Page 139 of The Eternal Mirror
Where did he come from? Where has Khronus been in the weeks we’ve been hiding out in my father’s lands? Khaos is leaning against the wall behind him, arms folded. I catch his gaze and raise a brow, but he just shrugs.
Finally, Killian’s eating slows, and he sits back and looks at me.
“How did you escape?” I ask.
“I didn’t. He let me go.” He looks away for a moment. “I’m a messenger. A bearer of good tidings.”
Hmm, I detect a hint of sarcasm there. “Then spit it out,” I say. “Don’t keep us all in suspense.”
“He’s here,” Killian says, voice wrecked. “Khronus is at the border of this place. Wherever this is. Fucking weird, if you ask me.”
He’s sounding better, stronger, more like his old self.
“It’s what remains of my father’s lands,” I say, making myself another sandwich. I hold it up to Khaos like an offering. See, I totally love him. He shakes his head, and I take a bite.
“Lucifer, right? So, this is Hell?”
“No. This was here before Hell. It’s what was left after Khronus created Hell.”
“Can he get through the border?” Khaos asks me, but Killian answers.
“He’s already broken through those weird shadows. Then he sent me with his message. Said he will wait until dawn for an answer.”
Dawn can’t be more than a couple of hours away. My next question should be—what’s the message? But I’m putting that off as long as possible.
And while this is not good news, it’s not bad either. We were going after Khronus anyway. Now he’s come to us. I’d just been hoping for more time.
“How big is the army?” Khaos asks.
“Huge.” He looks around him, a frown forming on his face. “Where is everybody?”
“I sent them to Valandria. To safety.”
His brows draw together. “So, there’s no army to fight Khronus.”
“Nope, just us two.” I wave a hand to include Khaos.
“Fuck.” Then he shrugs. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You would never have beaten him by force. He has too many men. And he hasmagic. It’s growing until you can almost see it, like a glow in the air around him.”
That’s not good. Okay, time to find out what he wants. “The message?” I ask. My voice is steady. Don’t ask me how.
“He says...you have one last chance. Join him. Be his queen. Or...” A bitter laugh. “Or be enslaved with the rest.”
“The rest?”
“Your followers, your friends, your family. Him.” He nods toward where Khaos is standing. “We’ll all be tortured for all eternity.” Killian says the words without emotion, as though he’s used up all his fear. I’m sure that will change.
My body goes still. My mind, too. Not because I’m tempted. Not even close.
Because it’s just so fucking typical.
I nod once. No anger in it. Just cold, hard clarity. “Right,” I say. “Let’s go get that fucker.”
I stand up and realize I’m still barefoot. I walk to the corner where I left my boots, then sit on the steps and shove them on, one at a time. Next, I strap on Nightfall, tightening the buckles across my chest. I tie my hair back. Breathe.
Khaos watches me but doesn’t say a word. He’s already checking the blade at his back.
Killian’s still slumped at the table.
