Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

Zinnia

The pass over the Night Sea had been rough as hell. Thankfully, things had calmed, and I breathed in the ocean air as Mors gently held my wrist while he carefully worked the glove he'd made me over my hand. I'd slathered the wound with numbing balm and padded it. It was still raw and hurt like hell more often than not, but the balm was helping. I'd work on healing it properly when we got back to the castle. For now, I needed to be ready for whatever waited for us. I needed to be able to hold my knife and use my magic. I had to be ready to fight.

"How does that feel?" he asked.

I wriggled my remaining fingers and thumb, then pulled out my knife, gripping it. "Feels good."

"Your goal when we hit land is to stay alive at all costs, understand?" he said roughly. "You get yourself killed again, and I'll be seriously pissed off."

He said it lightly, but the depth of fear in his eyes told the truth. "I'm not going to die." I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to ask, "What will happen to the others, the undead?"

"They rose when you came to Limbo. They felt it, your soul, and were drawn to it. It was part of Nox's twisted curse. They will finally be at peace now that it's broken." He shook his head, pain in his eyes. "I failed them," he choked out. "They suffered, and I didn't know how to help them."

Which was why Alga had screamed "give it back" at me. She'd wanted her soul back, her life back. "None of this is your fault. Nox is responsible for all of it."

"I was so desperate to have you back that when Somnus found your soul, I couldn't resist it. I was deep in the cloak, lost in the dark, and three times, I took innocent females from their worlds and brought them to the castle, only thinking of my own pain, desperate to get you and Marigold back… but it was never right, and because of that, none of them were able to draw me from the cloak. So I stayed in darkness. I ignored them, neglected them. I didn't protect them like I should have. None of those females were strong enough to house such a powerful soul—a soul they never should have been given—and they were driven to madness by it. They ended their own lives."

"So you stopped looking."

He nodded. "Somnus found your soul again and again, and I refused to bring them to the castle only to watch them suffer the same." Pain filled his eyes. "Feeling you so close but not being able to reach you, hurting innocent females over and over again… I couldn't do it anymore. Then Som found you, and something was… different. For the first time in centuries, I let him take me to you, and as soon as I felt your presence, as soon as I saw you, I knew you were the one, that this time was different. But you vanished completely, and I didn't know what the fuck to do. Then I sensed some kind of connection to you in your cousin and I thought you had somehow disguised yourself… or fuck, I don't know, but I was drawn to her soul because of you, desperate for you, and when you finally revealed yourself to me, it was the happiest and most terrifying day of my long existence." His gaze stayed steady on me. "So I need you to promise me that you won't leave me again."

"I promise. You have nothing to worry about. My magic is at full power. I feel strong, strong enough to keep both myself and our daughter alive if it comes to that."

Those magnetic blue eyes met mine, and there was no missing the concern. "It can't be easy navigating the female you once were with the one you are now. If this starts to feel like too much, if you're struggling to cope with all that's changed or you get scared and feel the urge to run from me—"

I pressed my hand to his chest. "I'm not going anywhere. Yes, I'm Aster, the female you loved, the female who gave birth to our daughter, and everything she was—her thoughts and feelings—they're mine now. But I'm also Zinnia, a powerful witch, a Thornheart, and Jasmine's big sister. I don't know how to explain it other than for the first time in my entire life, and that includes my very first life, I feel whole, as if a missing piece of me has been returned. Like this was how it was always meant to be." I slid my hand up to the side of his throat. "I'm stronger now in every way. Stronger than I've ever been. This life has made me stronger. Before, I was born fully grown. I was na?ve, I trusted too easily, and didn't understand the world I'd been thrust into. Nox could never get in my head now like she did back then, and I will never, ever willingly leave you, understand?"

His fingers delved into my hair, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Okay."

"Okay," I said.

He released a rough breath. "As strong as you are, you leave Nox to me. Don't engage with her. Don't let her goad you into an attack. She lost. The curse was broken when you came back to me of your own free will. She has to let us get Marigold and leave." He tucked my hair behind my ear and slid his thumb along my jaw.

"But she won't," I said. "That's what's supposed to happen when the curse is broken, but it won't be that easy."

"No, it won't. My mother hates to lose. She has nothing left, nothing to amuse herself but hurting others. She lost her humanity a long time ago, and to her, this is a game. Entertainment." He shook his head. "Until she realizes she's lost, and then things will get really dangerous."

I squared my shoulders. "I won't let her tear us apart again. I won't let her do it."

Shadows swirled around him. "Neither will I."

I turned, looking toward land. Nox's temple stood in the distance, glinting under the moon. "Do you think she knows we're coming?"

He wrapped his arms around me. "Count on it."

When we were close enough, we dropped anchor and climbed into the dinghy. Fog had moved in, making it impossible to see anything, and the oars creaked as we made our way to shore as silently as we could. Hemlock was in a hard case strapped around my waist that Death had made for him. It was like an iron bum bag with little bars on either end. He hadn't protested when I put him inside. It was a trade-off—the cage or he had to go back to the castle. My familiar knew my moods and understood that shit was about to go down. He hadn't made a peep since we left the ship.

