Page 54 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

"Why would he do such a cruel thing?" I whisper to myself in disbelief.

Az, who hammers away at a sheet of metal, stops and looks up at me. "Vayne was supposed to be next to rule," he says gravely. "But Aggonid had other plans, so he made sure his own brother would never take the throne."

"Aggonid's brother was Irid's mate?"

He hums. My heart sinks as I slowly understand what he means. So that is why Aggonid rules the underworld—not because he’s actually supposed to, but because he'd forced his way into power by killing his own brother. It's no wonder Irid despises him so much.

"Oh my gods." I throw a hand over my mouth. Aggonid had his own brother killed by his mate. "What does Caius see in him?!"

"They were mates long before he took the throne." He sighs, pulling a poisonous plant and tossing it into the woods to make room for a few metal spikes. “Thousands of years in the making.” He shrugs.

"Love," I supply, and he nods somberly.

"Who ruled before Aggonid?"

"His parents. Someone slipped into their room in the dead of night and silenced them with the slash of an enchanted blade—designed to kill gods.”

The realization crashes into my mind with the force of a tidal wave, freezing me in place. “What? No!” I manage to gasp, my voice barely audible as I try to comprehend the thought. How could such a coldhearted act be committed, and by whom?

He stands, turning to face me with a solemn expression, his words confirming what I already know. “It's true," he says.

Dread fills me as I ask him the question on my mind. "Do you think it was Aggonid who killed them?" My voice trembles, and I feel horror at the thought that this being who shows so much love to Caius could commit such an atrocity. But then again, he killed me with zero hesitation.

His unwavering gaze tells me everything I need to know. "No doubt in my mind."

"Did you know his parents?"

"Not well, but enough. Before they were killed, Aggonid and Vayne were in charge of both hunts, as well as doling out favors. Vayne was my mentor, and I, his protege."

Realization sinks in. This is another reason why he doesn't like Aggonid. "I'm sorry." I place my hand on his arm, feeling the weight of his pain and sorrow.

He nods, looking away as if he can't bear to show emotion. We stand in the silence, connected by grief and the unspoken truth that the world isn't always fair. Then, something in his posture shifts, radiating with a brave, burning courage that forces his gaze to mine. "Someone has to hold him accountable."

My breath catches and I yank him inside, glancing around before slamming the door. "He's a god. You can't plot against him, Az, it's suicide!"

"Who said anything about that?"

I open my mouth to reply, but he continues before I can speak.

"Besides," he says, his expression softening a bit. "If I thought it would make a difference, I'd do it. But I'm not foolish enough to try and take Aggonid on my own." He moves closer, backing me into a wall. "Then I'd miss out on this pretty little face and redeeming my payment for dinner."

He winks, and a burning heat spreads across my cheeks, sending a tingle of anticipation through my body. His promise of what lies ahead sends the conversation into a feverish frenzy and I can no longer contain the anticipation. I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my body hard against his as I whisper in his ear, "Well, you'd better not forget your promise, then."

"No one could forget the promise of spreading wide your thighs and tasting the sweet nectar that lies between." His lips crash down onto mine, tasting the metal bar against his tongue as ours dual, forgetting the darkness of reality for just one moment.

He hitches my leg over his hip, deepening the kiss and sending lightning bolts of pleasure straight through me. The heat between us intensifies, engulfing every inch of our skin with an insatiable craving. Aggonid's name is quickly forgotten as we give in to our desires.

The promise of a night of passion pulls us further away from the darkness, spinning us into a world separate from our reality, where we're prisoners to a cruel god.

Hoisting me up, he pins me to the wall, rolling his hips against mine. His mouth trails along my neck as he unbuttons my top, pressing his lips against the exposed skin.

The sudden jolt of a knock sounding against the door acts as a bucket of ice water poured over us. My heart races in my chest and I catch my breath, my body tingling with lingering desire. I briefly consider pushing him away and pretending nothing happened, but something stops me, an invisible force keeping me in his arms.

I clear my throat. "Who is it?"

"Caius and Irid." A familiar feminine voice chuckles. "Who've you got in there?"

Az looks at me for a moment before releasing me, stepping away and taking a deep breath. His eyes fill with frustration as he storms to the door, yanking it open enough to stick his head out.

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