was long since dead.
But I cannot yet allow myself to be distracted by her, I have a kingdom to rule, and a wife to be brought to heel.
Still, as I wait for Eris to arrive, my mind wanders back to the girl.
I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her that she had no carnal interest in me, despite her less-than-subtle attempts to capture my attention. No, the girl did not want to seduce me … she had to.
And yet, she chose not to.
Perhaps that is why I find myself so drawn to her.
Despite whatever it was she had been taught to do; I saw the innocence in her eyes and in the nervousness of her touch. And it made me wonder what it would feel like to corrupt her, to mold her, to make her mine in every sense of the word.
A shiver of pleasure runs down my spine at this, just as the sound of the door opening interrupts my thoughts.
I turn to watch as one of my guards shoves Eris inside, ever the stubborn creature.
"Your Majesty," she sneers with a mock bow. "You summoned me?"
"Yes," I reply, turning away from her. "I have a very special task for you tonight, but this time … it involves my wife."
Eris raises an eyebrow at my words, a smirk forming on her lips.
"Oh? And what might that be?" she asks, sauntering closer to me.
I turn to face her again, my eyes narrowing. "Do not play coy with me, Eris. You know exactly what I want from you."
She chuckles, pressing a hand to my chest. "And what is in it for me?"
I grab her wrist, pulling her hand away from me roughly. "You know what is in it for you. The same thing that has always been in it for you—power, pleasure, and the promise of more to come."
Eris smirks again, pulling her hand out of my grasp and taking a step back. "Very well, my king. What is it you require of me?"
"To do what you do best," I answer. "Sow discord."
7
Death
Hours have passed since I left the gates far behind me, moving ever deeper into the dark heart of the Underworld.
My heart is heavy as my feet carry me onward, lost in thought over Hazel and the death of her father. With the gates sealed and her father none the wiser as to how he got here, I cannot be certain that I will find the answers I seek.
Or that those who have them will be willing to give them to me without exacting a heavy price.
But I have to try, for Hazel’s sake.
I stop, my shadows swirling up in disgust as a bird calls out from somewhere above, the very trees suddenly shifting around me.
The next moment, the ground beneath my feet comes to life, and I watch as a narrow trail slowly appears before me, the pebbles glowing softly into the distance as if to guide me through the darkness.
I take a deep breath, my hands clenching into fists at my sides before I force myself to step forward.
I have had enough of this realm. Of the so-called gods that dwell here and their childish games.
And yet, here I am treading a path I have spent a lifetime avoiding; one I swore I would never step foot on again.
