Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Roc patted his shoulder. “Kill the original consort, command Blythe to forgive you, and enjoy your newfound happiness. No mercy. Iron fist. That’s how I handle Taliyah.”
Ian, Silver, and Halo snickered. “Yes, brother,” Ian said with a grin. “Your iron fist is the stuff of legends.”
“All right. Where is he? Where’s Roux?” The feminine shriek echoed from the walls. “I’ve got things to say!”
Roc winced. “Guess she’s not distracted, after all. My best advice? Run, soldier.”
Roux didn’t run. He flashed outside the harpy’s bedroom door. If the first consort received a private conversation, the second should, too. He deserved a chance to fight for what he wanted.
No sounds seeped from behind the entrance. What were the two doing? Were they even inside?
The blood rushed from his head. He lifted his fist and knocked a little too hard. Cracks spread through the wood. Booted footsteps thumped. Then the door swung open, revealing the manticore, who carried his own length of chain.
This male desired what belonged to him, and only one of them could have her.
Attack! Roux breathed in. Out. And remained still as a statue.
Laban narrowed his eyes, aggression suddenly pulsing from him. “She’s not here. You should not have come.” Despite his words, he stepped back and waved to encompass the room. He didn’t do it gracefully, however. His movements were jerky, as if he kept changing his mind about what to do. “Enter. We will talk.”
Halfway expecting to be stabbed in the back—hoping it happened, giving him a reason to strike—Roux strode inside. No ambush. Too bad.
The other man shut the door as Roux turned on his heel. They faced off like two foes on a battlefield.
Roux chose to break the silence. “She told you what I am to her.” A statement, not a question.
“She did. You might be happy to know she was confused by her feelings for both of us.” Laban grinned coldly. “Then I explained how she’s been deceived. How Erebus tricked her into thinking you are her consort. It’s only a matter of time before she cuts you loose.”
He stiffened. Did the male speak truth?
No. No! Roux would not travel this road of thought. The very road he’d traveled the whole of his life, anytime he’d wondered about his purpose, believing he was destined to live and die alone. His time with Blythe had changed him, teaching him better. She was his purpose. His reason for being. He loved her, and love was never a mistake.
His eyes widened. He did; he loved her. She filled every corridor of his heart. Her grace. Her ferocity. Her playfulness. Her strength. Her bravery. Her everything. From the first moment he’d spied her, a part of him had known she meant something to him. That she could do what no one else had been able to: finally complete him.
To forgive him and shed her hatred as she’d done...she must love him, too. Nothing but love could conquer so pure and justified a hatred. Erebus could do many things, but he could not manipulate emotions.
Only one question remained. Would Blythe be able to cut Laban loose?
Roux fisted his hands, and the manticore braced, as if he expected a blow. A minute passed in tense silence; neither of them moved.
“I meant what I said, Astra.” Laban grated the words. “You shouldn’t have come. You are doing exactly what he wants and—” He slammed his lips together, silencing himself.
Why not finish the thought? Did it really matter? “I will leave.” The urge to strike was only growing stronger. Though Roux could have flashed away, he walked toward the door. Taking his time, hoping against hope Blythe would return before he exited.
Laban moved to block his path, fury and regret glinting in his eyes.
Why regret?
“It’s too late now, Astra. So. Let me tell you how the rest of our conversation is going to go. In a moment, I’ll say something that horrifies and disgusts you. You’ll attack me. In the process, you’ll ruin your chance with Blythe, and Erebus will win your war.”
A terrible suspicion flittered across Roux’s mind. He almost flashed then and there. If he was proven correct...
The manticore might be right about what happens next.
In the end, he stayed. Must know.
He offered a stiff nod. “Let’s hear what you have to say.”
“Another mistake on your part.” Radiating strain, Laban ran the length of chain between his fingers. “Ten years ago, Erebus came to me. He made me into a deathless phantom, something Blythe now knows. What she doesn’t know? What I lied to her about? Erebus bound me to his will. He told me to fall in love with her, so I did. Maybe I was always meant to love her. Maybe his command was responsible. Perhaps the fact that he replaced my heart with a clone of the god Mars is responsible. We might never know.”