Destruction’s Desire (Broken Souls Trilogy #2)

Chapter 30

Rule thirty: If someone is worth stabbing once, then they’re worth stabbing twice.

A fter another hour of making small talk with people whose names I will never remember, Sin leads us to one of the smaller tables by the edge of the forest.

I sag against it, exhaustion starting to take hold, while Sin continuously scans the guests.

“Do you think anyone else saw the blade glow?” I ask in a hushed tone.

The worry has been living rent-free in my mind since the incident, but Sin only shrugs. “It’s likely they did. It will only further support the whispers that you’re very powerful.”

I sigh, relieved. “I’m sorry for calling you mine,” I add, remembering how Leon was obsessed with the term. I don’t want to make Sin feel objectified .

That comment has Sin’s attention turning back to me. “Why would you apologize for that?”

“Because it was a lie to get them to back off,” I explain, fighting the flush in my cheeks.

I mentally kick myself for trying to take the high road and apologizing.

But of course, Sin is focused on me and notices. He smirks. “It didn’t sound like a lie, kitten.”

I turn away from him, looking out at the crowd as I mutter back, “It was a lie.”

What a filthy liar I’m turning out to be. I am in no way ready to start to unpack the possessiveness I felt the moment Gabrielle tried to place her hand on Sin. So, instead of trying to make sense of it, I blame Cassandra’s memories and shove the thought away where it won’t distract me tonight.

Mercifully, Sin lets the subject drop when we spot yet another group of emissaries, whom we have yet to speak to, waving at us.

I sigh, “Can I take a small break? Just to collect myself?”

I’ve had more small talk tonight than most of my life. My social batteries are running dangerously low, and I know that if I don’t take a breather, I’m going to crash hard.

Sin eyes me, almost looking concerned, before he motions to Rosie, who is flitting between tables not far away, to come over. “Don’t move from this spot. Understood? Rosie, apparate her away if danger comes,” he orders, not leaving room for argument.

“Of course,” Rosie chirps, and the faint sound of alarm bells carries with her voice .

Sin looks back at me, and there’s a warning in his expression. “Stay out of trouble,” he grumbles.

I frown at him, mildly insulted. “I don’t get in trouble.”

Sin rolls his eyes and pulls me to him, kissing my forehead before striding away.

“You know, you guys are really convincing as a couple,” Rosie notes as she stands beside me at the table.

I huff at her words, “We’re acting. Sin and I don’t even like each other,” I add, using the automatic answer I keep telling myself.

Rosie just grins, and I turn away from her to stare at the small, empty plate in front of me. “Huh, I guess the castle enchantment doesn’t come out this far.”

“What castle enchantment?” Rosie asks, confused.

I motion to the plate. “The enchantment on the castle. You know, the one that makes all the food and automatically fills our plates.”

I’ve rarely bothered lifting the serving spoon, deciding I trust the castle’s enchantment to make better dietary choices than me. So far, it has yet to disappoint.

Rosie purses her lips in response, looking like she’s trying her best not to laugh at me.

I frown at her. “What?”

“Vivian, there is no food enchantment. One of us apparates in the food from the Shadow Realm cities. And someone else has been filling your plate for you when you’re not looking.” Rosie looks like she’s having the time of her life, watching me figure this out.

There went my goal to be more aware of my surroundings. I thought I was doing so well, too. Which now begs the question. Who would bother to fill my plate and do it without me noticing them?

The moment I ask myself, I already know the answer. Rosie wouldn’t have bothered to try and hide the fact that she was feeding me.

Still, I ask, “Who?”

I hope I’m wrong.

“Sin, of course. It’s kind of sweet how you both try to act like you don’t like each other,” Rosie answers, winking at me.

I’m speechless.

My plate filled with food, even before Sin and I found a way to coexist. He was feeding me, even when he thought the worst of me.

That makes no sense at all.

Why?

