An earthquake went through the room, causing the humans to shriek and seek cover. It was so deep and fierce that even Valynda felt the fury of its shivering.
Xuri didn’t flinch.
Papa Legba lowered his cigar and reached for the rum nearest him. “What are you saying? Are you to marry her, then?”
Xuri shook his head. “You know better. She’s human. There’s no place for her in our world. Least not so long as she’s alive.”
Samedi cut his gaze to Oussou. “Go to Erzulie. Find his human a lover and take her off our brother’s hands. Sooner rather than later.”
Valynda held her breath as she waited for Xuri to stop his little minion from obeying. To do something other than sip his herb rum and ignore the other spirits.
He didn’t.
Rather, he just sat there, doing nothing.
Nothing!
Her heart sank as she felt the horror of the one piece about her fate that she’d never known. Xuri had taken a personal hand in her damnation. No wonder he’d been so quick to help Thorn bring her back.
Not out of love.
Out of guilt!
Fury rose up and choked her. How could he have done this to her? How! She’d loved him more than anyone. Had trusted him. Given him every piece of her heart and soul. And how had he repaid her?
With treachery! He’d worked against her and had sicced her worst nightmare upon her. Sold her out to an embittered old bastard for sport because she’d meant nothing to him.
Never in her life had she felt so stupid.
So … so …
Words failed her.
Pain filled her.
Truly, she wanted to die as emotions battled each other for supremacy and she couldn’t tell which one she should give in to. The hurt, the rage, or the confusion.
All she knew was that her life had been torn apart and she’d done nothing to deserve this. Nothing save love a creature she thought loved her back. That shouldn’t have cost her everything and more. Love shouldn’t be paid for with blood and bone. Never should it cost someone their soul.
He’d taken everything in the world that was precious to her and more. Therefore, it only seemed right that she should return the favor. If he didn’t love her or care about her, she knew one thing he did give a damn about.
One thing he couldn’t stand to live without.
It would be as precious to him as her body had been to her.
Her breathing ragged, she turned to meet Adarian’s gaze. “You want his staff? I’ll get it for you.”
Xuri would only be lucky if she didn’t ram it someplace extremely uncomfortable first!
Valynda wasn’t prepared to return to her straw body after her blessed respite. The sheer cruelty of it …
It made her want an even larger piece of Xuri’s hide over his betrayal. But that also built up her resolve to see this mission through no matter what it took. To not let her feelings for Xuri intrude on what had to be done. To be as cold toward him as he’d been toward her when he made the decision to sell her out and leave her to die.
After all, why shouldn’t she? He’d put himself first. Why shouldn’t she do the same? Even her own father had cast her off for his own gain. Used her as a bargaining chip as if she were a mindless thing.
Be good. Do as you’re told.’Twas all she’d ever heard.Cause no problems. Just be a pretty little thing.
She’d been cast as a doll long before Thorn had brought her back in a poppet’s straw body.
