Chapter 24 #2
“You didn’t ask the first time,” I glowered.
“I am not some lackey that you can make demands of and send to other realms on a whim.” I kept my voice calm; however, my magic thrummed beneath my skin, reacting to the power pulsing from Morg.
Though she hadn’t confided what Dryden’s dreams regarded, whatever he saw kept her on edge in a way that I hadn’t seen for a millennium.
We stood at a standstill, the seconds slowly passing by, when Morg’s magic fell away, deflating as her shoulders sagged. Closing her eyes, Morg took one deep breath after another, letting it out slowly. The dark veins receded, her skin returning to its usual pale hue.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please find out more about her.”
Groaning, I ran my hand down my face. “Can’t you ask someone else? I’m sure Umbros will do as you ask.”
“It must be you. I only trust you with this.”
I let out a sharp breath, my fingers drumming against my leg. For Morg to be begging like this, there had to be something more to this female—my unfortunate mate.
“Please,” Morg let out, her voice softer.
Fuck.
“Fine,” I growled, my lips curling into a snarl. “But this is the last time I’ll go to Nemos for you, understood?”
A soft smile rose on Morg’s lips as she left her throne to walk toward me, only stopping when we stood inches apart.
Her head tilted up to look at me, her eyes glistening with gratitude.
With a gentle hand, she grazed the side of my face, brushing a strand of hair away. “Thank you, Soren,” she murmured.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled it away from me, scowling. “The. Last. Time.” I swore, stepping back into the shadows, her soft laugh following me all the way to Nemos.
Standing in front of those iron bars, my lips dipped in a frown.
The sharp, metallic smell of blood-filled air caused my hackles to rise.
Stepping closer to the bars, I found Cassia sitting in her chaise, leaning back with her hands pressed against her stomach.
Crimson soaked through her dress, running down the length of her skirt, pooling onto the floor.
The amount of blood on the floor was alarming, and the fact that more was running between her fingers was unnerving.
Panting, Cassia met my gaze, her skin a sickly pale.
“Back so soon?” Cassia croaked, a poor attempt at making a joke.
My eyes hardened, dipping back down to the wound she was still covering. “Seems like I missed out on a lot since I last saw you.” Stepping into the bars, my magic pulled them away, allowing me to step through until I stood above her, looking down. “Anything you want to tell me?”
Cassia let out a weak laugh. “I kept something from him,” she breathed out.
“The advisor?” I asked, my voice darkening. The last time I was here, he threatened her life if he found out she was hiding information from him. Something told me I should have killed him after he spoke those words, even if it was just to save me from another trip to this godsforsaken place.
“You can’t kill him,” Cassia sighed, wincing when she moved to sit up. “You’re not the one who has to do it, and it’s not time yet.”
Crouching down, I stared up at her with narrowed eyes, my head tilting to the side. If she didn’t want me to kill him, it must mean that his fate lies in another’s hands. “The girl. Who is she?”
“Someone the realms will need.” Cassia groaned, shifting to make herself more comfortable.
“Cut your fate obscurity bullshit, Cassia. That’s not a fucking answer. I will only ask this one more time. Who is she?”
Cassia sighed, her lips pursing. “She’s one of the three.”
“One of the three? Three of what?” I demanded, my patience steadily growing thin.
“That’s all I can say,” she trembled, though it wasn’t from fear of me or her injury.
I looked down at the wound again, the blood quickly spreading.
She was losing too much, too fast. I reached toward her, readying to use my magic to stitch up the skin.
I couldn’t heal the wound, but I could put a stop to the bleeding.
However, before I could touch her, Cassia’s hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me.
“It can’t be you,” she whispered with a sad look in her eyes. “It can only get worse for change to happen.”
“I don’t know what that means,” I growled. “But if you don’t want my help, then I won’t force it. Just tell me this, will this kill you?” Anguish rippled across her face, giving me a pained stare, though she refused to answer. “Godsdamnit.”
Jerking my hand from her wrist, I placed an arm under her knees and the other one behind her back, picking her up off the chaise.
She whimpered, the movement jostling her wound.
Ignoring her soft, pained cries, I moved her to the bed, laying her down gently.
Pulling the charm out of my pocket, I let it hang in front of her.
“This crystal came from this realm. It won’t be enough to fuel your magic completely, but it will be enough to slow down your death.”
Cassia’s eyes widened, her hand slowly reaching for the golden charm. Just before her fingers touched the ornament, I pulled it out of her reach. “This is the last fucking time I am giving you something of mine, understood?”
Cassia let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob, and I lowered the charm back down, placing it into the palm of her hand. Closing her eyes, she let her hand fall against her chest, soaking in what little power she could from the stone.
Steps sounded from the hallway, and I took a step back, readying to return to Dubnos, when Cassia’s hand grabbed hold of my arm. I eyed where her skin touched mine, forcing my body to remain still.
“Cassia,” a deep voice rasped from the entrance of the cell.
Twisting, I took in the soul-meander, watching him closely as he took out a key, opening the door to the cell. I looked back at Cassia, a growl rumbling in my chest. “You’ve had a way out this entire time? Why the fuck are you still here?”
“She refuses to leave,” Samian said, keeping his movements slow and careful. His eyes widened at the sight of my jet-black horns, his skin paling as I faced him. “You’re the God of Chaos.”
“If you had the key, you should have dragged her out, even if she refused,” I scowled, ignoring the way his body shook under my harsh tone.
“I will not act against her will,” Samian said slowly, his back straightening. “I will not go against the female who raised me.”
“And if she’s bleeding out? Will you still refuse to get her out of this cell?” I snarled as shadows gathered at my feet, swirling around me. The power of my magic thrummed in the air, becoming weighted and heavy.
A hand brushed against my arm, and I looked down at Cassia.
The color slowly returned to her face. “I forced him into a bargain. He cannot remove me, nor can he tell anyone any information, unless they ask specific questions. He also has a bargain with Ambrose for my safety. It makes little sense now, but I have to stay here. I cannot leave.”
“Some good that did you. Fine,” I grunted, pulling away from her touch. “Stay here and die.” Giving Samian one last glower, I let the shadows rip me away, taking me back to Dubnos.
Returning to the throne room, I found Morg pacing up and down the large room. When she heard the trinkets along my horns chiming together, she whirled around to face me. “What did you learn?”
“Cassia wouldn’t tell me much,” I frowned, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “The only thing she said was that the female is one of the three.”
Morg’s face paled, her mouth gaping open. “Are you sure? That’s what she said—one of the three?”
“What does it mean, Morg? My patience is running thin with all this fucking broken fate bullshit.”
“My sister—I need to talk to Dryden,” Morg whispered frantically, disappearing from the throne room.
I stared where she had stood, the space now empty, my breathing becoming heavy.
My skin felt too tight, stretching as my magic pulsed and rippled around me.
Roaring, I pushed out my magic, shattering the windows and cracking the walls around me.
If Morg or Cassia wouldn’t tell me, I would fucking find out on my own.