Page 82 of Death God

“You’re so crude, Aria. And now I know you’ll never change,” the dark angel of war said in mock-disappointment. “Even if you beg me now, I won’t take you back. You want to know the truth about how I really feel about you?”

I smirked at him.

“I can’t stand you even for one second,” the horseman of war told me sincerely. “However, I’ll allow Jared to say a final goodbye. After all, he deflowered you.”

To his credit, Marlowe only sneered coldly, which showed his utter disdain toward our enemy. Spartoi couldn’t do shit to rile up my clever mate.

Then the next second, the horseman’s eyes shifted to deep blue. Jared surfaced with a gasp and stared at me. It took a moment for him to collect himself.

“I’ve done everything to be with you,” the former Alpha Heir said with grief and bitterness. “I cast aside all other women for you. I even gave up being the Alpha King of North America and Europe for you. I was even willing to form an alliance with an old enemy and be his vessel to win you back. Yet you keep betraying me for that bloodsucker!”

“Oh, please. I wasn’t born yesterday,” I said. “You never truly cared about me, you arrogant, self-righteous jerk. You considered me your property and tried to force me to be yours. I was never yours and never will be.” I jerked a thumb at Marlowe. “My mate is right here, a true male who’s worthy of me. Your biggest mistake was to take the dark angel of war, the corrupted horseman, into you. The pure evil has dominated you. You’ll diminish when War takes over again. You’re beyond redemption. I don’t feel sorry for you because you’re a fool and an asshole, but I’ll mourn your wolf.”

“Enough!” he bellowed.

Before Jared could finish his outraged bellow, War shoved him aside and took over. This time, the vessel did not bear the appearance of the former alpha. The horseman of war stood in front of us in his true corporeal form, which he finally gained through the wolf alpha.

Darkness swirled in the horseman’s crimson eyes. He looked utterly evil, corrupted power pouring off him.

The Alpha King no longer existed.

Yet I took small comfort from the fact that my mate had reached me and saved me before the horseman could take my power. If he’d done that, he’d be unstoppable.

“Look!” I gestured at War and shouted at his army, letting my voice carry through the battlefield. “This being isn’t your Alpha King anymore. He’s the dark angel of war, the horseman who wrecked Earth and destroyed our civilization two centuries ago. Unfortunately, he’s back now since he just took over the former Alpha Heir, Jared’s body. My countrymen and women, hear this: War, the dark horseman, will only lead you to destruction. If we let him win, he’ll enslave humanity and reign in terror. I’m offering you a chance to turn against him. Come to the light and join me. Together, we’ll beat the horseman of war!”

No one from the enemy army moved an inch. They just glared at me. It seemed the soldiers had either been brainwashed or they wouldn’t listen to a woman, especially a woman standing by the Vampire God, whom the world condemned as a villain.

“C’mon!” I shouted again. “What are you waiting for?!”

The horseman of war clapped his hands. “Very touching, Aria Pip Ophelia, the queen of naiveté.” He shook his head and tsked. “You haven’t learned even after a century, and you still don’t understand the hearts of men. You were born a destroyer, Death’s daughter. And I’m mankind’s savior.” He bellowed, his voice booming through the battlefield, “Soldiers, who’s with me?” The fucker had more lung capacity than me.

“We are!” his soldiers bellowed back.

“Who’s War?” he shouted again.

“We are!” his soldiers bellowed again, pounding their chests.

A war horn sounded from their camp. Those assholes were so dramatic!

Today, I’d learned a fundamental truth—not everyone could be saved. No everyone wanted to be saved.

“Kill Death’s daughter! Kill them! And preserve the master race!” the horseman of war shrieked again, and his followers echoed his nasty sentiment.

Fuckers really thought they were the superior race, and they were bloodthirsty.

“I dare you to touch what’s mine!” the Vampire God roared, power rolling off him and rocking the battlefield.

My mate charged and crashed into the horseman, his twin swords slamming into the horseman’s spear again and again.

With an ear-deafening battle cry, our army followed their vampire king and rammed into the enemy force. The light mages and half a dozen elite vampire warriors fought around me to protect me while Musketeer and two vampires watched Marlowe’s back.

I’d been multitasking while scorning the horseman. I’d been weaving my first spell to free the spirits trapped in the ward. Everything was falling into place for the first time. Now that my mate had claimed me and completed me and cherished me, I finally had every piece of my memories back. The precious genetic memory and arcane knowledge inherited from my parents pulsed powerfully in me.

There were no puzzles and no doubts anymore.

My enemies were hellbent on erasing us from the face of the Earth, but they had no fucking idea what I really was. Their master might be the dark angel of war, but I was the new Death, who controlled the revolving door between life and death.

So, who’s the bitch?

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