Page 9 of Death God

If Spartoi and his minions hadn’t moved me outside his base for an alternative experiment that one time, the light mages and Marlowe would never have found me. I trembled inside just thinking about that fate.

I was back to where I’d started now, the origin of my nightmares and my doom.

Fear hammered into me like hail, threatening to paralyze me. With all the will I could gather, I expelled the coldness coating my bones and shoved the fear down and down, until I could take in another breath.

“If you say so, Alpha King.” I shrugged despite my throat tightening so that only a trickle of air could pass through. My mouth tasted like rough desert sand.

The asshole studied me, and I kept my face expressionless as I watched the rest of the fleet peel away from our van and drive through the chasm. Instead of plunging into the deep abyss beneath, as I hoped they would, the vehicles vanished from sight.

“The ward that guards the portal is unbreakable and unbreachable, unlike the vampires’ inferior ward.” The Alpha King’s voice dripped with disdain. “Do you know why?”

“Black magic. What else?” I said. I wanted to add more acid comments, but I bit my tongue.

It was better not to provoke the Alpha King too much and bring Spartoi to the surface while I still couldn’t take him on.

Observe the dual being, find his weakness, and then strike, I told myself.

I might appear reckless, but my every move should be calculated.

“You’re only half right.” He chuckled, and it wasn’t Jared’s usual laugh.

The horseman’s dark power leaked from him and infused the air. Everyone in the van tensed up, holding their breath, not wanting to draw the attention of the predator.

Once again, I brushed off his harsh power, and he sent me an appreciative glance. Power attracted power. And the more power I possessed, the more he could harvest when the time came. I bet that thought was always on his fucking mind.

“The ward is fueled by tens of thousands of suffering souls,” he said softly, watching me. “Magic is most potent when it draws from pain and sacrifices.”

That was the fundamental belief and practice of black magic users. They sacrificed others and used their victims’ agony as fuel to boost their own power. One day, I hoped they themselves would be sacrificed and suffer tenfold what they’d made others suffer.

I could guess when the horseman amassed the souls. When he first came two centuries ago, he’d caused the global war and had gotten his hands bloody with a massacre. I thought he’d only killed, but it was evident now that he hadn’t stopped there. Somehow, he and his dark mages had managed to trap the tormented souls and use them to power the ward of the portal to his base.

“Here comes the part you might not like,” the Alpha King drawled. “But regretfully, it must be done.” He produced a pair of dark metal cuffs, crimson runes that carried sinister intentions flashing across their surface. “You’ll have to wear the cuffs, Pip.”

“No,” I said coldly. “I’m done with being cuffed. You chained me in your dungeon, and that was enough. The hell I’ll let you do it to me again.”

“That was due to a misunderstanding, and I’ve apologized over and over,” he snapped, then caught his tone as he tried to contain his anger. It wasn’t an easy task for either Jared or Spartoi.

They were both extremely powerful, impatient men in the highest positions. They weren’t used to people saying no to them.

“I don’t give a fuck about your apologies,” I said. “They mean nothing to me.”

“Some might call you poor mannered,” he said in a harsh tone. “But I blame it on you being wild and juvenile. All my life, I’ve never apologized to anyone else, not even to my father, the late king. If you don’t know how to be grateful, at least learn to appreciate that I’ve elevated you above anyone else. I’ve shown you courtesy and lenience that I would never extend to others. But constantly testing me and pushing boundaries won’t help you or our relationship. So, here’s what you’ll get, Pip. Either you wear the fucking cuffs before we enter my castle, or I’ll revoke our agreement and return to finish off your despicable ex-lover, your valued friends, and the entire vampire camp. My intel says that your best friends, including Princess Danielle, are still with the vampires. You once said you would do anything to protect Danielle. Has your loyalty shifted?”

Cold rage engulfed me along with dread and devastation. The fucker had never bought my ruse that I wanted to keep the Vampire God alive only for the sake of revenge. He would gladly go back on his word at any time. All I could hope was that I’d bought Marlowe, his warriors, and my friends enough time to vacate their Walla Walla base and head for their safe houses. Marlowe must gain his full strength and gather his army from other continents before even considering a strike on the horseman.

And there was the big issue of finding me now.

“Yeah? Keep threatening me and see how cooperative I am,” I said.

His face hardened, and his knuckles on the cuffs that were meant for me turned white.

“My, my.” I let out an easy yet defiant chuckle. “Didn’t you just promise to make it up to me and treat me with respect half an hour ago, Alpha King? Are you going to show your true colors so soon when I don’t show you my belly like the others?”

“I’ve given you enough respect, Pip,” he said. “And you’ll cooperate.”

“King Jared, Majesty.” Going-gray cut in, his voice cool and measured. It was interesting he added the Alpha King’s first name, as if trying to remind the king who he was, or hoping that his boss could still be the same man.

Unfortunately, that ship had sailed.

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