Soul Of A Woman (The Dark Souls) (13 page)

Her ecstatic expression sent a burst of lust straight to his cock. Unable to hold himself back any longer, he pumped deep within her, feeling as if there was no part of her that wasn’t his.

“See me. Rhys, please see me.” He barely heard the faint whisper.

Her hands slid back to his shoulders, soothing the muscles bunched with tension. She rose up to kiss his mouth, but Rhys turned his head to the side, denying her the intimacy. Not deterred, her mouth went to his neck, placing gentle kisses against his flesh.

Breathing hard, he collapsed back on the sheets. Broni went to lay her head on
his chest, but Rhys moved until he lay on his side with her at his back. It wasn’t actually spooning, as their bodies weren’t touching. She got his message, though.

Rhys’s hand clenched on the mattress, keeping himself from rolling over to take her in his arms.

Broni buried her face in the pillow, forcing the lump in her throat back down. She refused to cry. She had to accept the truth; she was just a fuck to him. That was all it would ever be between them.

During the time she had spent with him the last few weeks, Broni had begun to hope. Not for more—she was well aware he would never love her like Deena—but she had hoped he would want to become more intimate with her. Little things like holding her close after sex, getting her a drink, maybe even flirting with her a little. Anything to show that she was more than just a fuck.

Broni swallowed hard when realization hit that this would was all she would ever be to him. Eventually, Rhys would grow tired of her, find other women to fill the void Deena had left behind. It would not take long with his new ability to transport; a new world would be open to him. The Goddesses would be eager to add him to their list of lovers as well. The body he had developed within the last few weeks would draw them like a moth to a flame. Without a connection to her, he would see no reason to deny himself. They would have his body, no more able to earn his love than her. Only one woman would have his heart—Deena.

Broni waited until he slipped into a deep sleep before she left, sensing it would be the last time. He no longer needed her. His nightmares had almost ceased now, often ending before she could soothe him. He was healing, so it was her who held on to the fallacy that he needed her to sleep. A misguided hope.

He had become used to her presence, but never once in the weeks they had slept together had he reached out for her. If he woke up with her beside him, they would have sex. If she had already left, he did not search for her.

She lingered for a moment longer, staring down at Rhys with her heart breaking.

“You win, Rhys. May you find the peace you’re searching for. My love goes with you.”

Chapter 18

Dawn was lightening the sky when Rhys woke with a start. The room was icy, but not with the temperature, it was with the frigidness coming off the woman sitting by his bed.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” He quickly gathered the sheet to cover himself, staring at Fate’s expression. It did not take a genius to see she was furious with him.

“I told you I would not interfere, but the time has come where I will no longer tolerate how you treat my daughter.”

Rhys angrily started to rise from the bed with the sheet around his hips. A flush rose in his face at her disdainful expression as he tried to keep his cock covered.

“I don’t think this is the time or place for this discussion. I’ll get dressed and meet you downstairs for breakfast.”

“Get dressed. I will wait outside.” Fate rose regally, walking to the balcony off his bedroom.

Rhys dressed, determined to get the next several minutes over with. He knew that Fate was going to give him hell for Broni, but he was just as determined that she realize Broni was the one who had initiated their sexual relationship.

Minutes later, he stood outside with Fate. She was watching the sky, strain etched on her face. She was a beautiful woman, but worry over Zerina was beginning to take its toll. Rhys felt guilty since he had added to her stress because of Broni. Perhaps it was time to stop whatever was happening between them. Rhys ignored the burning ache he experienced at the thought.

Fate turned at his approach, staring at his face. Her gaze sharpened on his resolved expression.

Rhys began before she could voice the disapproval he could see in her furious eyes. “I understand your concern for your daughter’s feelings. I’ll make sure we stay away from each other’s rooms.” He was determined Fate would know he was no young boy about to be reprimanded by an angry mother.

“Is it so easy for you to give her up, Rhys?” Fate’s gaze became glacial.

“What do you want me to say, Fate? That I am in love with her? I’m not. And I won’t lie to you or her by saying I am or that there is a chance in the future my feelings will change.”

Disdainfully, Fate curled her lip at him in disgust.
“You arrogant prick! I know better than you what your feelings are for my daughter—she’s your personal fuck-toy. She’s not good enough to replace that perfect wife of yours who you spoiled rotten with a lavish home, expensive jewelry, and even a nanny to help with the children. She never turned her hand to clean a speck of dust; you hired a maid to clean your home. The only thing she did that made her a wife was share your bed and bear your children. You couldn’t even fuck her the way you wanted, could you? Her delicate sensibilities would shatter if you treated her the way you treat Broni!”

When Rhys jerked as if she had struck him, Fate took a step forward, grasping his arm. Rhys thought she might actually strike him, instead he found himself in a huge dining hall with a throne. He recognized Odin who was sitting with a goblet in his hand, surveying the room. A woman who was wearing only a blue, gauzy skirt with her breasts bare sat at his feet.

