Page 44 of A Crown of Fates
He makes a harsh noise as he tears through the corridor, going in the direction of my bedroom. But when he turns the corner, he comes to an abrupt halt, his claws digging into the wooden floors.
His snarls grow louder, but there’s nothing here. I don’t even sense Estee. At least not at first.
A low, feral growl escapes from my throat, my wolf’s rage blending with mine until there’s no separation, only a single, burning wrath. I close my eyes, inhaling deeply, and the horrifying scent solidifies—a twisted blend of Estee’s essence and the vile taint of that god.
He was here. He has my mate.
The realization ignites a maelstrom of fire within me, a violent need to hunt, to reclaim what’s mine.
Hold on, my Starlight,I vow, my wolf’s roars vibrating through me.I’m coming for you.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ESTEE
The world around me is nothing but shadows and silence, an endless void where time seems irrelevant. My limbs remain as heavy as lead, immovable no matter how hard I will them to obey me. My voice, too, stays locked within me, a prisoner alongside my body. The only sound is my heartbeat, steady and sure, and the constant hum of my wolf—a calm, grounding presence in the dark. She’s with me, solid and unyielding, and thanks to her, I’m not afraid.
Orix took me from the hallway and, based on the energy shift, created a portal to this place. He’s at least given me my sight back, but the room where he’s left me has only the faintest layer of ambient light. There are no windows, and I can’t tell what the walls are made from, but considering the coolness of the room, I’d assume an earthy material of some sort.
I’ve been left on a rough, stone platform without physical restraints, just the crushing influence of Orix’s power holding me still. It’s here, in this pit of despair, that he finds me again.
He enters with a predatory grace, his lean frame swathed in darkness, his presence filling the air with malice. I suppose he expects me to tremble, to beg, to show even a hint of terror.Hell, I probably should. Yet, the longer I’m here, the less afraid I become. I give him nothing. Not an ounce of satisfaction.
“You know,” he drawls, his voice a twisted thread in the stillness, “considering how you treated Theo upon your arrival in Selaris, I expected something a little more…theatrical from you, Princess.” He steps closer, his face inches from mine as he bends lower, causing his oily, black hair to brush my cheek. The sensation mixes with his sour breath on my skin as he presses my stomach lightly. “Maybe we need to make this game more interesting. I could share a secret with you if you decide to finally participate.” His eyes, nearly black with a hint of poisoned blue, glint with a sinister amusement.
Yet, all I feel is the barest flicker of disgust, masked beneath this unexpected calm. I want to laugh, to let him know just how little he intimidates me. In my mind, I give voice to my defiance:A game you’ll surely lose in the end.
“Do you know why you’re here, Estee?” he purrs, his tone silky but laced with spite and a power that seems to seep into my throat.
The invisible barrier there, the one binding my words, lifts, finally allowing me to speak. “You want something.” The sentence slips out like daggers, sharp and cutting.
His smile widens, revealing stained teeth. “I don’t want something, dear Estee. I wanteverything. I want your soul, the kingdom I stole you from, and all the others in Lunara. Even better, thanks to your mate, I’m so close to reclaiming that which was taken from me. I just need him a bit more focused on the task at hand.”
“And you think stealing his mate is going to make himfocused?” If I could roll my eyes at this imbecile, I absolutely would.
His sinister chuckle sweeps over me, sending a shudder up my spine. “Now, you’re worried about poor Theo? Interesting.Though, don’t fret. I’ll only let him suffer for the day. Once I feel he’s learned his lesson, I’ll tell him how he can get you back.”
Great. More threats, more decisions Theo will feel he has no choice but to make.
Orix presses harder on my stomach as his sharp, hooked nose moves across my forehead, inhaling. “Tell me, Princess. What would you do to save your own life or that of your future child?”
I scoff, wishing I could turn away from him. “Nothing that would interest you.”
“Not a single thing?” His tongue clicks. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Unless you care about your own death, I don’t see the point of this conversation.”
His fist slams down next to my head, the stone beneath me cracking. “When will you accept that you’ve already lost? My demise isn’t happening, much to the dismay of others.”
Interesting. Who else has tried to knock this god down from his flimsy pedestal? Something that makes me wonder…
“Who hurt you, Orix?” I say, pretending to care about his seemingly hurt feelings. “Did the other gods not play nice?”
He wraps his hand around my throat, and his voice lowers into a growl. “Don’t act as if you know me, wolf. I’m a god, and I can end your existence with the snap of my fingers. Do you understand that?”
My eyes narrow in defiance, daring him to follow through. “Then do it. Kill me now. As you pointed out earlier, my arrival in Selaris has only hindered your plans. Make this less complicated for both of us. Squeeze the air from my lungs and be done with this.”
I’d rather be dead than his prisoner. At least then I’d be free to be reborn and find a way to kill him later.