Inferno Page 2
At the sound of the female voice behind him, Con whirled to find Death sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She wore a black gown with long, sheer sleeves, reminiscent of her attire before she’d picked up her sword again. Her long, blue-black hair was pulled back at the sides to fall with the rest of her locks. He looked into her lavender eyes while he debated whether or not to order her to leave.
Erith was a goddess, which meant she had more magic than he. She ruled the Reapers, but more than that, she had been his friend for thousands of years. Although he hadn’t realized it was her until recently, because she had changed her name and appearance just enough to fool him.
She blew out a breath, her eyes lowering briefly. “The Kings are concerned.”
He turned his head to the side. “Do you know how many sunrises I’ve seen?”
“Probably as many as I have.”
“I’m tired, Erith.”
“Leaders like us can’t get tired.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face, feeling the whiskers against his palm. It had been days since he’d shaved, combed his hair, or even changed clothes.
“You look like shite,” she told him.
Con wasn’t feeling up for conversation, even with Erith. He turned his back on her and looked out the window.
A rustling of fabric from her full skirts sounded, and then she was beside him. “You have an amazing view.”
“I doona want to be rude, but I’d rather be alone.”
Just as he said that, Ulrik banged on the door again.
Erith crossed her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t look like you’re going to get that wish.”
“Why can you no’ leave me alone?” he bellowed.
Con couldn’t believe he’d let his anger get the best of him. He was always in control of his emotions. Always. And he’d just snapped. It must have been loud enough for Ulrik to hear, too, because even he halted in his knocking.
“Well. That’s something,” Erith said into the silence.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m hanging on by a thread that is unraveling even as we speak. I need to be alone.”
“No, you need friends,” she insisted. “Actually, there’s someone in particular you need.”
His head snapped to Erith, his voice dropping low to show his anger. “Doona go there.”
She raised a black brow. “Why is that?”
“You know why.” Con fisted his hands as he fought the urge to hit the wall.
Her arms dropped to her sides as she gave him a sad look. “Do you know why I came to you that first time?”
A smile pulled at his lips when he thought back to the seventeenth century. “Nay. I believed at the time you were the one in need, but I get the feeling you’re going to tell me you were the one helping me.”
She laughed, her eyes filling with tears that she blinked away. “I admit that I might have told myself I wanted to meet you because you needed a little push, but the truth is, I needed a friend.”
“We both needed a friend.”
“It doesn’t matter how many different names I used or excuses I made to visit you, I’ve always been your friend.”
“And I, yours.”
She licked her lips and took a step toward him. “Then please listen when I say there are many who want to help you.”
“No one can help with what I have to do.”
“That isn’t true, and you know it.”
Con shook his head. “Erith, I know what I have to do.”
She searched his face for a full minute before her mouth fell open, and her gaze narrowed on him in a mixture of outrage and surprise. “You can’t be serious.”
“It’s time. It’s well past time. No one was meant to be King of Kings for this long.”
She closed her mouth and slid her lavender gaze out the window. “Have you told the others?”
“Ulrik.”
“Which explains why he’s demanding to talk to you.”
Con frowned as he realized that the banging from Ulrik hadn’t commenced again. No sooner had that thought gone through his head, than he saw something out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to glance out the window, he spotted Ulrik outside, in dragon form, looking into the third-floor window. His nostrils flared, letting Con know he was pissed.
Erith let out a little laugh. “You’ve been a master of your emotions for so long that I think you’ve forgotten what it is to share things.”
“None of the others really want to know the things I have to do or decide on.”
“It’s not their place to know such things. Just like it isn’t with my Reapers and me. I never told Cael such things when he was leading the Reapers, but I do now.”
Con slid his gaze back to her. “He’s your mate.”
“Now, yes. Once that happened, I had to open up and share things with him. It’s called a relationship. But you don’t have to be romantic with someone in order to share.” She pointed to Ulrik outside. “The proof is right there. You told me Ulrik was more of a brother than a friend. Your brother is waiting for you to open up.”
In response, Ulrik stomped his foot, shaking the manor.
Con drew in a breath and then slowly released it. “I appreciate your words.” He looked at Ulrik and opened their mental link. “I want to share, but I can no’. No’ now.”
“As long as you know I’ll be here when you can,” Ulrik replied.
Con gave him a nod. With that, Ulrik spread his silver wings and leapt into the air, flying off.
“What’s your plan?” Erith asked.
Con scratched the back of his neck. “Make sure the Others can no’ harm us. We were so close to ending Moreann. If only we’d been able to do it. But once more, luck wasna on our side since Usaeil showed up and took her. I thought they were enemies.”
“I’m not sure what is going on with Usaeil and Moreann. I might send one of the Reapers to find Brian, the Light Fae who was part of the Others. I have a feeling he can shed some light on things.”
“Maybe. We know Noreen spoke the truth when she said that Moreann and Usaeil were enemies. I can no’ figure out why Usaeil saved her from us.”
