Fine. Only because I care for Nora. I don’t care about the rest of this shit, not the unrequited love of Hekate and Nyx, and especially not her desire to keep the evil bitch queen alive. I will show no mercy as I turn her to ash one day.
Inhaling deeply, I shut my eyes and force my magic away for the moment. Anger can wait.
“What else is there for me to understand?” My eyes burn into hers and hers burn right back.
“I don’t believe Nyx is herself.” She leans forward, filling her glass back up with sweet Novocain and bringing it to her lips. “I believe there must be a way to purge the darkness from her soul. With the help of King Ourahnus I’ve been experimenting on her demons in the Realm of Light. I think whatever force it is that controls them has its claws embedded deep in her as well.” She nonchalantly sips her wine.
Her words crash into me like the rising waves climbing higher and higher outside the bay windows from the storm headed our way.
“You can’t be serious. My father is helping you with this?” I throw my hands up, lightning striking the sand outside the window from the pent-up anger I’m trying to hold in. “There is no darkness plaguing her, Hekate. She is darkness.”
“Believe what you want, Kairos. Mera comes first, but what if I could save both of them? I have to try. You would do the same for Mera and you can’t deny it. You would never let me or anyone else kill her.” Smiling, she tips her glass back, emptying it again.
Nyx isn’t a victim. She’s a predator. She will haunt and torment Mera until there is nothing left to take from her. Nothing left to take from me.
Until the Underworlds sky shines bright.
Until celestial’ wings are neither black nor white.
Until the realms are shattered and made anew…
You belong to me, and I belong to you.
The promises we made at our claiming ceremony play over and over in my head, Mera’s voice tearful and full of joy before it all came crashing down. Nyx cannot have her. The part of my divine soul which is still full of light wants to tell Hekate I will spare Nyx so long as Mera is safe, but the dark part of my soul… there is no stopping it from burning her realm to the ground with her in it if it means my fated mate lives a long, happy life with me.
I will enjoy watching her burn.
Chapter Eighteen
River of Red
NYX
SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1848
“Why are we here, Hekate? What is so special about this damp, bug filled forest, and this river, anyway?” Stepping over sticks and mud, I grimace as a snake slithers past my foot and disappears beneath the berry bush beside me.
Hekate’s white hair falls nearly to her waist, captivating me like freshly fallen snow that sparkles under the light of the moon. Her pale blue eyes are the stars that guide me through the night as she turns and gives me a mischievous smile. She has been talking about bringing me here for weeks, proclaiming this place possesses magic beyond my imagination. It looks like any other forest to me. The greenery is beautiful, yet rather ordinary, but she swears we must travel just a little further. If it weren’t for her beauty and charm, I would have gone back home already. I despise hiking.
“Trust me, Nyx. You’ve seen nothing like this place before.” Continuing down the path, her dress follows behind her in the mud, her magic keeping it perfectly pristine. “The gods allow me entrance because I have earned their trust as queen, but they would not be happy with me for bringing you along. Let’s keep this between us.” She stops and turns to face me, her golden crown sparkling above her brow.
“Of course. I will never tell. I promise.” I step forward, brushing my lips against hers as I press my palms against her lower back and pull her in close. “I enjoy our little secrets very much.”
I give her a delighted smile as her eyes begin to glow, the blue light within them growing brighter and brighter until it is impossible to look away. I adore her. Having her as a teacher has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she has taught me how to be the best witch I can be, and a curse because if the king and queen were to find out how deeply I care for her, they might make her leave. Being part witch, celestial, and demon at times has its perks, but being blessed by Hekate’s presence is the biggest perk of all.
“Close your eyes.” Her voice is enchanting and ethereal as it flows around me, gusty currents of wind swirling around us like a gentle, yet powerful cyclone.
As the air turns frigid and the scent of wet earth is replaced by frosted pine, her laughter floats through the wind. The quiet of the forest becomes a gentle whisper in my ear. Beneath my heels the ground is no longer squishy from mud and rain, it is firm yet softer than a cloud.
“Open your eyes, Nyx.” Her heated breath against my ear sends chills down my spine.
As I open my eyes, I gasp. This place is much different than the Realm of Light. The greenery is gone, replaced by pearlescent, puffs of glistening leaves that resemble snow, but as I reach out to touch one, it feels nothing like snow. Butterflies zip past, their bright pink and purple wings gleaming like torches in the night. Wildflowers line the path we traveled as far as the eye can see, blanketing the ground in a kaleidoscope of colors that glow like the butterflies’ wings. Where darkness and stars once were, the sky illuminates our surroundings, the shimmering fuscia, lavender, and cerulean so bright the stars are hidden within the colors.
“Where are we, Hekate? What is this place? It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.” Stepping forward, I bend and touch the bushes of white and the flowers covering the ground.
Holding my hand out in front of me, I smile as a glowing butterfly lands upon it, fluttering its iridescent wings.
Hekate steps forward and takes my free hand in hers. “Come, Nyx. There is more here to see.”
