Page 73 of God Touched

"Is 'kay," she gasped, blood bubbling out of her lips. "Told you I'd die…for you." His face started to blur, and the pain moved away from her. She wanted to touch his face one last time, but her arms refused to move.

"You are not going to die, Imogen Ironwood." Arawan gathered her close, his warm tears falling on her face.

"Icontrol life and death, not you. You will live because you belong to me, and I won't allow you to leave me."

Arawan's mouth pressed to hers as her last breath slipped out of her.

Imogen's body went weightless, a soft tingling sensation racing through her. This was the death she had always known was coming for her…

Imogen screamed as power slammed into her. Her whole body was burning like it had been hit with a lightning bolt. Ice and fire split her apart, and she screamed again and again.

Arawan's hands clutched her tight to him. "Breathe, Imogen! Breathe!"

Imogen sucked air into her lungs, and the burning sensation in her body eased. Arawan kissed her cheeks. "That's it, my love. In and out, let the power settle."

"What did you do to me?" she croaked, her voice raw.

"I saved you, my love. Just keep breathing. Don't ever stop." Arawan was rocking her gently. "Everything is going to be okay now."

Imogen didn't know how long they lay on the grass, but the pain in her head and body finally disappeared, and she felt okay to move.

"We need to get back to your court," she said, sitting up. "Fuck, Hafgan. Is he dead? Did I do it?"

"Well, yes and no," Arawan replied, helping her to her feet. Hafgan's head was lying a few feet from her, his eyes still blinking at her.

"You fucking idiot. Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Hafgan snarled.

"Fuck, that's just creepy." Imogen picked up the head just before his still twitching arm could grab it. Arawan pulled off his black helm and held it out to her.

"Put it in here. We need to keep it separated from the rest of his body. With any luck, the properties of this metal will stop any of his remaining magic from trying to regrow his body from the neck down," Arawan replied.

"You think this will contain me? I am truly immortal! It might not happen now or in the next five hundred years, but my body will find me!" Hafgan's head snarled at them.

"Hold him." Imogen passed the helm to Arawan before walking over to the legless torso. Her body felt strange, like she wasn't entirely in control of her limbs. She could still feel echoes of Arawan's power in her, burning away.

Future Imogen's problem,she thought and pulled her ax from Hafgan's back.

"Let's see you regenerate this," she muttered and began to hack the god into pieces. All the fear, the rage, and terror she had felt in the moment he had knocked Arawan to the ground came out of her in a massive, violent rush. The weeks of stress waiting for the generals to attack, Aneirin kidnapping Reeve and trying to hurt Charlotte. The worry that Hafgan and Vili were free and planning to plunge the world into war…

By the time Imogen finished, her arms ached so much that she could barely lift them. She was covered in sweat and ichor, and fuck knew what else. Arawan was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Seeing you in a rage never fails to take my breath away," he said.

"Yeah? Let it be a warning to never be on the receiving end of it," Imogen replied. She whistled at the dogs. "Supper time!"

"I…" Arawan began and stopped as the white hunting hounds obeyed her, tearing apart and eating all that remained of Hafgan's body.

"Let's see him try and pull himself together when it's spread between a pack of dogs," she said.

"You will pay for this, whore!" Hafgan shouted from the helm Arawan still held. Arawan and Imogen stared down into the ranting god's face.

A devilish idea hit Imogen, and she grinned. "You want to pee on him?"

Arawan's smile was as merciless as a blade in the dark. "I have a better idea."

34

Imogen was still exhausted from the fight with Hafgan by the time Arawan restored the castle back in Snowdonia.

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