The phantom, p.32
The Phantom, page 32
Blythe, either. “He’s difficult, complicated, harsh, vexing, frustrating, punishing, hard to read at times, and maddening always. But he’s also gentle, wonderful, lusty, and supportive. He lives for me, T. Like, I’m his everything.” Roux hadn’t wanted to, but he’d given her time with Laban. Because he cared for Blythe. “I don’t feel as if something’s missing when we’re together.” Something she’d often forgotten after the manticore’s death.
“But?”
“But. It’s too fast. In the big scheme of things, I’ve basically only known him for a matter of minutes.”
“You’ve only known the other one a matter of minutes, too, there are just more of them. But let me tell you a secret. With the Astra, it’s easy to feel fast and fall hard. It’s their intensity. It sucks you into their orbit and there’s no chance of escape.”
No desire to escape. “Also, Roux isn’t the father of my daughter. Oh, yes, and he’s supposed to kill me to save his people.”
“And yet it sounds as though you’ve already made up your mind. So what are you here pondering?”
“How to break the news to Laban and Isla,” she admitted, her shoulders slumping. She’d made so many mistakes lately. She couldn’t afford to make another.
“Well, that one’s easy, too. Do it swift and firm. But do it tomorrow. Tonight, we celebrate your return.”
Leave Isla wondering what Momma would do? Leave Roux hurting longer than necessary? No. He’d endured enough heartache in his endless life. “Forget the party. I’m solidifying my future tonight.”
“Fine. But you owe me big time. I mean it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Come on.” Taliyah jumped to her feet, took her hand, and tugged her from the bench. Arm in arm, they strolled through the door, exiting the garden. They entered the bustling market in the town square, near the street Blythe had occupied the day the Astra invaded.
Her gaze landed on a familiar sight, and her breath caught. Roux. He was waiting for her.
He stood outside Chop Chop, the at-home guillotine store, leaning one shoulder against a window display and radiating a wealth of ragged emotion. Regret. Guilt. Shame. Resignation. Fury. Several harpies eyed him as if he were a hot fudge sundae on a sultry summer night, but he didn’t seem to notice them.
As soon as their gazes met, he straightened and stalked over. “Leave us,” he commanded the citizens around him. His hands remained balled as the others scrambled away as fast as their feet could carry them.
“This is my cue, I guess, though this is the first and only time I’ll take an order from a subordinate. You’re welcome,” Taliyah muttered and branched off in the other direction.
Blythe closed in on her consort, meeting him halfway. Her heart skipped several beats. “Hey.”
“There is no easy way to tell you this.” He lifted his chin. “I killed Laban. I used trinite. He won’t be coming back.”
Wait. What? Her stomach twisted into knots. “That isn’t funny, Warden.” Roux would never do such a thing for real, knowing the anguish she’d endured last time. He just wouldn’t.
“This is no joke. He is dead by my hand. Before turning him into a phantom, Erebus gave him the heart of another clone. Laban was never your consort. He was always your father’s puppet. He—”
“Wait!” What was happening right now? “I know Laban was a phantom,” she cried, things cracking in her chest. Laban was truly dead now? Gone forever—again? Taken from Isla a second time? “Why? Why would you do this? He was my consort.” Heart or not. “How could you hurt me like this? How? You saw what it did to me after the invasion.”
If Roux had cared for her, even the slightest bit... Stinging tears welled, and there was no stopping them.
She’d chosen this male, and he’d dared to betray her trust in the worst way? Had broken her heart again, rending the organ in two.
Neeka’s words chose that moment to drift through her mind. Your heart is your heart, whether it’s this one or that one, so you can toss it and keep it.
“I did what I must to protect you and Isla—I did what the warrior asked me to do.” His words were broken at the edges. “He was under Erebus’s control, with orders to murder the girl. He couldn’t fight the compulsion, and he knew it. I did what I must,” Roux repeated, “exactly as I promised you in Ation, even if it means the end of us.”