Erith lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It might have something to do with the binding spell they used when they joined forces.” The goddess paused and glanced to the side.
If Con didn’t know better, he’d think Erith was nervous.
“There’s something else you should know.”
Just what he needed. More bad news. Con braced himself. “What is it?”
Once more, Erith paused. She studied him for a moment, then lifted her chin and said, “The Light have a queen again.”
“Usaeil came out of hiding? She retook the throne?” he asked, suddenly eager to go into battle once more. After everything Usaeil had done to the Kings and … well, others, Con wanted her gone.
For good this time.
“No,” Erith replied.
Con raised a brow, waiting for her to continue. “Then who?”
“Rhi.”
The name hung between them, echoing in his mind like a bell.
“I didna know she wanted to be queen,” he finally said.
Erith swallowed. “My Reapers and I might be responsible for pushing her in that direction. She’ll be good for the Light.”
“Need I remind you that her eyes flashed red?” he warned.
“There is darkness around her, but her light still shines brightly. I have faith in her.”
Con shook his head angrily. “The moment Usaeil finds out that Rhi took her throne, she’ll attack.”
“I’m fairly certain that’s exactly why Rhi did it.”
Con wasn’t sure whether or not to be happy about the news. So many emotions ran through him that he could do nothing but stand there.
“I know when Usaeil thought she had you as her captive, she took the gifts I gave you and used magic to throw them away because she believed they came from … well, someone else,” Erith said.
Con swallowed, his thoughts still on Rhi being the Light Queen.
“I’ve been searching for them all this time, and I found these.” She took his hand and turned it up before putting something in his palm. Erith met his gaze. “You’re Constantine, King of Dragon Kings. Act like it.”
Then she disappeared, leaving him alone. He looked down at his palm and saw the two gold dragon head cufflinks—her first gift to him.
CHAPTER TWO
Light Castle
Northern Ireland
This was wrong. No matter how Rhi looked at it, she didn’t feel right pretending to be Queen of the Light. Because she was pretending. She didn’t know the first thing about being a queen. She could lead an army into battle, but that was the extent of her skills. But this wasn’t about being queen.
This was about drawing Usaeil out.
Rhi looked around the chambers Usaeil had used for her personal living area. The white and gold matched the rest of the castle, and while pretty, it wasn’t Rhi at all. She preferred to either be in the small cabin on the beach, or back on the Fae Realm, living among nature.
No matter how much she craved such things, that wasn’t within her grasp at the moment. It might never be again, and she had to come to terms with that—as difficult as it may be.
She gave an inward shake of her head as she thought about how she’d lived before. Shopping trips, expensive supercars, getting her nails done every other day and doing whatever she wanted. Those days were long gone.
Even if she survived the impending battle with Usaeil and Moreann, the person she’d been before was no more. The darkness inside her had made sure of that.
I made sure of it?
She flattened her lips at the voic
e of the darkness within her. The darkness had offered her power. And she’d taken it.
Willingly.
Happily.
We make a good team. Look what you’ve accomplished.
She ignored the voice and focused instead on what her next step would be. No doubt it wouldn’t take long for Usaeil to learn that there was a new queen. Ubitch might be many things—liar, backstabber, deceiver—but she wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t rush to challenge Rhi.
Usaeil would plan for how to make her move. And she’d hit Rhi where she was most vulnerable—by targeting her friends.
Phelan.
Rhi closed her eyes as she thought about the half-Fae, half-Warrior who she thought of as a brother. Phelan and his wife, Aisley, had suffered so much. They deserved happiness and to be left alone. If that were to happen, then Rhi needed to take precautions. She had to assume that Usaeil would learn of Phelan, which meant that Rhi had to warn Phelan about what was coming.
She walked farther into the room. It wasn’t until she halted next to a chair that she looked down at the hand that she’d rested on the backrest and saw what was left of her chipped nail polish. She could remove it with just a thought, but she didn’t. She wasn’t sure why, however.
A knock sounded on the double doors behind her. She wanted to ignore it, but that wasn’t possible now. She had assumed the role of queen, which meant that she had to act like one. At least, for the time being.
“Yes?” she asked without turning around.
She heard a click as the knob turned and the door opened. The air around her seemed to swell, her body tingling all over. Before the guard spoke, she knew who had arrived. Him.
“My queen,” the Fae said from behind her. “You have a visitor. The Dragon King—”
She held up a hand, halting the name the guard was about to say. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, and it became difficult to breathe. He’d always done that to her. And he always would. No amount of time or distance could stop that.
She had survived the last couple of thousand years by compartmentalizing things—which involved putting their relationship and her love for him in a locked box in a dark corner of her mind. Being around him always put her off-kilter.
Then Balladyn’s words came back to her. “Your King still loves you.”
She wanted to believe her friend. She’d held onto her love, clung to the hope that one day she and her King might find their way back to each other. It didn’t matter how dark the days got, how hard it was to shake off the loneliness, she held onto that hope with everything she had.
And what had it gotten her?