I scanned the shore. "I can't see anything moving out there."

"Me either," he said, "but they're there."

Ice slid down my spine.

"Okay?" he asked, not missing a thing.

"I'm fine. A little fear's healthy."

"If we get separated—"

"If we get separated, we carry on with the plan. You distract Nox, and I'll get Marigold, and then we'll meet you back here," I said and closed my eyes for a moment, visualizing it, manifesting the moment we got on the boat and sailed away. All of us safe, together. Then I whispered a spell, calling on the mother for her help. It wasn't the first time I'd tried to call on her, to reach her, but I wasn't sure she heard me or that it was even possible here. Still, I tried because we needed all the help we could get.

The dinghy scraped against the beach, and I opened my eyes. Quickly and quietly, I stepped out, slipping on my pack and sliding my knife from its sheath.

Mors grabbed my other hand and draped us in his cloak so we blended with the shadows. We headed away from the path that led to Nox's temple. No point taking the most obvious route and making it easy for them.

We headed up the side of the cliff; it was steep and slippery, dangerous, but it not only avoided Nox, it was a more direct route. I looked up the cliff face to the sharp edge high above and shuddered.

"What is it?"

My mouth had gone dry, my palms sweaty. "Marigold was taken from me… just up there." My gaze locked on the edge. "That's where they pushed me over." I turned to him. "The vow I made that day, to come back, to get my revenge, to make them pay… that's why I kept coming back, no matter how hopeless it felt, because I wanted my family back, and to make Nox pay for what she did to us." A vow made in death is one of the strongest there was.

"I want her to pay as well. I've wanted to make her suffer, to torture her until she ended the curse, to watch her blood drain from her evil body until she was gray and lifeless, but the night needs its goddess despite how heartless and insane she is. Like Hell needs Lucifer, the Dream Realm needs Somnus, and Limbo needs Death." He stopped me, turning me to face him. He looked stricken. "I felt them take you from me that day. I felt it, and I heard your vow. That's why I searched, why Somnus searched. I knew you were coming back to me." His hand was trembling when he cupped the side of my face. "I knew balance between the realms had to be maintained, but still I fought Nox. We battled for so very long. Blood was spilled, but no one won—no one could win. There was only one way to win, and that was to break her curse. I had to walk away from our baby girl because Nox bound her to her realm. I was forced to take her to my temple and put her in stasis to keep her safe. There was no way I'd let Nox have our child. I refused to let her near Mari. It nearly fucking killed me, losing you both."

His thumb swiped my cheek. "But that incredible—fuck, magnificent rage you unleashed is what brought you back to me. Nox never counted on that. You're right. Without that vow, you wouldn't be standing in front of me now. I would have lost you and Marigold both forever. There would have been no hope." He shook his head. "But that rage, it's what could get you killed now. I can feel it, Zinnia. It's stronger now than it ever was before. I can't die. My soul can't be taken from me. But I won't risk you. You are immortal now, yes, but not if she takes your head. So until we get Marigold, until we're back at the castle, you are still vulnerable. Only then will you be able to walk by my side for eternity, finally safe. I can't lose you again. I can't wait century after century and hope you come back or that you'll remember us. I can't fucking do it, Zinnia. You are strong and powerful—that's why I know you can bring our daughter home—but where Nox is concerned, let it be my rage that fights for us, let it be me."

As much as I wanted to destroy Nox, he was right. I wasn't strong enough. My rage alone wasn't enough to defeat her. But taking the power back from her would cut her at the knees. "I won't do anything stupid. I won't risk our happily ever after."

He smiled, and my knees went weak; then he kissed me.

A branch snapped, and we froze. I smelled them before I saw them. Demons, all three of them in Nox's colors. "They can't be far ahead," one of them said, tilting his head back and scenting the air.

They couldn't see us under his cloak.

But then he stilled and sniffed again.

Death nodded. We needed to make a move, use our element of surprise. I nodded back. Ready. Death thrust his hand out through the cloak, grabbed a demon by the throat, then tore off his head, turning him to ash. I exploded from our cover, slashing the throat of one with my knife, then threw another back with a burst of magic. The demon grabbed his throat with a gurgled cry, and I dug my blade into his chest and dragged it down, spilling his innards, before wrenching his head back and hacking his head off while Death dispatched the other one.

My consort tilted his head to the side, listening, his blue eyes glowing. "There are more, but they're farther away. Let's go."

We scrambled up the steep track. Once we got to the top, we'd be more exposed, and we'd have to make a run for it. My thigh muscles burned, and my chest ached with a rage so intense, I had to grit my teeth. The darkness was oppressive when we reached the top; Nox was trying to make it as hard as possible for us, but it only helped our cover. If she thought the dark would stop us from finding our way back to Death and Somnus's temple, she was so wrong.

My child was close. I felt her. I felt that little girl's beating heart right beside mine. Nothing would stop me from getting to her.

