Page 90 of A Heart Of Bitter Poison
“Oh myGodno. What the fuck?”
“Regardless of the preferred terminology, this delightful creature and I are mated,” Ashen says as I drag a hand down my face. I feel an overwhelming wave of his smug satisfaction pull at the fibers beneath my skin as Ediye gloats with a chorus ofI knew it, totally called thatand magics up a mini firework display above the coffee table.
“Fucksakes. You’re as subtle as a brick,” I whisper in his ear over the crackle of the tiny light display. I try to smile in thanks to Cole for his warm congratulations as Eryx happy-claps next to him with glitterball eyes.
“Payback is such a bitch, isn’t it, vampire,” he whispers back before placing a kiss on my cheekbone.
“Payback for what?”
“Trying to make my mated mark into a dick is probably a good place to start.”
I snort a laugh that dies quickly as Davina crosses my mind. I try to keep my cringe on the inside as I look toward her, but she returns my gaze with a brief and gentle smile. I can see the pain still etched in her face from our loss of Cassian yesterday, but this at least seems more like a weight lifted than one further burdening her shoulders. Part of me wishes I could pull her away and ask her a thousand questions about Aglaope and the body she harvested, but I shelve it for now. She’s clearly suffering enough that centuries old wounds don’t need to be opened, at least not tonight.
“Congratulations on your union,” Valentina says, pulling my thoughts away from Davina as she bows her head. “We should celebrate at dinner.”
Florin enters the living room and casts a welcoming smile to us all. “Did I hear‘celebrate’? We’ll bring out the Château Margaux from the cellar if so.”
“I appreciate the gesture, but we need to leave.” Ashen’s voice is polite but firm, with no room for argument. “We need to do it as soon as possible. If Semyon is already here, we are not safe.”
Thoughts of everything we need to do to get out of here kick off a headache that climbs from the base of my neck, spidering though my skull and scuttling toward my eyes. It bursts into my face and I press my fingertips to the center of my forehead.
“Elixir?” Ashen whispers. I nod, realizing I forgot to take it this morning. Maybe it was the process of mating and the quantity of blood that I took, but I felt better than usual when I woke up. It must have slipped my mind.
I down my cocktail and tap my pockets, looking for a vial. Valentina takes my empty glass from my hand before I can set it on the coffee table.
My fingers graze hers.
In an instant of touch I see. I see who she really is.
Valentina turns away with my glass, unaware of my ability.
Ediye meets my eyes. I speak to her with no more than a look. By the time I turn my gaze to Ashen, he’s already laying the handle of his dagger in my palm.
The blade flies from my hand and Valentina falls to the floor. In the moment of her death, the illusion slips away.
She transforms into Mila Karras, the shapeshifting witch.
CHAPTER34
Ediye’s eyes swirl with darkness as she hits Florin with her blades of stars, trapping his shoulders to the wall. He cries out in frustration as much as pain. The illusion has slipped from his features too. His blond hair turns short and red, a spray of freckles appears across his nose. Bright blue, angry eyes dart from one person to the next. He’s beautiful. Angelically beautiful.
“Leander,” Cole whispers. His hands fold into tight fists at his sides. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.”
Leander huffs a derisive laugh, then turns his head and spits blood onto the carpet. “Not hiding.Creating. Saving. Ensuring the future of the Realm of Light.”
“By trying to start a war among realms,” Ashen says. “By handing the Living Realm to a pack of werewolves that has no business ruling anyone, and having them pay for it by destroying the Shadow Realm.”
“You say that as though your own Council has not been plotting for centuries to crush the Realm of Light. It’s why our elders senthimin the first place,” Leander replies, tossing a nod in Cole’s direction. “He was meant to flush out Eshkar and Imogen’s plans for war.”
Cole leans forward toward the fallen angel, smoke cascading from his shoulders. “I gave my wings tostopwar, not to start it. You gave yours for poison.”
“Do you really think my purpose was not as noble as yours? We have too many souls in the Realm of Light as it is. Too many make it through. We must close our gates and protect the ancient ones we have, the ones that deserve a place among theanunnaki.”
“There are souls in the Shadow Realm that need protection too.”
Leander laughs like Cole has just said the most hilarious words ever spoken. He laughs and laughs until tears gather at the corners of his eyes. And honestly, I can’t blame him. I nearly cackle myself. The thought of the Shadow Realm protecting anyone is ludicrous. And it doesn’t take the power of a seer to anticipate everything Leander says in counterargument.
“Protection? In the Shadow Realm? You have seen how they treat their souls. The wreckage of humanity, drifting in anguish, filling the Bay of Souls until they can make it into your Black Sea to brave whatever horrors lurk in the lightless depths. The souls of immortals forced into servitude until they wear out their usefulness, running amok like wild animals, hunted for sport.” I feel Ashen stiffen behind me, and Leander catches it too, his gaze flicking between the Reapers. “Oh yes, I’ve heard of the games the Reapers play. The pits. The gauntlet. The hunts. Imogen does love a resurrection in the name of sport. Merciful Justice is not so merciful in the real world, is it. Do you really think the Shadow Realm deserves clemency for your barbarism?”