No. No! Stumbling back, she gave her head a vehement shake. Laban told her he wasn’t under her father’s command. And even if he were, he would never. He adored his daughter, just as Isla adored her daddy. And yet...
Deep breath in. Out. Roux wasn’t a liar in any way, shape, or form. He’d always given her the truth, no matter the cost to himself. He’d confessed about the interrogation. He’d even told her about his fear of playing host to Laban. Today she’d learned the male she’d trusted for years had lied to her from the beginning, hiding what her father had done to him for the sake of his pride.
Her lungs emptied. What Roux claimed did make sense. Laban and Roux possessing the same heart explained why the Astra had seemed so familiar to her the day of his arrival. It also explained how she could have two consorts, when such an occurrence was impossible.
What if...Erebus had controlled Laban’s will? What if the two had tricked her into believing the manticore was her consort? What if Laban wasn’t strong enough to fight the god’s control?
How easily he could harm Isla. And in ways no one would see coming. Not Blythe, and certainly not Isla. Which made it the perfect plan on her father’s part. Thank goodness the child hadn’t yet learned about Laban’s survival.
A whimper caught in the back of Blythe’s throat, the truth suddenly clear. Erebus had tricked her all right. But not using Roux.
With hot tears streaming down her cheeks, she rasped, “I believe you.”
32
THE HEART
Roux blinked at his crying gravita, feeling as if he were both dying and reviving inside. “I don’t understand.” A hint of wonder invaded his jumble of emotions. “You believe me?”
“Yes,” she croaked.
He scooped an about-to-crumble Blythe against his chest and flashed to his bedroom. He laid her upon the mattress and crawled in beside her, baffled.
She’d chosen to trust him, without proof. Did she—could she—love him? Even a little?
Could he make this easier on her, even in the smallest way? “I am so sorry, Lyla. So very sorry. I wish there’d been another way.”
“Don’t be sorry. You did the right thing. You protected Isla.” She rolled on top of him, burying her face in the hollow of his throat. “Besides that, I’m the one who owes you an apology. I made your life miserable, but all along, you were my consort. The one I should have defended.”
“Not me. Mars.” A fact he both celebrated and despised.
“No. Not Mars. You. Mars was a tool. You, Warden, are a treasure.”
He almost couldn’t process the compliment. A treasure? Him?
Overcome, he enfolded her in his arms. “If you think I would change anything that has happened, you are wrong. You have Isla. Now I have you both.”
She only sobbed harder. Never having comforted a crying female before, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. But he loved this specific female, and he only wished to see her happy. Therefore, he gave it his best. As gently as possible, Roux wiped her tears away. He stroked her hair. Kissed her brow. Offered soft words of assurance.
“You are a warrior, Lyla. A goddess. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever encountered. I will do everything in my power to help you get through this. Isla, too. This I now truly comprehend—pain is no match for love.”
After a while, she calmed. Exhaling a shuddering breath, she traced an X over his chest. “You are pretty wonderful, you know that, Roux?”
His eyes widened. First a treasure, now wonderful. “I’m unsure how to respond.”
She took pity on him and changed the subject. “We probably need to talk about the blessing task before we exchange accolades.”
Yes. “I won’t be killing you. That is an unshakable certainty.”
“Condemn yourself and the other Astra to five hundred years of defeat, allowing Erebus to ascend? No. That doesn’t work for me. Not after what you’ve done for me, Isla, and yes, Laban. Besides, I like having you around.”
As a strangled sound brewed in the back of his throat, he scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t hurt you.” Not ever again. “I won’t.”
“And that’s exactly what my father is counting on. After everything he’s done, we cannot allow him to win. Maybe, if I cut out my own heart with trinite, sacrificing myself, I’ll revive as Taliyah did during Roc’s task.”
“No. I have to be the one to wield the blade.” A cold sweat spread across his skin. “Maybe...maybe we can gift the Ation crown to another, and I can kill her? You haven’t donned the circlet yet, so you aren’t technically queen. There’s time.”