As we neared the top, voices drifted down. Death dropped his cloak around us once more. There were at least four demons up there, waiting. They were scanning the cliff's edge. Death grabbed up a rock and tossed it halfway across the clearing. It cracked against a tree at the edge, and the demons spun that way, running toward the forest.

We quickly scrambled over the edge and ran toward the tree line on the opposite side of the wide clearing.

We burst into the trees, and Death wrapped an arm around me, holding us still so he could listen again.

"Let's go," he said when he heard nothing.

We walked for a while without any sign of demons, but they'd be at the temple waiting. If they didn't manage to stop us on the way, they'd be waiting for us there. The whole time we walked, I inwardly focused on building my power, on harnessing my magic. I slipped my finger through Hemy's cage, checking on him, and he gave my finger a little nibble to tell me he was okay.

The distant hoot of Nox's owl came from somewhere above us.

Death stilled, tilting his head to the side as the sound of movement filled the forest around us. He cursed. "Demons."

"We can fight."

"There's too many." He held my gaze. "When I throw off the cloak, I want you to make yourself as small as possible and stay under it, understand?"

"No, we can—"

"They'll want to take me to Nox. I'm going to let them. When it's clear, go and get Marigold."

"Mors, hang on—"

"We knew this might happen. I won't risk you getting hurt." The look in his eyes said it wasn't up for debate. "I know you can fight," he said, knowing I'd try to anyway, "but I'm counting on you to get to Mari, to get our daughter. Just do what I said, and the temple will let you in."

I nodded. I hated it, but he was right. "You can trust me," I said. "I won't leave without her."

"I know you won't," he said. "Just stay under the cloak and stick to the shadows."

"But the cloak, it doesn't know me."

"It knows you." He brushed the backs of his fingers down the side of my cheek. "It's made of the night sky, love. It remembers you, missed you, and it wants to protect you."

We'd talked about this happening. We had a plan. I knew what to do. "I'll meet you at the beach."

"I'll see you there," he said before he shoved off the cloak.

I dropped to the dark, overgrown forest floor, and the cloak settled over me like a dark shadow.

"Where is she?" one of the demons demanded.

Death roared like a wounded lion. "You killed her. You took her from me."

Good plan. They'd think I was dead. I wasn't sure how long they'd buy it, but it'd give me a head start.

The sound of a fist hitting flesh came next, of demons screaming and snarling. The sound of their fighting grew more distant as he led them away from me. Silence slowly surrounded me until all I could hear were my own shallow breaths, and still, I didn't move, not yet.

Finally, when I was sure I was alone, I slowly, so slowly, pushed back the hood and looked around.

Standing, I turned, taking in my surroundings—

A male leaned against a tree.

I snatched up my knife and lifted my hand, my magic swirling.

He held up his hands. "Don't shoot. I'm not one of them. Well, they think I am, but my loyalties lie elsewhere."

He had humanoid features and the pointed ears of the fae. "Who are you loyal to?"

"Somnus," he said, holding my gaze.

"I don't believe you, and I don't have time for you." My magic grew higher.

"He was right—you are powerful." He stepped away from the tree, his hands still up. "I'm not going to hurt you, Zinnia. I want to help you get Marigold back. That's the plan, right? Death distracts the demons while you go for your daughter. I can help you."

My alarm bells weren't ringing, but I wasn't going to just lower my hand and believe him. "Who are you to Somnus?"

"The love of his life. He and I met in my dreams a very long time ago." He took a step forward. "I'll help you, and you'll take me to him."

There was genuine pain in his eyes, but my daughter's life was at stake. "Prove it."

"He said you'd be a tough nut to crack." The male smiled. "He said you have an herb garden outside the kitchen, and he enjoyed your dinner together, that you're strong and threw him off-balance. You reprimanded him when he not so subtly tried to convince you that your place was with his brother. You asked him when he'd last done something for himself and told him that he wasn't practicing what he preached."

No one else could know that. How could they?

I took him in. He was a lithe male, with larger blades strapped to his thighs and smaller ones strapped to his chest. You didn't arm yourself like that unless you knew how to use them.

"Grab her," a demon yelled, charging through the forest toward us with three others right behind him.

I backed up, gripping my knife tighter.

The male claiming to be Somnus's lover moved so fast, he was nothing but a blur. Steel flashed as knives flew, taking all four demons down. The male strode forward, and pulling one of his larger knives free, he relieved them of their heads. He slid his knife back in its sheath, brushed the ash from his sleeves, and glanced back at me. "Believe me now?" he said with a cocky grin.

I wasn't sure I could trust him, but he could have let those demons take me. He was also obviously skilled with a blade and could have incapacitated me easily by now, but he hadn't. The sound of more demons coming echoed through the trees.

"If anything happens to me or our daughter, Death will hunt you down and torture you until you pray for death, understand?"

He inclined his head. "As he should." He glanced over his shoulder as the demons grew closer.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Pascal. Shall we get the fuck out of here, then?"

I nodded, spun, and sprinted toward the temple.