Chapter 40
Rule forty: Love triangles are off-limits, especially when it comes to Destroyers.
A s far as wake-up calls go, I think I’m cursed.
I don’t know how long I’ve been out when I’m awakened by a jolt of gut-wrenching pain. Gasping, I wrench up from Sin’s arms and double over on the cave floor, trying to breathe.
Sin’s arms are around me in an instant. “Kitten, kitten, what’s wrong? Talk to me!”
Molten heat sears through my body, and a violent ringing starts in my ears.
Oh no. Not this. Not here.
Between gasps of pain, I manage to choke out, “Leon.”
Sin’s fingers curl in my shirt, and through the ringing, I hear him mutter a faint curse. His hands come to my face, and he’s trying to tell me something. “Light. Kitten, we need to go now. My power isn’t back.”
I frown, fighting back tears from the burning that is wracking through my body and the ear-splitting ringing.
“Now, kitten. Move your ass!” Sin whisper-yells, taking my hand and tugging me to the cavern entrance. How he knows how to find it in the dark is a mystery to me.
Pulling my hand from his, I try to focus on my Reaper energy. I hope like hell I can manage to use it through the pain. A wave of nausea hits me, and I try to take deep breaths, pushing through the pain. Small tendrils of fog lick at the corners of my mind, terrifying me.
Not this. Not again.
We can’t be caught by Leon now.
My anxiety spikes at the thought of what will happen if we get caught. Sin is powerless, and I’m not sure how much longer that’s going to last. Not to mention, I doubt Leon is here alone. We’re outnumbered and likely outpowered.
Leon won’t hesitate to kill Sin, and I refuse to let that happen. I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me.
The thought of going back to Leon sends dread down my spine. But if that’s what it takes to get Sin out safely, I won’t hesitate.
Redoubling my efforts, I pull at my Reaper energy, and mercifully, it responds. Bright wisps of silver energy float up through my hand .
The light illuminates Sin’s profile, and I briefly catch what might be fear in his expression before it’s shuttered away. Again, he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the narrow tunnel.
“Move it,” he urges in the same tone he uses in our training.
Authoritative and demanding.
Not letting myself think of the narrow space, I crawl forward.
He doesn’t stop bossing me around until I finally reach the lip and drop myself back down to the larger tunnel corridor.
Sin’s feet hit the ground a second later, but I don’t have a chance to turn to him. Instead, he sweeps me into his arms and takes off running. He curls me into his chest, and I’m immediately surrounded by his comforting scent. I’m thinking of sassing him for being so highhanded, but his whisper stops me. “You did great, kitten. Focus on keeping up the light, and I’ll work on getting us out of here.”
My pride takes a hit, but he’s right. In my state, it’s taking everything in me to keep the threads of silvery light going. I shift in his arms, holding out my hand so it illuminates our path.
The tunnels all blend together, and I’m once again amazed that Sin has any idea where he’s going. As the tunnels grow wider, the sounds of shouts and footsteps start to echo around us. I crane my neck to look over Sin’s shoulder, but I don’t see any sign of torches.
More and more tunnels and I’m feeling my energy start to wane. The fog presses closer into my mind. I blink, and when I open my eyes, Sin is running up a steep set of stairs. Far above us, a light peeks out.
We’re almost there.
Despite the added weight of my body, Sin doesn’t slow, running up the steps two at a time. Through the pressing brain fog, I frown at the steps. I swear these seem longer than the ones we used to enter the Underworld Realm.
Sin has been running up them for ages.
I take a deep inhale, trying to focus through the fog.
Just a little further.
It takes me a while to realize the pain in my head is rapidly abating the closer we get to the top of the stairwell. I’m relieved for all of two seconds until the crushing realization of why it’s lessening plows through me.
“Sin,” I hiss. A cold chill floods my body as fear grips me.
“Sin, we have to turn around,” I urge, some panic seeping into my tone.
He shakes his head, causing the bottom of his short beard to brush up against the top of my head. “Can’t, kitten. The East wing exit is just ahead. We’re being followed.”
Sure enough, the ringing in my ears is dying down enough that I can hear footsteps far below us.
This is the stuff of nightmares.
“Let me down,” I hiss again, and Sin sets me down but keeps hold of my hand, ensuring we are still going up at a fast clip. The fog is getting dangerously thick in my mind, but I think to extinguish the silvery lights in my hand. The light ahead of us is more than enough to illuminate our way.
The top of the steps is almost directly ahead of us now, and the ringing in my ears has completely stopped. The bond knows I’m going where it wants me. The thought makes me sick until it’s replaced by an even thicker fog. Before I’m completely overtaken by it, I warn Sin, “He’s waiting for us.”
Sin squeezes my hand in response.
A few more steps, and we come to a large, open atrium. The flat stone floors are polished and smooth, and large columns reach the ceiling hundreds of feet above us. A violent-looking river flows through a channel to our left and empties out of the room through a massive hole in the wall. The hole is the cause of the light we saw at the top of the steps. The water cascades over the lip, and I can barely hear it crashing below; the drop is so high.
Well, that explains the extra steps. We’re far above sea level now. The East wing exit leads to the top of a mountain. There are distant green hills far below the hole in the wall.
My attention is quickly drawn from the waterfall when a tugging sensation on my wrist snaps my attention to the right. There, on the other side of the room, is a door. I barely see it, though, my focus thoroughly centered on the person standing before it.
Leon.
My body reacts. More heat floods my system, and I feel drawn to him. Still, despite the thickening fog, I push against the bond, refusing to answer the beckoning call .
Leon’s face is twisted in rage, and he stands guard in front of the exit, ensuring we can’t leave. His tattoos are completely lit up, the blue lights brighter than I’ve ever seen them before. He barely spares me a glance; his focus is so centered on Sin.