I turn to ask Rosie but am shocked to see her slumping back, eyes rolling behind her head. My stomach drops, but a hard voice stops me cold before I can shout out. “Make a single sound, mortal, and your friend dies.”

Artorix is behind her, a dagger pressed against Rosie’s side.

He whispers in Rosie’s ear, and she stands upright, her eyes still rolling back into her head. “Come with me without alerting anyone, or she dies,” he says when he turns back to me. His posture is relaxed, almost bored, but there’s no mistaking the icy death in his eyes.

My heart thunders in my chest, and I turn to try and spot Sin in the crowd. But Artorix isn’t having it and digs his knife further into Rosie’s side. “I’m not the patient type, Miss Ryans.”

Swallowing, I look at Rosie. It’s a no-brainer. Rosie is my friend, and I refuse to let anything happen to her. “Where are we going?”

Artorix nods to the forest not far behind us. “The forest will serve us well.”

My instincts are screaming at me not to go in there, not because of the scary creatures that used to inhabit it, but because leaving the party with this man is a death sentence, and I know it.

Still, I turn and walk towards the forest as slowly as I dare, hoping Sin will spot us. Footsteps follow behind me, and I know Artorix and Rosie are there.

“You don’t want to enter these woods,” I start, but Artorix only scoffs.

“I already know your forest is empty,” he snaps. “It took all of two seconds to pull that information out of Rosie, the first time I possessed her tonight.”

The first time… I guess that might be why the alarm bells followed Rosie when Sin called her over. I wonder who else he managed to speak to.

We keep walking in silence until the sounds of the party have dimmed to near-nothing. The forest still clings to its eerie quiet, despite the loss of the forsaken. I focus on Artorix’s steps, relying on the sound of crunching leaves to assure myself he isn’t about to attack. But despite my added concentration, I still jump when he shoves Rosie onto the ground. Rosie makes no effort to stop the fall, and she crumples into a heap. She looks like a zombie .

“What did you do to her?” I demand, wanting to run to her side but not daring to take my eyes off him.

“Just a remnant Underworld power. I believe mortals are still somewhat familiar with the act of possession,” he answers, stalking closer to me.

“What do you want?” I ask, keeping my voice hard.

Don’t show fear, Vivian.

His voice is emphatic when he answers, “I want for nothing, Miss Ryans. And that is my problem with you. You see, my colleagues and I have secured a vastly comfortable life through our cooperation with the Council. And unfortunately, we won’t be endorsing your war. In fact –” he pauses, wagging his dagger as if to scold me. “A war is quite unacceptable. So, you understand why you must die.”

My blood chills at hearing one of my worst fears come to light. A supernatural being wants to kill me.

That’s a fairly big problem to have.

My mind starts spinning as I try to figure out how to get out of this. How do I escape someone with the ability to possess others? Does his power need touch in order to work?

He steps closer, his dagger glinting in the moonlight that spills through the trees.

Panic edges into my mind, but I push it back, focusing on how to stay alive. I break down the problem. Artorix wants to kill me, and I need to stall him. I know it won’t take long before someone notices I’m gone.

“So, is that your brilliant plan? Kill me and apparate away? You don’t think Sin will notice you’ve left?” I let a touch of criticism leach into my tone, hoping it will egg him on and he’ll ramble longer.

Of course, it could also backfire, and he could kill me instantly. But thankfully, I only think of that risk after the words have left my mouth.

Artorix chuckles. “No, you idiot. Do you not know the protection that is in this area right now? No visitor can apparate out, not outside of the designated apparition spots, or without Morgana’s express permission. That’s why I need you out here, away from prying eyes. Once I kill you and Rosie, no one will have any reason to suspect me. I’ll be back at the party, where everyone I’ve possessed will swear I never left their side. Not long after I’ve mingled some more, I’ll take my leave, never arousing suspicion.”

He looks pleased with his evil mastermind speech, and my stomach twists, hearing he plans on killing Rosie next.

