1. Destroyer of Realms #2
“Always have.” The reply came from me as a taunting hum as I leaned forward, relishing the sting that followed her blade’s intrusion into my flesh.
“This is not the first time you’ve held a deadly piece of steel to my throat, and every other instance resulted in you sparing me.
So, tell me, Rohen Levitte. Why do you fancy me? ”
With a guttural snarl, she shoved me with enough force that I took two steps back. “You’re unbearable, a fucking plague to walk these lands! You are worthy of no ounce of intrigue, no ounce of care, and certainly no ounce of salvation, Caspian Vayne.”
But that glint in her eyes, that minor gleam, betrayed her.
She was lying.
One by one, fingers settled against my shoulder, their frigid chill belonging to only one—the being I was attempting to keep Rohen away from.
With the contact and Sorva landing at my side, every ounce of anguish that had bubbled to the surface evaporated instantly.
A numbness replaced it, and I couldn’t help but sigh at the relief her presence wrought.
“Rohen Levitte,” Sorva mewled, tracing her nails to the junction at my neck before gliding them up my spine and into my hair.
“I am happy to see your loathing for this man remains prominent. It would be such a shame to have to rid this realm of Ellira’s last descendant solely because you do not know how to keep your legs closed. ”
Opening my mouth to speak, to act out defensively in Rohen’s favor, that all-too-familiar sensation sank in.
Invisible hands curled around my mind and throat, sweeping away my autonomy just as quickly as they manifested.
No longer in my control, my body relaxed as I leaned into the dark goddess, basking in her touch as if it were worthy of worship.
“Who the fuck are you?” Rohen growled, slipping into a fighting stance so perfected that her skill set became immediately decipherable.
She was Malrik’s most esteemed for a reason.
Pressing her other hand to her chest, Sorva laughed.
“Oh, angel, you’re rather adorable.” With a hum, she craned her head to the side, her bottom lip jutting out with a mocking pout.
“Since you are so innocently precious and still under the guise that your mother, or any of the Damned, are capable of keeping you safe, let me keep things simple. To some, I am the destroyer of realms, and to others, I am the embodiment of divinity. To Caspian? I am the reason he gets on his knees. And for you? I will become the reason you wished you had listened to that worthless goddess far sooner.”
Run, Rohen. Fucking run.
“You were the one I saw in that vision, the one my mother warned me of in Veilmar…” she mumbled the utterance more to herself than either of us, her emerald eyes flaring with settling realization. “You’re the curator of corruption.”
“Don’t talk dirty to me, dear. I take compliments seriously.
” Grip tightening in my hair, she yanked my head back.
“While I would love to sit here and enlighten you on all I wish to accomplish and how my reign over this pitiful realm will result in the eradication of your kind, we have somewhere we need to be. Just as you have somewhere you should’ve been long ago. ”
“What the hell is that supposed to—”
“Your friends?” Sorva snickered, her forked tongue jutting between her lips with her taunt.
“You aren’t foolish enough to believe that I am here alone, are you?
I have counterparts, and by the looks of it, those who you came with won’t last much longer if you continue wasting my time.
I have no issue sparing them if it means you get the fuck out of this palace and back on that little boat of yours. ”
“I’m not leaving without him.” Rohen jutted her finger at me, the defiance she carried sweeping across her features. “We have things we need to do.”
Sorva tsked, rolling her eyes. “Then you wish for me to toss you in a cell and bring you the headless bodies of your counterparts? I mean, I’m quite fond of the idea.
The only reason I am offering otherwise is because this one,” she wrapped her hand around the back of my neck, “favors you immensely. Far more than you realize. And since he’s been such an obedient boy so far, I figured he could use a reward. ”
Nostrils flaring, those breathtaking irises danced between us. “What do you plan to do with him?”
“Well, that is a loaded question, and considering that, with mere words, even if desire is not present, he will do whatever I ask… There are many forms of exploitation I plan to leverage.” Nails sinking into the sides of my throat, she turned to look at me. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, our Beloved Other,” I answered, my voice no longer mine to wield.
“It’s the blood bind that you hold over him, isn’t it? That’s how you maintain control—”
How the fuck does she know—
“Listen, bitch,” Sorva snapped, her patience evaporating. “Utter another word, and I will ensure that those who walk alongside me obliterate those outside this palace. They are merely toying with them, as one does with their food.”
Striations danced along Rohen’s jaw, but she didn’t speak.
“Beautiful. Silence.” Grip vanishing, the dark deity took a step back, but my body immediately followed as if I were leashed to her. “Now go on. Gather those you care for and get out of my sight. Based on what the lovely Ellira showed you, this is not a battle you will win.”
Rohen stared at us, but when her glower settled on me, I knew the words she uttered weren’t for the woman capable of commanding me to do her bidding. “The next time we run into each other, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Please do. Anything by your hand would be far more bearable than this.
But instead of my reply, Sorva offered her a parting promise—an utterance I knew she would stick by. “Oh, don’t worry, angel, because the next time he sees you, it’ll be your life he returns to me.”