“You have something that belongs to me,” Leon growls, his voice low and dangerous. His body is coiled tight, and the predatory gleam I’ve seen in him so often is in full view.
Sin stops our forward movement, and he pulls me back to him. He backs up so our backs are against the drop in the floor where the river courses through. From this position, we can see both Leon and the steps, ensuring no one will sneak up on us.
Sin gives Leon a bored look, but I can feel how tense he is beside me. “Are you sure about that? Because the last time I checked…” he pauses to look at my neck, still red from his bite, “she didn’t want you.”
Leon’s gaze centers on my neck, and he looks furious at what he sees. “I was always going to end you, Sin. But now, I am going to ensure it is slow and painful. You dare fucking touch what is mine? MINE!”
Again, Sin looks barely bothered by Leon’s antics.
The fog continues to thicken in my mind, and the heat flushing through me is worsening. The bond is practically at its snapping point, with Leon and I being so close, but each of us refusing to go to the other. My body sways forward a bit, but I keep my feet rooted.
So close. Don’t give in.
Sin quirks an eyebrow at Leon, who is now shaking with rage, and smiles at him. It isn’t a pleasant smile, though, but a menacing one. “She doesn’t sound like yours when she’s screaming my name and begging for my touch.”
Despite Sin’s taunting to Leon, he squeezes my hand reassuringly as I continue to try and gasp for breath. The heat is turning to molten fire, and desire is lighting up inside of me.
The bond is losing patience.
Leon looks between the two of us before gritting out, “You’re using mind control on her.”
Sin lets out a low, humorless laugh. “You keep telling yourself that. Remember, my Destroyer powers are useless within the wards of the Council’s castle. And she ran from you there.”
Leon’s eyes harden, and he narrows them on me. My body practically purrs at the attention. “She is resisting the bond.” His focus snaps back to Sin, and a smug smile plays across his lips. “It’s no matter though. I’ll burn away every trace of your touch on her body when she returns with me. And I assure you, she is returning with me. The entire mountaintop has been warded against apparition. And Morgana isn’t here to release you.”
Without Sin’s energy lighting him up, Leon must not be able to tell that Sin’s already been released. Sin’s fingers tighten even further around my own. Leon doesn’t notice as he continues, turning his full attention to me.
“Vivian,” he starts, his voice low and beckoning.
The bond practically vibrates through my system, and my body starts to shiver at the renewed waves of molten heat that crash through me .
He holds out his hand, and his voice is like a siren, drawing me in. “Vivian, come away from him. I forgive you for your poor decisions. Whatever you’ve done, you’ll make it up to me.”
The bond tugs at me, pushing me to obey. I grit my teeth, trying to remember the reasons I’m not supposed to give in.
No reasons come to mind.
Leon continues in the same silky voice, “Come on, Vivian. It’s time to go home. We are destined, remember? Only I can love you, protect you. You are mine, Vivian. Tied to me for eternity. There is no fighting it. You know that.”
I shake my head in a last-ditch effort to clear the fog.
Sin feels me shaking and tries to distract Leon, “Leon. Are you so pathetic that you need to rely on what is clearly a corrupted bond to get what you want?”
Leon’s eye twitches, and he spits out, “I will do WHATEVER it takes to keep her. The bond will be a blessing as soon as she stops resisting. I will make her happy. Even if she’s too stupid to see it yet.”
His focus returns to me. “You belong to me, Vivian. Whether you like it or not, nothing can break our bond. You can’t run forever. I will chase you to the ends of the universe. Give in. Let me take away the pain. I’ll remind you who you belong to.”
At his words, white-hot pain sears through my mind, and my knees give out. My body feels like it’s on fire. Like I’m going to suffocate if Leon doesn’t make it stop .
A pair of arms catch me around my middle, stopping me from crashing to the ground. I can’t remember who they belong to, only that they aren’t Leon’s and that’s unacceptable. I struggle against them in an effort to go to him. To let him make the burning stop.
Leon steps closer, and my body starts to sing, desperate for his touch. “Leon,” I whimper through the waves of heat.
Leon grins, knowing he’s won, as he continues towards us. “That’s right, Vivian. Tell Sin who you belong to. Who you’re fucking fated to.”
I whimper again and thrash against the arms holding me back.
This isn’t Leon’s touch.
I need Leon.
But the hands around me only tighten.
Distantly, as if from underwater, I can hear the sounds of metal armor growing closer as guards start to crest the top of the stairs.
Leon pauses, smirking. “You see that, Destroyer, she’s desperate to get away from you.”
His voice only draws me in more, and I scratch at the arms around me, frantic to get to Leon.
But instead of releasing me, a whisper comes above my ear, “Hold your breath, kitten.”
With that, I’m wrenched backwards, the arms still securely wrapped around my middle. Not even a second later, we plunge into the inky depths of the river.
The black water swirls around me, throwing me around in the currents. But I can’t kick or swim because I’m still being held by the arms. I start to panic for air just as the person holding me kicks against the currents, and our faces break the surface of the water. I have just enough time to gasp in some life-saving oxygen and hear Leon’s furious scream when, abruptly, we go over the lip of the waterfall and plunge into the abyss.
We fall through the air, our bodies pummeled by the cascading waters. Down and down, we plummet, sometimes drowning in the falling water, other times finding small pockets of oxygen.
A garbled voice calls out into the air, “Hades! If you want your freedom, I suggest you find a way to return my powers!”
Choking on water, I realize that the green hills are close. Very close.
Sputtering, I look down only to see sharp rocks jutting out of the violently splashing water.
Dead.
We are so dead.
Another breath and the rocks get closer.
This is it.
Just as I’m sure we are done for, a bright red light all but blinds me, and then everything goes black.