The Dark God's Bride Trilogy, #3 (20 page)

The little witch!

He massaged the bridge of his nose to sooth his throbbing headache, but a grin sneaked its way to the corner of his lips. So this was what it felt like to be sleeping in the dog house, he teased himself.

The door to his study creaked open and then gently closed shut. For the briefest moment, he was thrilled with the thought that his bride may have changed her mind and
came to invite him back to bed. The thought quickly died off when he reminded himself of Amara’s hard-fought personality. She had too much pride in her to come fetch him even if she wanted to. He specifically instructed the servants not to intrude on his privacy so he didn’t need to turn his chair around to know that Rion had entered the room.

“We did not conclude our conversation this morning,” Rion said after a moment of silence.

That conversation did conclude in his book. He learned all that he needed to know about the mystery that led to his eventual downfall. What end was she trying to achieve by telling him the truth? His pity? He had none to give.

“I will set up a residence in your name,” he said unfeelingly as he watched fireflies dancing on the other side of the glass window.

“Are you saying I can’t stay here?” Her voice was brimming with shock.

Ignoring her question, he continued, “You will have a fortune of your own and you will be independent.”

“B-because of her?”

“If you ever have a need for anything, you may write to me.”

Rion rounded the desk and blocked his view of the window. Her face was colored red, but her expression was still dignified. “Do you realize that you are chasing your own wife out of your home for a mistress? Is this how a Loman treats his wife?”

“Amara is
not
my mistress,” he repeated himself one last time. He doubted that he would have the patience to repeat it again.

“I am your legal wife! We were married before the priest in witnesses of the gods! That makes any whore that warms your bed a mistress!”

“I warned you,” he said in a low and lethal tone, “never to insult Amara with such profanity.” From just by looking at him, Rion had no clue that she reached the end of his patience.

Rion scornfully grinn
ed at him. “Am I wrong?” 

“If you cannot refrain yourself from your insults then I don’t think that it is quite fair that I should refrain mine. At least
my mistress
has never been in any man’s bed other than my own. Can you say the same about yourself?”

She reddened at his question. “What do I need to do for you to forgive me for my one mistake – my one moment of weakness? Will you continue to hold a grudge a
gainst me for all time?”

“I’m a dangerous man to cross, Rion. Don’t you know that by now?”

“Up until now you have been kind to me...”

“I will continue to be civil toward you if you are willing to do the same.”

“You were kind to me even when I was carrying another man’s child! You hid that secret for me and when I was found out, you tried to save the both of us! Deep down inside, I know you must have loved me even if you don’t realize it!”

“I’ve done those things for the sake of the alliance,” he clarified.

She shook her head in denial and then dropped to her knees. She leaned her head on his lap and wept. “It’s not true! You did those things for me! It has been so long since then that you’ve forgotten the truth!”

“Rion,” he called her name softly. She looked up at him. Her beautiful eyes were veiled by a layer of tears. “You and I both understand what it meant to be born just to fill a role. You were very young when you were forced into marriage. What happened to you was unfortunate and I know you were not entirely to blame. I may hate you with every fiber of my being, but I am not so unreasonable as to punish you for being a frightened young woman. Whatever happened in the past, it is about time we both put it behind us. I will set up a residence for you, and it will be as grand as it pleases you. You will not want for anything.”

“So, in the end… you still want me to leave…”

“Yes,” he answered straightforwardly. “Your presence makes Amara uncomfortable and I will not have my bride feeling uncomfortable in her own home.”

“No!” she protested and rose to her feet. “I will not leave! You are my husband, and this is now my home! I will not go away to make room for another woman! I will not!”

“Rion!”

“It is that woman’s fault that you refuse to reconcile with me! This is my home, and I will chase that woman out of here even if it is the last thing I will ever do!”

The woman was pushing his patience. He was grinding his teeth to the point that he thought his jaw
might break under the pressure. “Your new home may be many times the size of this place if it pleases you, but I will not have you stay here.
That is final
.”

“I refuse! I am your wife and I will stay here!”

He heard something inside of him snap.

“You forget!” He bolted from his seat and rose to his full height. “By Loman laws
, and I believe this goes the same in your kingdom as well, an unconsummated marriage can be nullified at any given time.”

Her mouth fell open in complete shock. She
didn’t see it coming. Perhaps she thought that he had forgotten about their laws or that she didn’t expect him to shame her with an annulment. She pushed him to it. “But…!” she cried.

“And has our marriage been consummated,
my dear
?”

“Well no, but…”

“Void and null as of this moment! Don’t ever make the claim that you are my wife again!”

She glared back at him. “If I can’t be your wife then what makes that plain-looking woman more deserving? Am I not more beautiful? Do I not surpass her in every way? What makes her more deserving of your love?”

“You will never be able to see what I see in her,” he said disparagingly.

“Why?”
she cried. “Why!”