No, no, no. I can’t let that happen. But no one saw us leave. Sin’s words from earlier echo in my mind. I keep expecting others to save me.

The grim reality slaps me in the face.

No one will find us on time.

Either I act, or Rosie and I are dead.

I guess it’s time to learn if Artorix needs physical contact in order to possess someone.

Slowly, I step away from him, lifting my skirts as if preparing to run away. Fear finally bleeds through into my expression, but it’s controlled. I want him to know I’m scared.

Artorix sneers, closing the distance between us. “So eager to leave your own party, Miss Ryans? ”

Just as he reaches me, I grab my dagger, stabbing him in his stomach.

Ignoring Cassandra’s memories that insist I should ensure I’ve finished the job, I run to Rosie, trying to pull her up. “Rosie, come on, we have to go.”

Artorix screams, but the sound is filled with rage, not pain. I turn to see him standing a few feet away, the deep gash in his stomach knitting itself together.

Oh fuck.

This is not good.

“You will pay for that, mortal filth!” he yells, lifting his blade before running for me.

Letting go of Rosie’s still-lifeless body, I meet him halfway, hoping to put some distance between him and Rosie.

He stabs at me wildly, and I dance around his strikes, making sure to never let him touch me.

Think Vivian, think!

I can’t kill him. He’s clearly some kind of immortal or a creature with very accelerated healing. While I’m not positive he won’t bleed out if I cut him enough times, doing so would risk letting him touch me, and I can’t do that.

Dodging him yet again, I make a decision. If I can’t kill Artorix, I need someone who can. Rather than continuing to try and guard Rosie, I start angling my steps, backing up just a little further every time he strikes at me. I slash out every now and again, cutting his arms just enough to make him scream while I painstakingly slowly lead him back to the party.

If Sin could notice I’m gone, that would be great .

Artorix lunges for me again, and I stab into his side before jumping away. He screams, the sound carrying. I don’t dare yell for help, out of fear he’ll repossess Rosie and use her as a hostage. I need to keep him angry and out of control so his focus is on killing me.

I stab him repeatedly, but Artorix doesn’t stop. He takes each hit of my blade, his body healing within seconds. My legs cramp from dodging his attacks, and I’m ready to never wear heels again.

I’m getting weaker, and Artorix knows it. He grins, his teeth smeared in blood, as he steps closer to me again. “You can’t win this. You’re nothing but a lowly mortal. You cannot kill me.”

I jump from the swipe of his blade, and my eyes catch something rapidly approaching behind him. I grin as I make another jab for his kidneys. “I don’t need to kill you. I just needed to draw you out.”

I take another step back, sheathing my dagger.

Artorix pauses, his confusion replaced by horror as he realizes I’m smiling at someone behind him.

Sin’s tattoos glow a bright red, his eyes wholly replaced by the same light. He doesn’t hesitate to grab Artorix by the throat and lifts him off the ground without effort. The action takes all of a heartbeat, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me.

“Did he hurt you?” he growls.

I shake my head, offering Sin a reassuring smile. “He tried to kill me, but he kind of sucked at it.”

Sin’s answering roar shakes the earth beneath us before his attention turns to the man who is rapidly turning a new shade of purple. Artorix flails in Sin’s grip, still suspended in midair as he claws at Sin’s hands. Sin doesn’t flinch, and his anger radiates off him in waves. I step around him, a strange stab of pride hitting me when I realize I was successful. The forest opens just beyond Sin, and the entire party is there, all turned with rapt attention on us.

I managed to lure him back.

I’m counting that as a win.

Sin is at my side a second later, and his voice echoes out over the crowd as he continues to hold Artorix up by his throat, “You dared to attack what is mine. Let it be known what happens to those who touch her.”

Artorix struggles even harder at Sin’s words, but his efforts are in vain. The moment Sin stops speaking, Artorix dissolves into nothingness, as if he had never existed at all.

