Chapter Thirty-Five
Kara
“So…” My eyes widened as streaks of green caught my attention in the distance.
Was that grass?
As I got closer and looked down, it was.
The broken ground seemed to come to life with greenery at every step I took.
Grass burst from the cracks. Skinny trees peeked out next, rapidly growing around me.
Somehow, the darkened sky seemed to change—I couldn’t explain how.
It just looked lighter, even through the gloom.
There was no way I would’ve seen the rapid changes otherwise.
“Are you doing this?” I asked.
When he whipped his tail quickly and grunted without turning around, I threw up my hands. “I’ll take that as a no. So, what? You can’t control what Hell looks like anymore?”
He stopped, and I nearly bumped into his back as he gestured behind me.
The splintered ground, once covered in broken stones, had transformed into polished wood.
The Devil’s room came to life right before my eyes—exactly as it had before, as if it had never been destroyed.
The fireplace was there, the bed, his desk, table, and chair… and yet—
In the other direction, the greenery spread.
Beneath the spot where we stood, it stretched outward, stealing the darkness away.
As it moved, the miles of shadows became more of a dim light, like the sun was setting.
Only, there was no such thing down in Hell, so I had no clue what was creating the brightness.
Hades, the air felt warmer in that direction too.
“I can,” Luke muttered before resuming his pace toward the signs of life. “And can’t.”
I smirked and caught up with him.
He didn’t glance in my direction when he said, “Don’t smile.”
“This is much better.” I laughed. “Something truly beautiful is happening down here. I wonder if life—and other things—will exist here soon. But it’s kind of sad that it’s turning beautiful while the human world is suffering. It’s almost like… it’s preparing for something.”
Luke’s reddened gaze landed on me. “You like it,” he stated, not asked.
“It’s better than miles upon miles of darkness.” I crossed my arms and tsked. “Even your own domain is happy and coming to life knowing you’re leaving. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“You always liked the human world…” Luke sighed and kept walking. “And now my domain looks like it.”
A blush swept over my cheeks, and my heart fluttered inside my chest. That response sounded just like Shadow.
He used to grumble constantly about how much I liked being in the human world.
The yearning—for something different between us—would never ease.
With every step I took beside my mate, I wished our fate could be different.
It could be if only Luke allowed it.
“What does this mean for your evil souls?” I asked, walking alongside him, kicking my boot through the grass. It already seemed a couple of inches taller than it was a few minutes ago. “They haven’t escaped, have they?”
“No.” Luke flashed his fangs in a rare smile. “Strangely, that place is untouched and entirely under my control.”
“Then who controls this?” I gestured to the surrounding field. Just a few feet to our left, more trees formed. One grew enormous—almost as big as the ones in Grim’s woods. The moment the tree finished forming, another skeletal bird winked into existence.
I smiled and watched it fly away.
“I wonder…” Luke’s expression was almost—dare I say—tender.
Fluttering my lashes, I asked, “You want to kiss me, don’t you?”
His lips curled despite the scowl he tried to hide it with. “You are crueler than I.”
“How so?”
“Teasing me with what I yearn for—and always using it against me.”
My chest tightened uncontrollably as I reached for his hand. “Luke, I’d never—”
My powers vanished.
The loss was always so sudden. I hated how terrible it felt—like I’d lost more than a limb. My strength had been part of me for so long, and even though I didn’t get to use it often, not having it still felt wrong.
“Hades,” I mumbled.
“Did you heal completely?” Luke asked, grabbing my hand and inspecting my skin.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” He dropped my hand and turned. “Let’s go.”
“Where are you taking us, anyway?”
“The crossover.”
Unease slammed into me.
“You’re vulnerable, I’m weakened, and Hell is open,” he continued. “If Harvest were to try something, now would be the perfect time.”
I ran to catch up with him. “Can I at least have a weapon?”
A thin sword was thrust in front of me. I grabbed it quickly and slipped it into the sheath that appeared on my hip.
“How about a Slim Jim?” I tried my luck and giggled when he smacked my chest with a box of them.
“Little glutton.” I caught his eyes soften before he turned away from me. “You can’t even blame your curse.”
My heart felt like it might grow wings and take flight.
Then I remembered we were at the end of everything, and every choice was already made. The very weapon I’d just asked for might be the one I killed him with.
Just a little longer…
Luke said we had hours left. Maybe he could change between here and there. Maybe instead of breaking my heart, he’d decide to mend it.
I slapped a Slim Jim in my mouth and chewed. My mate slowed as he walked, and a part of me wanted to believe it was because I had. We walked side by side. Even now—mortal—I could smell him. It was strange. His scent brought me comfort and desire, when it should’ve invoked fear and ruin.
The pain in me needed an outlet. A different release. So I stopped walking, which made Luke stop, too.
“What about an orgasm?”
His gigantic body froze. He dragged his gaze up and down my body like a caress.
“Food isn’t enough?” He leaned over me, and he felt more like a tower. I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “A weapon isn’t enough. Walking alongside the little mortal so no one harms her isn’t enough? It isn’t enough that she makes me her fool?”
I gripped his arm, needing to feel his heat. “Is that a no?”
He pulled away from me quickly, but his hand caught mine, jerking me forward.
“That’s I need to check the crossover and make sure Harvest doesn’t enter Hell. Then…”
“Then?”
“Then you can sit on my face and pretend if you want.”