Page 64 of Empire of Death
WRATH
Lily had given her orders to the blacksmiths and then ordered Hawk to prepare the ships for immediate departure. I sat in the armchair in Hawk’s bedchambers and waited for him to return so I could speak with him alone. Hours passed before the door flew open and he walked inside, dressed for battle with his sword over his back, wearing his armor every day even when he didn’t need so his body would always be used to the weight.
His fingers ran through his hair as he entered, issuing a deep sigh like the stress was eating away at him the same way it did his sister. He walked across the sitting room and didn’t notice me in the armchair near the fireplace. He headed to the mantel, where he had a stash of wine bottles and booze. He uncorked something stronger than wine and took a swig before he cringed when he felt the burn slide down his throat. He corked it once again then turned toward me, giving a jump that made him lose his grip on the bottle. It toppled then landed on the soft rug, miraculously not breaking.
He didn’t give a scream or a whimper, but his dilated eyes showed his terror. He immediately stepped back, always facingme as he put distance between us. He stopped when the coffee table separated us.
As if that would stop me if I wished him harm.
I rose from the chair and faced him, taller than him by several inches.
He kept a straight face, but it was obvious he feared me. His eyes gave him away. “What do you want?”
“Since you continue to interrogate your sister about my motivations, let me tell you myself.”
His expression didn’t change, but he drew a deeper breath in anticipation.
“But this stays between you and me. Do you agree?”
He considered the question for a long time before he gave a nod.
He hadn’t told Lily about my first visit, so I assumed he wouldn’t tell her about this one either.
“I want the Barbarians to be defeated because Lily Lena Rothschild is the woman in my heart—and I will not stop until she prevails. I have granted her my strength as a god and given her the command of my army because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. As you’ve already suspected, I don’t care about the events of the mortal world because they don’t concern me. But I care about every hint of sadness in your sister’s heart. Every tear of grief she sheds. Every ounce of misery she carries on her shoulders. My heart was dead before I looked upon her fair face—and now it burns hotter than the flames of the underworld. I seek nothing in return for my aid other than witnessing her triumph against these fiends. I do not want her soul. Even if she offered it to me, I would reject it. My sole purpose in this matteris to protect her in any way I can because I won’t rest until she’s safe. Even though we’re separated by life and death and I will never have her beyond this moment, I will part the seas to ensure her safe passage. I will suffer the torturous consequences of my intervention when my superiors learn of my treachery, and even though one day she’ll marry someone else and have the children I wish were mine, I wouldn’t change my decision—because I love her.”
Hawk didn’t blink once as he listened to my speech. His body remained rigid in alarm and he’d seemed to forget to breathe the last twenty seconds, but then his chest rose one time and started to move once more.
“Any questions?”
His eyes remained guarded as he continued his stare.
“Do not question her further on this matter. She has enough to deal with right now. I don’t expect you to trust me, but my intentions toward your sister and her family are entirely pure.”
“I believe you.”
My opinion of her brother constantly teetered on the edge of a knife. His immature attitude annoyed me, but he also showed a loyalty to his sister that I respected. He kept his word to me when he didn’t have to. He was more like Talon Rothschild than I realized. He just needed more time to grow into the role.
“Does she feel the same way?”
The question stung because of how layered and complicated the answer was. “She’s never shared all the things I just said to you, but I think she does.”
21
LILY
Callum transported me to Skull Island within the blink of an eye, saving me days of travel on the back of a dragon. My boots hit the beach, and I felt my weight sink into the grains of sand before I came to a stop.
“Wow, this is so much faster than flying,” I headed into the coastal city, back to The Mermaid’s Tale, and asked the bar maiden to speak with Jack. He’d probably be alarmed I was there because no one had reported any sightings of dragons overhead.
I ordered a pint while I waited, and then Callum appeared at the table with me. He wasn’t in the chair across from me or beside me, but in the fourth chair with his back against the wall, looking out of place in an establishment like this. He surveyed the room before he looked at me, and once his eyes settled there, they stayed in place.
I’d gotten used to his stares now, especially in public. I drank my ale as I waited, Callum’s eyes glued to the side of my face, an invisible but permanent fixture in my life. I always had a god over my shoulder, looking out for me.
Jack walked inside, grabbed himself an ale, and then dropped into the chair across from me. “Pirate Queen.” He clanked his tankard against mine. “Didn’t know you were here. There’s been no sighting of ship or dragon.”
“I have my ways.”
Jack stared like he wanted more, but he didn’t pry.
