Page 83 of Mortal Desires

Pilar belonged to me.

My eyes fell on the parcel she gave me, now soaked in her blood, and I grabbed it.

I placed her carefully down. Leaving her body behind was the most horrifying thing I had to do but I needed to run.

Maybe the fates would rule in my favor this time. Maybe I could reach other territories and try to reason with whoever guarded Heaven’s gate. Not even Heaven could have Pilar.

I didn’t have a plan, but I knew I was running out of time. I stood up before I glanced one last time at her body and crushed the parcel between my thick fingers thinking of only one thing.

Home.

I felt it sucker punch me in the gut. My hands glitched out of existence just as a scream cut through the warehouse. I watched as Marnie arrived with a frantic look on her face, I opened my mouth to explain as she kneeled over Pilar’s body but in that same moment, I was brought back to the underworld.

In the blink of an eye, I was back in my throne room, feeling the power inside my being—my essence aligning with the underworld once again.

I roared. My pain mixed with my power.

I marched to the doors, ready to beg my case to the fates, when a small body slammed into me… her small body.

Her.

My witch.

My wife.

She smelled like night-blooming jasmine. Her small arms found their way around me. Not sure what was happening, I let Pilar hug me, her eyes full of tears.

“What took you so long?” she sniffed, her head buried in my chest. “Are you ok? Did my father hurt you?”

I couldn’t keep up with her questions. I held her to me, noticing her golden crown was back on her head and she was wearing her black gown once again.

I released a long breath, shaking in astonishment.

She was here.

Her skin felt soft in my hands, her hair smelled just the same. Not ready to let her go, I took her in my arms and she came willingly, her legs wrapping around my waist.

“Vic, talk to me,” she asked. “Are you ok? What happened after I died?”

I shook with fear when she talked about it like that. “I thought you left me.”

“For a second.” She nodded like it wasn’t a big deal.

“I thought you’d ascend.”

Her eyebrows creased and she tilted her head to the side like it was the craziest thing she had ever heard.

“Even if I had the choice to ascend I wouldn’t. Vic…”

Her thumbs wiped my cheeks. I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face.

“You are my home now,” she continued and tapped on her chest. “I belong here. I belong to you.”

I crushed my mouth to hers, desperate for her taste. She let me have it, giving me the comfort I needed.

“I’m yours, Vic,” she promised between kisses. “I’ll always come back to you.”

I rested my forehead on hers. “I thought maybe you wanted to stay with your sisters. I knew you belonged up there and I took you.”

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