“I can’t wait to hear it,” I quipped, knowing I wouldn’t like what he was about to propose.
“If the land prefers we don’t slaughter all of the fae, we’ll simply keep the women and merge both breeds into one race.” His fingertips danced over my cheek before stopping just under my chin. He turned my head, skimming his lips against my ear. “I plan to start with your lovely princess. Once I’ve bred her and ensured the first of a new species is cemented in her womb, I’ll unleash my men on your whole race. We will slaughter the men, and impregnate the women until no child born of fae or etherian is pure of either race. It will appease the land and entice the men to fight harder to emerge as the victor.”
“That’s some next-level Viking-era bullshit way of thinking. Let me see if I have this right. You intend to declare war, invade the land, and then slaughter, and rape your way into a merged species? Now, I know you said you’ve tasted war, but your plan makes me think you’re a little fibber. Sure, there’s some downtime when you’re traveling, but nothing screams, ‘let’s kick some asses’ like bending a bitch over to plow, and seed her fields. I’m sure it will go smashingly in your favor.” I deadpanned, eyeing him with the horrid lucid scene playing out in my head like a movie. “Yeah, it sounds like a solid plan. You should try it. While you’re bending a bitch over your horse, we’ll be the assholes laughing from the battlements.”
“You deflect fear with meaningless taunts. Don’t you? Kahleena doesn’t, if you were wondering. She’s very blunt and curious,” he stated, with a darkening glint in his visage. “It doesn’t mean she’s not fun. She’s very fun when she’s terrified and screaming for mercy as I hunt her down night after night.”
“I may deflect with taunts, but at least I don’t deflect with vulgarity. Find some class before you start sounding like a pervert. You might as well change your name to Danu and start your reign of terror immediately. After all, you sound as insane and selfish as she was, so why not just keep repeating the endless cycle of needless death on innocent lives? Plot twist, that means you’re the bad guy, asshole.”
The muscle in his cheek twitched as the tick began hammering with his seething wrath and fury. The way he went still sent the fine hair on my nape rising in warning. The babe kicked in my belly, which caused his hard, angry eyes to squint with something almost akin to regret. When he stepped forward, I took a step back, and he paused.
“Your people took from mine. I am merely taking it back, and I refuse to barter with the likes of you or your king for what rightfully belongs to me. I don’t play games. I also don’t make idle threats, which your daughter can vouch for. She screams so prettily when she’s in pain. It makes me want to string her up and see just how lovely of a song she’ll sing when I carve my name into her fucking soul.”
“If you intend to harm her, I will show you a fucking monster. I’ll also teach you why no one screws with a mother. You think lionesses are protective? I’ll demonstrate just how protective a monster can be of her beasties. I don’t choose war with you, but if you touch her, I’ll bring down the fucking heavens on your skull while raising every being I can from hell to ravage the land you think to claim. I’ll even unleash titans and goddesses, all of whom have extremely diminished sanity left to offer the world, asshole. I don’t care if the world survives, either. You want it bad enough to threaten war? I’ll raze it to ashes out of spite. That girl you mean to punish? I gave birth to her last fucking year. I died to give her life, and I’ll die before I tolerate you, or anyone else, seeking to end her existence. Now, take me to her and pretend you have some manners, please. Later, if you wish, we can bake cookies and chant campfire songs before I turn the unified world into one grand, blazing fire to push you out of hiding.”
He snickered, but the melody was bitter and detached. “Burn it all down then,” he stated, forcing my eyes to fly to his. “Thought so.” He hummed. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed about my calling you out on your shit. I’ve been watching you and the king of the horde for long enough to know you care about your people. I’ve learned you both and know exactly how to hit you where it hurts most. But if I’m wrong, which we both know I’m not, go ahead and set fire to the land and we’ll watch it burn together. No fucking idea what marshmallows are, but they sound fun.” He smiled, stepped back, and slapped his palms together, causing the chamber’s appearance to change.
My focus joined with twinkling, golden eyes she’d inherited from her father. Tears pooled on my lashes as she scrambled forward, only to have the male step in front of her.
“Arius, let me go!” she appealed in an unsteady tone. “Why is she here?”
“Kahleena, it’s okay,” I countered before tossing a biting look at where Arius restrained my daughter.
“I presented your mother with a choice of whom to save. She insisted on speaking to you before she chooses, princess. I do fear she’s about to deliver you to the demons and put other’s lives over yours. Be a good girl for me and don’t try anything stupid. I’d hate for you to die before I have my fun with you, Kahleena.” He stepped back, but she didn’t start toward me.
Closing my eyes against the anguish I saw in her, I drove the air from my lungs and lifted my lids to discover her directly in front of me. Her brilliant amber gaze collided with mine, and tears gently trailed down her cheeks.
“You’re so beautiful, Kahleena Larissa.” I gave her a watery smile and touched her cheek. “You’ve become a woman somewhere along the way. I wish I had been there to watch you bloom, my daughter.”
“Momma?” she murmured, making misery slice through my chest.
I was being forced to choose between my daughter’s life, and the lives of the babies inside the office and my unborn son. I had felt his power, and I couldn’t say who would win if we fought. If I took that chance, and lost? We’d all end up losing.
Reaching for her hands, I twined my fingers through hers. The reality that one of us wouldn’t be leaving here alive settled like a rock in my belly, but I’d been here before and already knew the decision wasn’t truly a choice at all.
Kahleena’s grip on my hands tightened, and I took in every detail of my daughter that I could. She had changed little since they had taken her from us. Her hair was lustrous and the same shade as mine. The platinum strands made her softer skin tone appear darker, and yet, it fit her golden brands perfectly. She’d matured into a woman while she’d been sequestered inside the City of Gods, and my daughter had become just as stunning and brave as I hoped she would.
“I don’t have all day, ladies. There are choices to make, people to murder, and worlds to destroy. That’s just on today’s list of things to get through.” Arius spoke in a cocky tone.
Kahleena and I shot him matching glares of annoyance. She turned her focus to me and then dropped her head. Her frame physically shivered, which led to me pulling her into my arms.
“I love you, Kahleena Larissa. I have loved you since the moment I discovered you existed.” My words spilled out weakly but were etched with the emotional turmoil convulsing through me.