She shook her head with assurance. “I’m the only Ation female here, and I earned that headpiece. It’s mine. But don’t worry. I have another idea about how to handle our situation. Something an oracle said is rattling around in the back of my mind, and I think I’m beginning to understand what she meant. I just need to ponder it further.”
“Tell me.” Please. “Put me out of my misery.”
“Nope. Sorry. Too many prying ears. I don’t want anyone taking measures to stop me.”
“Someone is already taking measures to stop you. Erebus and his Blade of Destiny.”
“Not with this. Just...trust me. Okay? Let me make a grand gesture to win your affections. It’s my turn.”
“You already made a grand gesture and own all my affections. There’s nothing left for anyone else, I promise you.” Trusting had never come easy for him. Took years for the Astra to demolish his defenses. But this was his Lyla. The gravita he loved. The female who’d chosen him. “But,” he said. “Yes, I will trust you with my most valuable possession.”
Her most sensual, calculated smile bloomed, and he drew in a deep breath. “Oh, I’m your possession, am I?” Her voice dropped to a throaty purr. “I guess I’m okay with that because you are mine.”
How he loved when she staked her claim.
“I want you, Roux.”
The soft statement nearly set his cells on fire. “After everything that’s happened...everything that’s going to happen...are you sure?” He refused to take advantage of her while she was at her most vulnerable.
“Babe, I’ve gone hours without your stardust,” she said, kissing the hollow of his neck. Then she dragged a claw tip down the center of his shirt, slicing the garment in two. The sides gaped open, and she swooped down to lick his skin. “Do you want me, too?”
“More than I’ve ever wanted anything,” he rasped, his palms burning. Already stardust was rising, ready to paint her soft flesh.
“Then take me. I’m yours. Now and forever.”
“Now and forever.” He wasted no more time. He clasped her nape and claimed her lips with his own.
Their tongues thrust together, already frenzied. He shredded her clothes, and rolled her to her back, pinning her to the mattress with his weight. But he didn’t take her right away. Though he was half-mad with desire for her, he lifted his head and met her glittering gaze.
“I have a fantasy.” He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.
“Oh, yeah?” Grinning, she reached around to grip his backside. “Tell me. Maybe I’ll do it...”
“You are the fantasy.”
A delighted laugh bubbled from her. Then she folded her hands behind her head, getting more comfortable beneath him. “Well, then. Do this fantasy right. She’s ready.”
He snorted. This. This was the life he’d never known he wanted. Never known he’d needed. Playful and fun. Passionate and intense.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, and she lost her grin fast.
“What!” Out came the scowl. “You’re leaving me right now? Is this how you plan to make me scream from a distance?”
With a grin of his own, he flashed away, then returned a few minutes later with a sack full of chocolate truffles. Treats he dumped all over her. “I’m told you have a sweet tooth.”
“You’re forgiven.” As she gobbled up one, then another, he stripped.
Naked, he crawled over her and tasted the chocolate on her lips.
She chased his mouth for more, and he gave it.
“I will give you a good life, Lyla.” He fed her the words between kisses. “Sometimes I will frustrate and anger you, but I will never not love you.”
Gasping, she cupped his cheeks. Soft and vulnerable, she held his face inches above hers and searched his gaze. “You love me?”
The truth slipped out. “She-beast, I live for you.” My life raft. Never letting go.
* * *
Over the next few days, Blythe spent time with both Roux and Isla. Sometimes one on one. Sometimes together. The little girl still knew nothing about her father, and she never would.
After Blythe explained to the child how many times the Astra had helped save her life, Isla had begun to soften toward him. A wonderful start to something special.
When the final morning of the blessing task dawned bright and early, Blythe slipped from bed, leaving a sleeping Roux behind. A difficult thing to do, to be sure. He looked so peaceful. So beautiful. So mine. Making him smile had become her new favorite activity.