Odin stiffened when he saw them standing in the middle of his dining hall. He spoke quietly to the woman at his feet, and she rose to her bare feet, leaving the room through a doorway to the side of the throne.

“Fate, I see you finally decided to bring him home.” Rhys was confused by his words.

Broni’s mother’s grip on his arm tightened. Tugging him forward, she led him to the front of the room to stand in front of Odin.

“You can have him.” Fate released his arm. “Give him the homecoming you think he deserves. I should have known he would be no better than you, but because Broni loves him, I wanted to give him a chance.”

“I don’t—” Rhys turned to Fate at her words.

“If you tell me one more time that you don’t care for her, I will stab you in that black heart of yours,” Fate threatened him.

Odin laughed. “You’ve really pissed her off, haven’t you?”

Rhys remained quiet, not wanting to cause further argument with Fate.

“Wise choice,” Odin said as if reading his mind.

“Enjoy yourself,” Fate said snidely before she disappeared.

Rhys turned back to Odin who was gazing at him with a smile of welcome. Standing to his feet, he raised his hand, and the room grew silent.

Rhys turned, taking a good look for the first time at the men sitting around the tables filled from one end to the other with food and pitchers. Men of different time periods stared back. One after the other, they began banging their goblets on the table.

“I welcome you home. Take your due; it’s well deserved,” Odin’s loud voice boomed through the room.

A chorus of cheers brought a surge of emotion from deep within him.
Rhys didn’t know how or why, he only knew that, at long last, he was home.

*
  *  *

Broni stood in the corner of the room alone, observing the crowd her mother had gathered to pool their thoughts on how Zerina had disappeared from their view. Not far away, Athena and Aphrodite were seated, discussing their latest conquest.

“Don’t let those bitches see they are hurting you.” Her aunt’s advice was already too late.

“Destiny, Rhys has the right to share their bed. I should have left the table when his name was first mentioned.”

“The spiteful whores are taking their hatred of your mother out on you.”

Broni reached out, taking Destiny’s hand in hers.
“They can give him what I cannot.”

“What? A migraine?” Her disdainful voice brought a smile to her lips despite the agony tearing through her soul at the women describing how wonderful a lover Rhys was. Athena had shared his bed on numerous occasions, making sure Broni was aware of the fact. Aphrodite, who had only managed to snare him for a single night, was jealous, stating a need for him again. Both Goddesses had vengefully monitored her reaction to their talk.
She had risen from the table with tears in her eyes, unable to listen to more.

“Freedom to be with anyone he wants,” Broni answered.

“You should take another to your bed. Maybe—”

Broni was already shaking her head.
“I won’t repeat his mistake. You can’t forget the one you love in another’s arms. I’ll be fine. Go to my mother before she loses her temper. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that, Broni went to her room. After she had readied for bed, she sat in a chair by the window searching the sky for any trace of Zerina.

She felt his presence before she felt his hand on her shoulder. Placing her hand over his, she looked up into her father’s compassionate gaze.

“I would make him love you if I could.”

“I know.”

Her father sat down next to her, placing his arm over her shoulders, and Broni lay her head on his shoulder.
“Will you answer a question for me?” Broni asked.

“If I can.”

“Is he capable of loving another?”

“No. That’s why I can’t influence him toward you.”

“So he will always be in pain from losing his wife?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.” Her father ran his hand through her hair, soothing her as only a father could.

Broni nodded her head. Her father had told her what she had already known, only Deena was capable of making Rhys happy. He loved her with the same single-minded determination he had fought wars over.

They sat in silence, her father offering what comfort he could. He had witnessed many great love stories and just as many that were unrequited. Broni hoped when he learned of her decision, that he most of all, would understand.

Chapter 19

Broni knelt before Chronos.

“I will not grant your request, Broni. The last time was not successful, why would sending you back in time again work?”

“Because this time you will send me to Rhys’s home. I won’t try to warn him this time. I will save them myself.”

“Broni, you ask too much of me. Both of us would be punished by Mother.”

“Yes, but she would get over her anger with you, and I am willing to accept my punishment. Please, Father, I am begging you.” Broni, who never cried or begged, was asking for what she would not ask for herself. If she succeeded, Rhys would be reunited with his family, and Broni would be left powerless on Earth once again. Mother’s punishment would be inventive and painful.

Broni
felt Chronos’s will slipping. She was one of his favorites and she’d exploited the fact she was like a granddaughter to him. Broni saw the weakening in Chronos’s face and knew she had won. Getting to her feet, she reached out and gave him a quick hug.

She then braced herself for the travel backwards in time. If she had taken herself back in time, she would have had no form or substance. With Chronos’s help, she would be human again. Hopefully, this time she would be able to give Rhys his family back, but by doing so, she would break Mother’s law. Yet, if it was discovered, she was willing to pay the penalty.