The crowd goes deathly silent, and Sin reaches for me, pulling me to his side. His mouth comes down on top of my head, and I feel him take a shuddering inhale before he kisses my temple and straightens out again.

“The party is over. Go home and tell your people. You’re either with us or against us. Choose wisely because war is coming,” Sin calls out before we apparate away from the party.

We land back in one of the sitting rooms in Morgana’s castle, and I immediately panic at the thought that Rosie is still crumpled in the forest.

What if there are bears?

Or worse, more men.

“We have to go back. He had Rosie under possession. She’s still in the forest,” I demand .

Sin’s expression is hard, and he doesn’t budge. “Artorix is dead. His possession died with it. Rosie is fine.”

I sigh, relieved to hear she’ll be okay.

My relief is short-lived, though, when I realize that Sin is still glaring. Immediately, I glower back. I’m not sure what his problem is now, but I assume it has something to do with the fact that I followed the sketchy underworld man into the woods. Which is an entirely unfair judgement, given Artorix had Rosie, but hey, if we’re playing ‘let’s be angry for stupid reasons,’ I’m coming out on top this time.

“What the hell took you so long?” I demand, poking him in the chest.

“What?” Sin whispers, barely containing his rage. He’s still glowing red.

Something must be wrong with me because I’m not even remotely worried. “You heard me. I held him off for ages in that forest, making sure he didn’t kill Rosie. I couldn’t kill him with my flimsy dagger, could I? So, I stalled him. And you took your sweet time coming to find me.”

Sin’s jaw is clenched so tightly that I’m worried for his teeth. His body is rigid like he’s ready to jump down my throat. “You –” he starts, his voice accusing. His hands fist and un-fist at his sides. “He could have –”

“I followed the crazy person into the woods because he was threatening to kill our friend. He tried to hurt me, but he didn’t. Because I was armed. Because you made sure of it. And because I’m not useless,” I snap at him .

I felt proud of myself tonight. And I refuse to let Sin’s anger tarnish that emotion. No one gets to take that from me.

The frustration continues to bleed off Sin as he rakes his fingers through his hair, but the glow in his tattoos fades, if only a smidge. He’s still very clearly upset with me, so my jaw almost hits the floor when he reaches out to grab my waist, pulling me to him. I go stock still in response, just for a moment, waiting to see what he’ll do next, but he just… holds me. The feeling is completely foreign, and after another breath, I let myself melt into him.

My mind wants to spin circles around the fact that no one has ever held me, at least not outside of a bedroom… not like this. This is dangerously uncharted territory. But I shut it out, letting myself enjoy this, even for just a minute.

Of course, Sin then has to go and ruin the moment. “I don’t think you’re useless, kitten,” he notes, the deep timbre of his tone soothing me even further. “I think you’re slow.”

I move to pull out of his arms. However, the warlord wannabe doesn’t seem quite ready to let me go just yet, and my efforts are in vain.

I stomp on his foot.

That does the trick.

Sin laughs and releases me.

I frown at him, crossing my arms. “I’m still angry,” I grumble, surprising myself.

Admitting to feeling angry, rather than shoving the emotion away where it can’t hurt me, is so far out of character for me that I nearly cover my mouth once the words are out. And there was no excuse for it at this moment. I’m not trying to deflect Sin’s anger or fighting for my friends.

I just willingly started a conflict.

But rather than responding with anger of his own, Sin just grins at me, and it is pure wickedness. “Good. I like your anger. Throw it all at me. I’ll take it. However, the others are likely waiting to be briefed on what happened tonight. Did you want to fight first? Or hold off until after?”

Embarrassment quickly takes hold when I realize we’ve kept the others waiting. “No, of course, they should be briefed first.”

Humming at my answer, Sin takes my hand. “And kitten, the next time you put yourself in danger like that, I will not hesitate to manipulate your mind and make you read every dog-eared page from the book I borrowed. Out loud. At dinner.”