“Stubborn to the very end.”I snorted.“Yes, my love.”
Kaden’s head swung toward the doors as the twin slabs of intricately carved steel opened. I realized then that Eryx didn’t just have a few skeletons in his closet, but a whole damn army.
“I’d go with them willingly,” Eryx suggested, folding his hands behind his back, the lapels of his tunic flaring with the motion, proudly displaying the heavy muscle beneath. Arrogant ass. I was half tempted to incinerate him just to wipe the smug look off his face.
“We go, but we remain on our best behavior, got it?”This time, I sent the message to Kaden.
Kaden glanced at me, an odd look on his face. It seemed he had received my message, but I didn’t know what his expression meant. He said nothing back but gave me a brief nod, telling me he’d follow my lead.
His skeletal forces marched us out of the tomb and down a long, winding tunnel through the catacombs. Torches hung high above us, lighting the way, and cobwebs filled the spaces in a lacey filigree between skulls and corners. More skulls were pressed deep into the walls, and as we were herded deeper, I wondered who they’d once been. How many beings had crossed Eryx’s path only to end up as wall art?
The spear at our backs pushed us forward. I counted at least twenty-five of the skeletal warriors, some leading the way in front of us, the others at our backs. We could probably annihilate the whole horde, but I really didn’t feel like fighting a Prince of the Otherworld. Besides, Samkiel would undoubtedly show up and start another war if we did start something. There was no need for any of that when this was something I could handle.
“Say the word, akrai, and I rip the ground apart to get to you.”
“Stop flirting with me,”I sent back.“I can’t be turned on when I’m heading into probable doom.”
He didn’t laugh down the bond, but I felt the flicker of humor that laced the raging storm building in him.
“Trust me,”I said
“More than anything.”
“This is going to be a piece of cake.”
The catacombs opened into a room. The only word that came to mind wasmassive, but that didn’t do it justice. Neither did the wordroom. The cavern was so large that I could barely see the opposite walls. High above, the ceiling curved to create a towering dome. Heat rose from a gaping pit in the ground, distorting the air with its intensity. I stepped closer to the edge and peeked in. It was at least a three-hundred-foot drop, and I could see the orange glow of bubbling lava flowing far below. I sighed. Of course, one of the main supervillains of the Otherworld would have a mini volcano in his catacombs lair. Typical.
“All roads lead to one.”Reggie had said, and his voice floated through my head at the memory. Was this a failed premonition trying to push through to warn me? Fuck.
I looked to my side. There were doors along the back wall. Seven of them, and I assumed they were portals to each prince’s territory. His skeletal army shoved Kaden and me forward, pushing us onto a stone platform that magically hovered above the sludgy molten rock below. His dead soldiers forced us to the center before spreading out to encircle us. Eryx walked to the only empty throne and sat, his gaze focused on the being seated on the massive throne across from him. I didn’t need to be told it was the seat of Icnima.
“Kneel,” a deep, powerful voice boomed to our right. “Kneel to the King of the Otherworld.”
I stared at the creature who had dressed himself up as a man, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. He wore a dark suit that made his shoulders seem impossibly wide. His fingers tapped against the arm of his throne. It was raised to hover over the others, but he was so big his feet were still planted firmly on the ground. He had to be damn near as tall as Samkiel, but when he leaned forward, I knew he was not comparable. From the deep black pits of his eyes, poreless pale skin, and sharply pointed crown atop his head, I knew exactly who this creature was.
Umemri.
“I actually take back everything I just said,”I whispered down our bond, and I felt him unleash the full fury of the storm.
52
DIANNA
“Sorry, I’m not really a get on your knees kind of girl.” I shrugged.
A hiss came from my left, and when I looked, I realized this must be Morana. She was ethereal elegance, wrapped in what could only be described as pure archaic power. It rolled from her in waves. The dark, sharp shoulder dress she wore clung to curves that filled me with envy. Her black hair was tied high on either side of her head, the rest falling around her shoulders, almost reaching her navel. She glared at me, but her severe expression did not detract from her exquisite beauty. Her skin was the color of snow, and her cheekbones could cut glass. She twirled her long, sharp, black nails, and I couldn’t tell where the cuticle began and her nail started. I had no clue what her power was, and I didn’t really care to find out.
“She is arrogant, like her mate, who is pacing the edge of our borders even now,” Eryx said. One hand rested under his chin, and a smile played on his lips, amusement shining from his eyes. The bastard was enjoying this.
Aeron glared down at us. His twin tusks were cracked on the outer sides, as if he’d used his enormous head as a battering ram. His dark hair was roughly shaved on the sides, and I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or had happened in battle. The top was long and braided tightly against his skull, the end falling across his shoulder. He lounged on the throne, his thighs spread wide, and his massive form relaxed. His royal attire had to be custom-made, but his biceps still strained the seams every time he moved his arm.
“I see that,” Umemri said, drawing my attention again. “Eryx,” Umemri held my gaze, his eyes never leaving mine, “send for the rest of our guests.”
Eryx didn’t move, but his eyes glowed eerily brighter. Metal clanked as I heard a few of the skeletons behind me march out of the cavern.
Umemri leaned back, folding one hand over the other. His shoulders rolled, and I realized that while he was lined in muscle, that was not what was moving beneath his cloak. Like a beast stretching in the sunlight, powerful, thick tentacles rose behind him, curling at the tips. My face must have conveyed the disgusted awe I felt because Umemri smiled and rose.
He placed his hands in his pockets, the dark emerald tunic shimmering with his every step until he stood before me. I looked up at him and knew immediately who his wife had been. It was the murrak we had killed. He stood as tall as Samkiel, but he was no man, not entirely, at least. His jacket flared to his knees, and the dark trousers and boots looked like they belonged to a man, but his face and eyes were anything but. His face was all angles where there shouldn’t be angles and splits where there shouldn’t be splits. I remembered clearly how her pincers had reached for me.
