A sickly sweet smirk crosses his lips.
“There you go. I knew you’d get it as soon as you spent some time with me. There’s so much I need to share with you. Why couldn’t you have just listened and come with me? None of this would be happening right now if you had.”
“Don’t, Mellcom,” I bark, pointing my sword at him. “Don’t try to turn this around on me. I owe you nothing. Not my time, patience, forgiveness.Nothing.If all you wanted to tell me is you’ve decided to join the side of the Abandon, you could’ve done that without all of this. You could’ve stayed your ass there.”
“All of this?” he asks, turning in a circle as he motions to the Dark Gods battling my men and hisValtrue. “This is nothing. This is the beginning. And admittedly, I needed some time to wrap my mind around things. I had only just learned the truth in my time in Seductions.”
My eyes narrow.
“The truth about what?”
“About you. About me. How we got here, and where we’re supposed to be. There’s nothing but power and thrones waiting for us, Thay.”
I huff a disbelieving laugh.
“Power is all you’ve ever cared about. Power over me, my decisions, my punishment. Everything. One little taste was all it took for you to throw everything away. Five minutes in theGoddess of Seduction’s presence and her whispered promises of power were all it took for you to sell your soul to them.”
“You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.” He laughs, shaking his head at me. “That’s the difference between their side and the one you’re standing on. They have no problem sharing power and secrets if it’ll get them what they want. And they want us. Me. You.The sons.The realm. In return, we get whatever we want.”
“You’re a fool. You’re going to spend the rest of your miserable life as the God of Obliteration’s bitch.”
His smirk fades into a tasty snarl.
“At least I get something out of it. Tell me, Thay, what do you get out of being his sons’ whore and the Valories’ errand girl? You’re the only living being tied to the Messager. What’s that wannabe God doing for you?”
My teeth grind together.
“Fuck you, Mellcom.”
He shrugs as he twirls his sword in his hand.
“Maybe one day when I forgive you and punish you for your insolence. We were always meant to be together and the whole brother-sister act is getting old. You were promised to me, and I will have what’s mine.”
Bile races up my throat, and utter disgust revolts in my stomach.
Over my dead fucking body.
We raise our swords at the same time, charging forward.
They slash through the air, colliding with two blades that don’t belong to either of us.
“Enough!”
We stagger back and air gets trapped in my lungs.
Impossible.
My arm drops to my side as my eyes widen and my lips part.
“Meridamus.”
Thayla
32
My head shakes as my gaze traces the cuts on his face and arms.
His torn shirt hangs in tatters. The black blood decorating his skin is evidence that he’s been here, either in the arena or in Oddian, fighting off the Dark Gods.