Heart clenching, she flashed to No Man’s Land. Only the General was present, all other harpies forbidden from entering today.
Taliyah had dressed for war but wrung her fingers and chewed on her bottom lip. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I am. And don’t forget we have Neeka’s blessing.” Blythe had indeed deciphered the oracle’s cryptic message, and the genius of it still left her breathless. So did the danger of it. But for Roux, she would do anything. With one act, she could prove how much he meant to her, save the Astra from the curse, and screw over her father. If her plan succeeded, of course. And it would. It must. “Did you bring what I asked for?”
Taliyah held up an ice chest. “I did. And you’re sure Erebus hasn’t foreseen this?”
“He didn’t foresee you taking your own life to save Roc. He didn’t foresee Ophelia eating him and spitting out his bones at Halo’s ceremony. The Blade of Destiny must not show him the decisions of the gravitas.”
Taliyah cracked her knuckles. “All right then. Let’s get started.”
Get started they did. When they finished, she remained in the pocket realm, away from Roux. If he or anyone else sensed what she’d done... No, better to keep her distance. She swam in the lake and changed into a clean uniform. No weapons needed today.
Finally, the countdown clock zeroed out, the ceremony set to begin. Blythe flashed to the harpy coliseum, at the far end of the center stands, and strode forward. Wow. Talk about déjà vu. The grains flung from her boots. Half the bleachers were filled with cheering harpies, the other half with phantoms chanting with monotone voices, “Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha.”
Up top on the royal dais stood Roc and Taliyah, the other Astra, Chaos, and a grinning Erebus, who thought he’d won this round. Sunshine illuminated the grim expressions of the others. Apparently, they believed the Dark One had won this round, too. A gentle breeze carried hints of spring.
Roux waited in the center of the arena, shirtless, wearing a pair of leather pants with a single trinite blade sheathed at his side. The Ation crown dangled from his grip. Mmm. So pretty! The man and the headgear. Gimme!
Never had her Astra appeared so strained. Tension pulled his skin taut over sharp bone and bulging muscle. She wished she could offer comfort, but she knew there was nothing she could say to make this easier.
When she stopped in front of him, she curbed the urge to hug him. Contact could only add to the difficulty. “Hey, babe. I’ll take what’s mine, please and thank you.” She plucked the crown from his fingers and settled the dark crystals atop her head.
Oh, yeah. Satisfaction flowed over her. So much better. Woe to anyone who attempted to take this circlet from her. She’d meant what she’d told him; she would be turning the realm of Ation into a wonderland of horrors and delights.
“Where have you been?” he demanded. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. His alevala jumped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out. This day has been...not great.” He groaned and opened his lids. With eyes like wounds, he asked, “What are we going to do, Lyla?”
Okay. Here goes. “I want you to cut out my heart with trinite,” she said, lifting her chin.
Pupils pulsing with shock and horror, he reared back. “Kill you? No. Never.”
“Don’t make me beg, Warden. Oh, what the heck. Please kill me, Roux. Please.” She pressed her hands together. “A Skyhawk always makes a supreme gesture to romance her male. Let me make mine with flavor and flare. I’d really like to put on a show for everyone.”
He glared at her. Shook a finger of accusation. Opened and closed his mouth. “I can’t believe you just said that!”
“Well, I love you. Today, I get the chance to prove it in front of everyone.”
His mouth opened and closed faster. A strangling sound left him. “You love me? Me?”
“I do, and I’m never letting you go.” Okay, she couldn’t stay away a moment longer. Blythe pressed her body against his and slid her arms up his chest, around his neck. “That’s why you’re going to do this for me. You’ll cut out my heart with your trinite blade, keeping yourself and your little friends curse-free and ensuring Isla isn’t placed in unnecessary danger by allowing our enemy to win.”
“I will not do anything of the sort.” He slung his arms around her waist, a quick snap and lock. “We will go into hiding and hibernate for five hundred years. All of us.”