He was in no mood to explain to her the nature of the relationship between him and Amara, and even if he was in the mood, he didn’t want to. Good or bad, matters between him and Amara stay
ed between the two of them. “It is simple really. I offered her my vow in witness of a goddess and I have taken great pleasure in sealing the deal… as you may have heard for yourself last night.”

“Summit!”

“This discussion is closed,” he said as he pushed the leather chair aside and headed toward the door. “You may stay here as a guest only because Amara invited you through the front door. Don’t overstay your welcome.”

“Summit! Please give me just one chance to prove I can be a good wife to you! That’s all I ask of you! Summit!”

He closed the door behind him and strode down the hallway. He needed to find a quiet place to pass the night. He had a brutal headache and his bride denied him a good night’s rest in the comfort of their bed.
Quiet
, he said inwardly to himself.
Some place quiet.

Death observed
the weeping woman on the bed.

He moved across the room without scent, without sound, and without presence. The woman, Rion, was oblivious to him being in the room until he was standing in front of her. When she saw him, she lifted her head from the pillow and sat up. Her cheeks were flushed with emotions. Her eyes were reddened from heavy tear shed.

“
You have failed to win his affection
,” he intoned.

“If it weren’t for his whore…”

“
Be careful who you insult
,” he warned, though there was little rise or fall in the pitch of his voice.

The woman clamped shut.

“
I will have to make a few modifications in my plans.
”

“Have you come to take me back to the Realm of The Dead?”

“
Not yet
,” he said, turning contemplative. “
I still need you for my plan
.”

“What can I do now? He said he loves her…
her!
He said our marriage is not valid because it is still unconsummated. I-I can’t deny it either because we’ve never…” She inhaled a deep breath. “He also said that he gave her his vow before the witness of a goddess and that he… already sealed the deal. Tell me it isn’t true!”

“
Gaila gave away what was not hers to give
.”

“Even you cannot deny it…”
the woman sobbed.

“
Deny it? I dismissed it completely. The interference of a meddling goddess makes no difference.
”

“I cannot give him up like this. I cannot!”

“
I will give you one more chance to seduce him
.”

“He won’t even let me come near him…”

“
That will change with a little deceptive magic. Look at yourself in the mirror.
”

The woman hesitantly walked past him toward the tall decorative mirror against the wall. She looked, as he commanded. The face staring back at her was not her own. Blue-grey eyes and long dark hair…

She curiously touched her face. “W-why did you make me look like her?”

He was standing beside her in the mirror. “
Did you not want to consummate your marriage?
”

“Like this? But my voice and
—”

“You do not need words to seduce a man. When he realizes the truth, it will be too late.
”

The woman was quick to realize his intentions. “But the real Amara…”

“
She will not be in your way.”

“What will you do with her?” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Will you take her back to the Realm of The Dead?”

“It would be a waste of my effort. She has learned how to open the gate between the realms and I have no power over the living.”

“Will you… take her life?”

Death pondered a moment.
“It is not of your concern.”

The woman nodded. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done…”

“
Don’t show your gratitude just yet.
” His voice was frosted with ice. “
You are merely a pawn.
”

“Even knowing that, I am still grateful.”

Death left one desperate woman in search of another. This time, he made a stop at the immortal’s nightclub. He took off his cloak and hung it on his forearm before entering. Predictably, his human form garnered too much attention for his liking. He liked to move about like the shadows, only seen by those he wished to be seen by. Now he was surrounded by females, engrossed in his appearance. They moved their bodies against him, attempting to entice him to take one of them into his arm and into his bed.

He had no such desire.

He moved through the crowd, brushing away the lustful hands reaching for his body. The woman he sought for was sitting alone at the bar, drowning her sorrow at the bottom of a bottle. She was a Lycan who had lost her mate at the hands of a rampaging mad god. Her heart was broken. Her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of hate and vengeance.

The perfect pawn.

“
You desire vengeance
,” he spoke softly into her ear. “
I can assist you.
”

The female laughed bitterly when she heard and then turned to him. She ceased her laughter immediately when she met his stern silvery gaze. “No one can help me,” she replied. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“
My identity is not of any importance. Just answer me this, do you wish to avenge your fallen mate?
”

“Every goddamned day! But there is nothing I can do about it. The dark god is too powerful.”

“
Is he faster than the Lycans? Is he stronger?
”

“I don’t know.”

“
Then, why do you say he is too powerful?
”

“It doesn’t matter if we’re faster or stronger. He controls time. He can freeze us. If we try to attack him, we’ll be dead before we know it!”

“
I can help you neutralize his powers.
”

“How?” she whispered with genuine curiosity.

“
This cloak,
” he handed over to her the garment, “
is a relic from the Realm of The Dead. If you wear this, he will not be able to control your time. I will lend it to you.
”

“Even without his ability to control time, he has other powers. His flames
can incinerate anything. There is no sure way to ensure his demise.”

“
Are you a coward?
”

“We Lycans don’t know the meaning of the word! I would give my life to avenge my mate! I just don’t know if my clan and I could kill him.”