Chapter 24 #2
I all but roll my eyes at him. “So, what? You’ve captured me to prove your alliance to the Six? Marrying me won’t do you any favours, Kaelith. If you haven’t noticed, this is happening because of me.”
He laughs again, stepping into my space.
He cups my frozen cheek with his warm hand, rubbing his thumb in a loving caress that has my skin igniting.
“Oh, but you see, there’s another option, sweet little flower.
Together, we would be unstoppable. I can offer you real power.
Our armies united. Our magic combined. We could destroy the Six, wipe the slate clean, and rule what remains. ”
He leans in close, his breath grazing my ear as he whispers seductively, “The universe would bow to us.” Then, softly, he presses a kiss to my cheek. The touch is so feather-light, I barely feel it against my frozen skin. He leans backwards just an inch to stare into my eyes.
I soften my expression, smiling up at him as I turn his words over in my mind.
Power. Victory. The end of the Six. It’s everything I want.
To end them once and for all. To burn them out of existence so thoroughly that no one will ever whisper their names again.
Just like they tried to do to Dasmyrin. To me.
I want to avenge Korithax. Talia. Marta.
Theodus. Every life they’ve taken. Every piece of me they’ve torn away.
I could do that. With a huge army at my back. A cold ruler beside me who knows how to wage war without hesitation. No more fear. No more scrambling to survive. Just victory. For a terrifying moment, it sounds… possible.
He smiles down at me, his thumb still tracing slow, possessive strokes along my cheek as if I already belong to him. “We could rule it all, my queen.”
The words sink into the hollow places inside me. The places grief carved out that refuse to be refilled. Rule it all. End it all. No more running. No more loss.
“That’s all I want,” I breathe, my voice trembling as tears gather in my eyes. “To end it. To end the Six.”
A tear slips free, tracking down my cold skin. Kaelith catches it with his thumb, almost reverent, as though my grief is something precious rather than something he helped create. He brings his hand to his mouth and tastes the salt, making his eyes darken.
“We could rule it all, Daisy. Together.” His arm slides around my waist, pulling me closer.
The heat of him is jarring in this frozen place.
He presses his body against mine, his breathing getting heavier, uneven, anticipation threading through every exhale.
I can feel the tension coiled through him, feel his clear arousal pressing against my stomach.
Together. The word echoes inside my skull. Together means no more being alone. Together means never being powerless again.
He leans in slowly, giving me time to pull away.
His plush lips brush against mine in a silent question.
An invitation. My heart hammers so hard it hurts.
I lean forwards, our breaths mingling as I consider his words.
I let myself imagine what it would be like to stop fighting alone. To let someone else carry the burden.
His lips meet mine, tentative at first, as if afraid to break the illusion.
I catch his lower lip between my teeth, tasting frost as I nip at his flesh, tasting frost and the faint copper of blood as he groans softly, tension melting into triumph.
His body relaxes, hands tightening on my waist, certain now that I’ve given in. That I’m his.
I bite down. Hard. He pulls back with a hiss. “What the fuck?”
Warm liquid spills down my chin, thick and metallic on my tongue.
I spit his violet blood at him, the droplets splattering across his dark, ash-grey skin.
“I would rather burn in the pits of Gehenna for all eternity than marry you,” I snarl, every word dripping with venom.
“You’re a filthy, traitorous bastard, Duskwalker.
” I bare my teeth, blood still staining them, meeting his hate-filled gaze without flinching.
“And I may die here, but I promise you this. You’ll die too. ”
He barks a harsh laugh, swiping the back of his hand across his bloodied mouth as he steps away from me.
“Oh yeah?” He scoffs. “And how exactly are you planning to kill me, Daisy?” He gestures broadly where I hang suspended from the chains, arms stretched above my head like some grotesque display.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” he adds, voice dripping with condescension, “you’re chained up in my dungeon, sweetheart. ”
I raise my chin despite the pain it sends through my shoulders, forcing myself to meet his gaze without flinching. “I don’t have to kill you, Kaelith. The Six will. You’re nothing but a pawn in their game. And when they’re done using you, they’ll discard you like everything else.”
For a fraction of a second, something cracks in his composure. His eyes widen. Not in outrage, but something far more fragile. Fear. It vanishes almost instantly, buried beneath a cold smile.
“Big mistake, Daisy. I offered you everything. Power. Safety. A godsdamned throne!”
He steps closer again, looming over me with satisfaction creeping back into his depthless eyes. “Now you’ll die with nothing. I’ll let the Six know I have you. And trust me, they’ll reward me handsomely for that alone.”
He grabs the torch and turns on his heel, making his way back to the door. He throws a glance over his shoulder, his smirk igniting fury within me. “Don’t worry about your shadow bitch by the way, the Six are going to have a lot of fun with him, too.”
“Where is he?” I shout, thrashing against the chains. “What have you done with him?”