Katila tsked me. “You should know that you can't disobey me when you're under the blade's control. You've been its slave before, haven't you?”
“How?” I demanded.
“How what?” He sat up and faced me, crossing his legs as if we were at a slumber party.
“How are you alive?”
“I avoided the Void.” He cackled. “No, not really. I went to the Void but then I got out. I just danced out of the Void. A Void dance.” He paused, then declared, “Avoidance! Ha! That is so appropriate.”
Yup. He was just as crazy as ever.
“You danced out of the Void?” I asked. “All by yourself?”
“Yes.” Katila grinned, his teeth white against his full lips. It looked menacing.
“Bullshit,” I said. “Even I couldn't do that, and I—”
“You are the Trinity Star!” he declared with a wave of his hand. “The Great Destroyer of Bahrain. The Dark One.”
“Dark Star. They called me the Dark Star,” I muttered. “It was a bad time in my life.”
Katila chuckled. “Well, dying was a bad time in my life. But I'm glad I did. It gave me some perspective. I rushed things with you. I should have taken the time to woo you properly.”
“Woo me? Is that what you call stabbing me in the heart with Anubis's stolen Death blade?”
“Yup.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes.
“You wouldn't have come with me willingly,” Katila went on. “And I needed you to sit still long enough to get to know me. In time, you'll understand, and you'll be grateful. I've saved you from that awful life. All those men demanding babies from you. What do they think you are—a broodmare?”
“I love my children,” I said calmly. Maybe if I could play Katila's game well enough, my friends and family would have enough time to reach me.
Wait.
They wouldn't be able to track me. Not without Arach and with my magic suppressed. Maybe not even with Arach. I wasn't sure if Katila's non-scent would hide our trail through the Aether.
“Of course, you love your children,” Katila said. “You're not a monster.” Then he giggled. “Well, you're kind of a monster, but that's why I love you.”
“That is not how love works, Katila.”
“It's how my love works.” He shrugged and climbed out of bed.
Honestly, I was relieved to see him leave the bed. Hopefully, that meant he wasn't going to resort to rape. Yet. At least he hadn't chained me. I hated chains.
“Not that you don't look scrumptious, my love,” Katila said. “But I have a fresh wardrobe for you, and I'd like you to put something on. Whatever you wish.” He waved at a door to his left. “Then come out and join me.” He sauntered out of the room through another door, leaving it open behind him.
I ventured to the open door and peered out it. A normal hallway waited beyond. Hardwood floor and white ceiling. Katila continued down the corridor and out the other end.
What to do?
With my magic numb, I couldn't trace, not even if we'd been in the Human Realm, which I was pretty sure we weren't. I couldn't remember if Katila had a god territory, but his mother must have, and she had died as well. So the guy had options. That made one of us.
I grimaced at the door Katila had indicated, then went to it. It opened to a dressing room. Tasteful with touches of India—brass light fixtures, a marble console running down the center of the room, and brass benches padded in red velvet. Women's clothing hung on racks on one side of the room. The otherwas dedicated to men's clothing. Oh, how cute. He made us a couple's closet. I went to the pants section. I did not want to wear a dress around that maniac. If he decided to rape me, I was going to make it as difficult as possible.
“Not that it will matter,” I muttered to myself.
The man had control of my body. It was the most frightening experience to have your body turn against you. To know you couldn't trust it to defend you. And this was my second time going through it. But I had to keep calm. I may not be able to control my body, but I could control my mind.
