Page 97 of Empire of Light
Damen looked at me, shaking his head. “Don’t worry—the baby is a part of you and you have never injured yourself with your power.” His head dropped as he silently moved his hand around to different spots on my belly. “Babe is squirming, but extremely chill, as always. Just relaxing.” He kissed the top of my brow, trying to take the fear out of my mind.
It took several worthless gasps before I could breathe and get actual air into my lungs.
He peeled himself away from my body, his hands moving to my shoulders to support my body. He obviously didn’t trust me to stay upright on my own accord.
His look met mine. “I want you to try it again.”
“What?” My head instantly shook, my eyes closing. “No. Not with you here. I won’t.” I flipped my hand out toward the bird cages. “I can’t hardly believe you put these beautiful little guys in danger.”
He glanced up at the birds, a frown playing at the middle of his lips. Like he’d given no thought to the fates of the birds before I’d said something, and now he regretted doing so. Or so I hoped. Wanted to believe.
“I’ll leave.” His look centered on me. “But there were five malefics that converged on my daughter’s villa. Five that came to kill her.”
My eyes closed and I tried to steady myself. “Five that you need to be put to death.”
“Four, now.”
At my silence, his hands moved from my shoulders to cup my face. “Either way, these men are dead by your hand or mine—there will be no escaping it. I can’t make you do this. But know that if it is by my hand, it will be drawn out. Slow. So much pain a chorus of demons will wail with glee from the bowels of the earth.”
Bile slipped up my throat.
This was wrong, so wrong.
My head shook in his hands, the tremble seeping down into my body.
Damen’s jawline, along with his words, hardened. “They killed not just my daughter, they killed my granddaughter, Ada. There is no quarter asked or given with them. They know death is upon them.”
I stilled.
The tips of his fingers curled into the thick of my hair at the base of my neck. “Breathe, love. Breathe.”
I did so for long seconds before the trembling stopped and I could open my eyes to him.
His stare was set upon me, patient, determined. “If I do it, it will take weeks of unmeasurable pain before I let them see the tip of an augentrum blade.”
“But if I do it…”
“Merciful.” It looked like it almost pained him to say it, to give up what he knew they were due. “Mercy they do not deserve. Mercy I wouldn’t allow to them. But I will give it up if this helps you.”
Holy shit.
This truly was a fucked-up world I’d slipped into.
I’d known how much I would have to let slide just to be in Damen’s world. But now, in the thick of it, I was beginning to question my own mettle for this world he lived and thrived in.
I could also see how much he wanted this for me. How much I should want this for myself.
Control—something I never thought I’d have over this monster inside of me.
He could see acquiescence play across my face and he pounced the moment I had accepted what was going to happen. “You will do it?”
I nodded. “I will try.”
And I would.
This fucked up world I was going to give birth in needed me to be stronger than I was.
I chose this. Chose Damen. And this baby needed me to unleash death onto our enemies if it came down to it. Our baby needed me to be able to lift my skinny little pinky and vanquish anyone who dared to hurt it.