A gust of wind opened the door and Mother walked into the room, her face a mask of fury. Immediately, Broni fell back to her knees.

“Thank you, Chronos, but Broni will no longer need your aid.” Mother’s sharp words had Chronos nodding his head helplessly as his wife glared at him, showing her displeasure.

“Yes, well, I am glad that is settled,” he said, disappearing before Mother could give voice to the recriminations Broni knew were headed his way for what he had been about to do.

Left alone with Mother, Broni didn’t know how to react. She jumped when her
mother appeared by her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, staring down at her in disappointment. Broni swallowed hard, refusing to regret the choice she had made.

“You put yourself in danger of punishment when you tried to interfere by warning him that his wife and children were in danger. Going against my wishes once was bad enough, yet you’ve decided to court my anger by attempting to go back and do it again?” Mother’s harsh words drew her attention away from her mother.

“I can explain.”

“Don’t bother. There are no explanations that will excuse your behavior. I heard it all. You were going to face a murderer on your own without any powers, thinking you would save them for a man who does not care for you, who has repeatedly used you?”

Mother waved her hand angrily in the air and Broni found herself in Mother’s castle with the irate woman sitting regally on her throne.

It was never a good sign when Mother was sitting on her throne. Broni fell to her knees, showing respect. She was determined not to beg for leniency, especially when she saw none in Mother’s eyes. Her fury was palpable in the room. Mother’s temper was well known even by the humans. To witness it first hand, however, was a terrifying sight.

“Rise, Broni.”

Broni stood to her feet, keeping her head lowered.

“I’m very disappointed in you. You deliberately went against the rules of your kind, and when you didn’t succeed, you tried to come between me and my husband by getting him to go against my wishes.”

Broni had no excuses; she was guilty. She heard Mother get to her feet, coming to stand in front of her.

“What am I supposed to do? Look at me,” Mother snapped.

Broni lifted her head.

“I cannot make an exception for you. “ Her tone softened.

“I don’t expect you to.”

“You don’t intend to defend yourself?” Mother’s surprise was evident.

“No. I’m guilty. I let my heart guide me even when I knew it was wrong. I’m sorry I let you and my mother down.”

“Very well. Then I will tell you your punishment.” Mother sighed, going back to her throne. “The battle on Earth worsens, and I have need of your skills there. However, you will not have the advantage of your powers. There you will stay until my anger has subsided or you meet your death. Pray, Broni, that the latter doesn’t come first, or you will never see your family or the man you’ve sacrificed it all for again.”

Broni nodded in acceptance.

“No!” Broni heard her mother’s scream echo throughout the room.

“Be quiet, Fate. It’s only because of my friendship with you that I’m even giving her a chance.”

Pain surged through Broni’s body, and without even being given a chance to say goodbye to her mother, she was plunged back to Earth.

Broni found herself in a muddy cornfield where her thin white top and pants were soaked in moments in the pouring rain. She trudged through the maze of dried corn stalks, her bare feet sinking in the mud, slowing her progress. Thankfully, it was daylight outside, but it took her a long time before she finally stumbled out onto a patch of grass not far from an abandoned farmhouse.

Exhausted, she walked to the porch. The door had been broken down, so she cautiously went inside the dark house, which had been ransacked. Most of the furniture and contents had been destroyed.

The silence told her the house was empty as she searched throughout the rooms, ignoring the stench of the dead men lying on the floor. Broni stepped over a dead body, forcing herself to continue to the bedroom.

This room was in better shape than the others. Broni found a dresser with clothes, and picking out what she needed, she carried her pilfered items to the bathroom she had passed in the hall.

She turned on the water faucet, grateful when the water ran clear. Taking off her dirty clothes, she showered and then dressed in the clean clothes she had found.
Her body was shivering; it would take several days on Earth for her to acclimate to being there again.

In another room, she searched the closet, finding a pair of old
boots that were too large. She stuffed a pair of socks inside then laced them up tightly. They didn’t feel comfortable, but they were much better than going barefoot. She had also found an old jacket in the closet. Wrinkling her nose at the stale odor, she put it on, too cold to be picky.

It was beginning to get dark and she wasn’t anxious to spend the night in a house with dead bodies, therefore she searched through the kitchen for what food she could find but found none.

Seeing a door that led to what she was sure was a basement, she opened it carefully, the pitch blackness she found intimidating. Turning back to the kitchen, she searched through several drawers before she found a tiny flashlight that had been overlooked by the looters. It was small, yet it did provide some light.

Once she’d crept down the stairs, she discovered the basement hadn’t been touched. The occupants of the home had been well prepared, too. Broni swallowed the lump in her throat, sad for the men who lay dead upstairs from trying to defend the home she was now looting herself.