Not a fekking thing.
She didn’t move until she heard the door close. But the feeling didn’t go away. She lowered her arm and steeled herself because she knew he was there. Right behind her. Waiting to talk.
Minutes ticked by with neither of them speaking. She wanted him to leave, but she didn’t want to be the first to speak. She knew it was petty and childish, but it was what they had come to.
“Rhi.”
The sound of her name from his lips made her heart skip a beat. The husky timbre, along with his Scottish brogue, always brought her to her knees.
There were times, like now, when it was tough to keep the past compartmentalized. Especially since the memories bombarded her constantly, making her remember the times she’d been deliriously happy.
With him.
Rhi struggled to get herself under control, to put the lid back on the box of her recollections and handle him as she had for the last few years. It had been the only way she could go to Dreagan. And it had worked.
Then why wasn’t it working now?
You know why, the darkness all but purred.
This wasn’t good. At all. She couldn’t face him, couldn’t talk to him. Because he wasn’t just another Dragon King. He was … had been … everything to her.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t put her wild emotions into the neat little boxes from before. It didn’t matter if it was the darkness’s fault or hers, the simple fact was that she had lost the ability she’d had, the one that allowed her to talk to him, to face him.
To say his name.
She fisted her hands at her sides when she felt him take a step closer to her. Part of her wanted him to touch her, but another part knew that if he did, she’d lash out at him, releasing all the anger, resentment, and fury that she’d held within herself for so very, very long.
“I came to congratulate you,” he said. “I can no’ think of a better person to rule the Light.”
“I can think of many,” she replied, hating the icy edge to her voice.
“Your love for your people is what makes you so qualified. That and the fact that you doona want to be queen.”
She blinked several times as tears suddenly filled her eyes. It wasn’t fair that he knew her so well. That with just a few words, he’d not only given his support but also confirmed that her decision had been the right one.
His approval shouldn’t matter. She didn’t want it to matter.
But it did.
Oh, did it ever.
“I,”—he paused and blew out a breath—“I didna come to upset you. I only wanted to tell you that whatever happens with Usaeil and Moreann, I’ll be there to fight with you. And I willna be the only King doing so.”
She wished she could tell him that she didn’t need him in the battle, but it would be a lie. She might have overcome the debilitating pain that speaking a lie had once brought her, but she still found it uncomfortable to do it with him.
“Usaeil is mine,” she said instead.
“Aye.”
She frowned when he didn’t say more. Rhi fought the urge to turn and look at him. “You aren’t claiming rights to Moreann?”
“There isna a Dragon King who doesna want his pound of flesh from her. Do I want to be the one to end her? I’d do it in a heartbeat, but I’d rather see her gone from our realm for good. It doesna matter who rids us of the empress, as long as Moreann and the Others are no more.”
Rhi drew in a deep breath. “Thanks to Noreen, the Others are disbanded. Orun, Moreann’s counterpart, is being held at Dreagan, and the mortal Druids aren’t a threat. It’s just Moreann and Usaeil.”
“You forget, the empress wanted you.”
Rhi hadn’t forgotten any such thing. It had been on her mind since Moreann had told her how Rhi would be the one who got the Kings to leave the realm. Rhi wished she could deny it, but she couldn’t properly get a handle on her emotions since she’d welcomed the darkness within herself to fight Usaeil.
Moreann had intended to use that so Rhi would get angry and begin to glow. To keep her from blowing up the realm, the Kings would’ve taken her away, thereby giving Moreann control of Earth. Knowing that they had intended to use her as a way to make the Kings lose control of their home made Rhi sick to her stomach. She was stronger than that. Or she had been. She needed to be again.
And soon.
“Do you think Moreann really has your brother?” he asked.
Rhi shook her head. “Even if she does, Rolmir has been dead for centuries. She merely has his body. Nothing more. My brother’s spirit is laid to rest. That’s enough for me.”
“She was going to use that to get to you.”
“Maybe.” The truth was, there were a few people Rhi would do anything for—Phelan, Rhys, Balladyn, and … him. Rhi knew better than anyone that the only person who could be used against her, who would set her off in such a way that it would cause the Kings to take her to another realm, was, in fact, him.
He shifted his feet. “We will win this.” When she didn’t reply, he said, “You believe we’ll win, aye?”
“I hope we do.”
“We will, but you need to be careful. Usaeil willna take kindly to you sitting on the throne. You’re too important. Doona let your guard down.”
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed. “Don’t say that.”
“What? Doona say you’re important? Why? It’s true.”
“It isn’t.”
He sighed again, this time louder. “I know I’ve done and said things … I want to talk about them, to—”
Her eyes flew open, and she spun around, looking into his black eyes. “No,” she said firmly. “That’s the past. It stays in the past.”
He stared at her for a long minute before he gave a nod of his blond head. “I understand.”
With another nod, he turned on his heel and walked away. She saw a flash of gold at his wrist. The dragon head cufflinks were back where they belonged. It was too bad she never would be.