Page 52 of Taming Chaos

“Yes. He is at the root of all this disturbance, and he needs to be put in his place.”

“Oh.” She hesitated, and for a moment, Torin thought she might be apprehensive, but then her expression changed, becoming fierce. She never failed to surprise him. “You know, I have a score I want to settle with the bastard, too.”

Torin grinned. “Whatever you wish, Persephone.” He gestured toward the corridor with a small, ironic flourish. “Please, after me. I’ll be both your shield and your instrument of vengeance, if you desire.”

“Why Torin, I’ve never heard anything so romantic in my life.” She matched his irony with her own thick sarcasm, even as the color in her cheeks deepened and her eyes lit up with amusement. “But what am I supposed to do with those guys?” She glanced at the Bartharrans, who hadn’t moved at all.

“Tell them to stay put. If they really believe you’re the reincarnation of the star goddess, they won’t even blink unless you let them. That is just my interpretation, though. I wouldn’t trust them. We still don’t know what all of this really means. Stick with me and you’ll be fine.”

Faced with the prospect of unlimited power over these ferocious beings, Seph did something so very human.

She managed to look aghast.

That’s why you need me, my sweet human. You’re too pure for this terrible Universe. Let me be your taint.

Torin gestured toward the darkness. “Come.”

Chapter Thirteen

Back down the corridor they went, back into the chambers of this mysterious Relahek, the elusive fiend. Torin made sure to lock all the doors behind him with Parrus’s key-cube, effectively barricading them inside.

But surely the Bartharrans had a master key. What was stopping them from invading the chambers in overwhelming numbers?

Fear of Torin’s blades, that’s what. It astounded her that this lone warrior could subdue an entire ship of barbarian warriors with just his menacing aura.

Now she understood why he’d fought the Bartharrans so viciously down in the hold, why he’d slaughtered them without blinking an eye.

Fear was the invisible barrier that held back the tide.

That was all.

How had he known?

There was so much about this man that she wanted to unravel, but danger refused to release them from its tumultuous grip. She couldn’t even pause to take a breath, let alone delve into Torin’s mysteries.

So for now, Seph had to be content with watching Torin’s body as he moved. Secretly, she studied him, noticing the subtle changes. Secretly, she was a little bit worried. He’d sustained a hell of a lot of damage, and it was starting to show.

His muscles were gradually losing their bulk; he was being transformed into a more lithe, lean, and mean version of himself.

How strange.

The way he loped down the hall, so silent and graceful—yet predatory—reminded her of a hungry wolf after a long winter.

Holy hell.

And then there was that thing with his face… those eyes. The whites had been burned right off his eyeballs, leaving a gruesome mess. Then the black specks appeared, crawling across the damaged tissue like microscopic insects, replacing the gelatinous mess with the perfectly etched circles of his pupil and iris.

Like some sort of intricate digital painting, brilliant red and black unfurled, bringing his fierce expression back to life, as if he’d somehow been revived from death.

She should have been shocked.

She should have been horrified.

But this was Torin, and she could no longer fear him.

“Wait here,” he said softly, grazing her waist with one hand as he drew his sword with the other. His touch alone was enough to send a ripple of desire down into her core, infusing her body with heat.

Before she could say anything, he disappeared.

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