She had never been in this part of time, and she had no idea what she would find when she left the old farmhouse.

Locating an old backpack, she stuffed items into it she thought would be useful. When it was full, she turned back to the steps, going back upstairs to the kitchen.

She stood there for several minutes, not knowing what to do or where to go next as she forced back tears. She was to blame for the predicament she was in; no one else. When she had been torn from her sisters in the Hallway of Death and come through the portal, she had been just as frightened. But she had survived those five years on Earth; she could do it again. There hadn’t been a war between the Drearien then, but she had survived, and she would survive now. However, she had to find a weapon to defend herself, or she wouldn’t last long.

Tying a dishcloth around her face to mute the scent, she searched through the remaining rooms.

She was turning away from the last bedroom where she had found the clothes when a strong feeling she didn’t question had her stepping back inside. She searched fruitlessly and was again about to leave the room when a sudden thought struck her. She immediately looked upwards toward the ceiling.

Broni scooted a chair over. Climbing on it, she nudged at a ceiling tile before removing it. She then stood on the tips of her toes, looking inside. Grasping the flashlight, she shined it inside the dark space and saw a large object wrapped in a blanket. She cautiously tugged it toward her, pulling it out of the ceiling, then jumped down from the chair, peeling back the blanket and gasping at what she’d uncovered.

The large sword she was staring at was her own. She was sure her mother or aunt was responsible for it being there and guiding her to its hiding space.

“Mom and Destiny, stop or you will anger Mother. I won’t have you punished because of mistakes I’ve made.”

Broni tied the sword around her waist, folding the blanket up to take with her. It wasn’t going to help much during the chill of the night in the open, but it was better than nothing.

Broni closed the door behind her as she left the house, pausing, trying to debate the best path to take. The cities wouldn’t be safe, so her only chance of survival would be to find survivors that had banded together; if there were any left. She wasn’t even sure how far in the future Mother had placed her.

Broni started walking into the woods, thinking it was safer to stay away from the roads. She walked for several miles before her aching feet forced her to stop, and she sat down, exhausted, next to a tree.

At least before on Earth she had been treated kindly by strangers offering her help and places to stay. Now there was nowhere to turn. For the first time in her life, she felt alone and frightened.

Broni wrapped the blanket around her and closed her eyes, wondering if it would have been smarter to have spent the night in the farmhouse basement, shuddering at the thought. Broni didn’t believe the dead bodies in the house would have been conducive to a good night’s sleep.

A rustle from the bushes had her sitting up against the tree as a large wolf appeared. The wolf padded forward and Broni trembled, her hand going for her sword.

The wolf stared at her with baleful eyes. Ignoring the sword, it disdainfully sat down by her side and laid his head on her lap. Broni carefully reached out, rubbing the fur on the wolf’s head before gliding her hand downward, stroking the silky fur. The wolf stretched out beside her, enjoying her petting him.

When she reached out to scratch his exposed belly, a strong wind blew, and Broni caught the faint scent of her aunt. The wolf’s mouth opened almost as if he was laughing.

Broni covered herself with the blanket, leaning back against the tree, while the wolf snuggled to her side, a buffer against the cold.

*
  *  *

In the morning, Broni woke stiffly, rising herself to her feet slowly. She brushed her hair back, pulling it away from her face while the wolf sat watching her.

“Are you hungry?” Broni dug in her backpack, pulling out beef jerky and giving a piece to the wolf. When they finished, she divided a bottle of water between them. She then packed their trash back in her backpack before sliding the straps around her shoulders.

“What do you think?” Broni pointed to two different directions. “Which way should we go?”

She started to walk down the hill they were on, but the wolf grabbed the bottom of her shirt, tugging her in the other direction. It would be harder going uphill, however they wouldn’t be as out in the open as the path she’d chosen.

“You’re right. We can see anyone before they see us.” Broni pulled her sword from the backpack, and began walking, keeping an eye out for other people.

They walked for several miles that day, stopping three times for short rests. Broni wanted to make as much progress as she could before dark.

The wolf walked by her side, and several times, Broni found her hand patting his head for comfort when she felt her spirits sagging. The nights were the worst; damp and cold. Without the wolf, Broni knew she would have suffered hypothermia.

On the third day, Broni was on the brink of exhaustion.

“We need to find a place where I can rest a couple of days.” Broni had found herself talking to the wolf more and more.

It was almost dark, so she began walking toward a cluster of trees, but the wolf took her hand in his mouth, tugging her onward.

“I’m tired.” Broni’s voice sounded faint to her own ears. She cleared her throat to clear the weak emotions that were assailing her.

The wolf was persistent, however. So, she allowed him to lead her along until he stopped suddenly, taking Broni by surprise as she looked down the hillside, seeing a familiar sight.

The Dark Highwaymen’s clubhouse.