19. A BRUTAL END

Chapter nineteen

A brUTAL END

M y heart sank into my toes as I absorbed the brutal scene. Kim—her hair knotted in Malachi's fist—sat on her knees fully at his mercy. Fuck… Odin reverted from beast to human form and towered over her at Malachi's side. I smirked as he turned his back to me. Perfect shot. I unsheathed my dagger. Keeping low to the ground, I carefully picked up the pace.

Kimber lurched in the Lord's grip. "You can't kill me."

"You're wrong," he replied, his blade at her throat. "You see, your coronation was never fully completed. The ceremony was interrupted which means…"

My steps faltered. Oh gods, please don't let it be true. If the ceremony wasn't completed, that meant Kim was still part mortal. The pressure mounted in my chest as I flanked to the right and positioned myself, ready to lay down my life if it came to that. This wouldn't end with their victory. They couldn't win.

Kim met Odin's gaze. "Do it then. Go on. Do it!"

"Easy now." Odin stepped in front of her, preparing to strike.

But in doing so, he'd given me the perfect damn opening. Goddess be blessed. I slipped from the shadows like a wraith.

Odin brushed a thumb across Kim's lips, taunting her. "We wouldn't want to—"

I sank my blade through the base of his skull, and a second later, he crashed at my feet.

"No!" Malachi shrieked from the depths of his soul.

I chuckled and stepped over Odin's body, ripping the blade free in a gush of blood. Ha. Stupid bastard really thought he'd stood a chance. Guess he'd never got it through that thick skull of his that I don't take kindly to people touching what's mine.

I started for Malachi, wiping the blood off my blade with a slide of my fingers. "Sorry about your mate. But I couldn't very well let him live after he attacked my queen, could I?"

"You monster ," Malachi wept.

He pressed his blade to Kim's neck, a crimson line rolling down her throat.

"Let her go, and I'll let you keep your life," I lied.

"Filthy Talonborns. Righteous pricks," he seethed. "Mate for a mate."

"Sorry, I don't make deals with dead men." I raised my blade, lined it up, and hurled it straight into the demon Lord's face before he could flinch.

He pawed at his free-hanging jaw.

"You can't…kill me…" he muttered.

"Shut your lying mouth before I cut out your tongue!" I turned to Kim, my expression softening. "Lady Death, I believe this kill belongs to you."

"Such a gentleman." She winked.

The buzz in the air quieted all at once, and an eerie, hollow silence replaced it. But as we dragged Malachi—kicking and flailing—back to the path, the silence gave way to a sharp voice ringing out from the void below. My knees locked in place as it whispered in a sing-song tone: Kill one master, and another shall fill his place. The Lores shall reign supreme.

Chaos.

A scare tactic, Cooper. Nothing more. Get your head in the game.

"Any last words?" Kim asked, a depraved grin spreading across her face. "Maybe an apology?"

"Never," Malachi seethed.

"May the void show you the same kindness you showed me."

In a fierce display of justice, Kim sliced him clean open, dropping him into the void below. She dove into my arms, relief sweeping through my chest as her arms tightened around me. She was safe. It was all over.

"You did it," I whispered, and squeezed her.

"What if we didn't get them all?" she asked in a hush. "What if this was only the beginning, and there are more out there biding their time to strike—"

"Impossible. Between you and me, our enemies never stood a chance. We're free, Kim. You are free."

We cherished those stolen moments wrapped in each other's arms, the fight slowly purging from our systems. But as we made our way down the path back to the castle, I swear I heard laughter rising from the depths below our feet.

I dangled my feet over the castle roof, and my chest tightened. Kim and I knew each other like the back of our hands. We'd grown up together, and yet the silence tangled between us like awkward acquaintances. It unsettled me, but I understood. I'd lied. She probably had a million questions whirling in that pretty head of hers about who I truly was and what my intentions were. But tonight, my sins would step into the light. And though I faced the very real possibility that she might not want me—that sneaking around might have caused irrevocable damage—the weight on my shoulders began to lift. Hiding things from her was, by far, the hardest thing I'd ever done.

Tonight, I would tell my best friend everything.

She cleared her throat. "Is this your first time in Anathema? Or…"

"No, I've visited." Once, right after Amelia had rescued me—short-lived as I'd barely touched down before she'd hauled me away again—and in every memory and dream throughout my time in the mortal realm. In that sense, I guess I'd never truly left. I pursed my lips. "But I always knew I'd return one day to fulfill my duties."

"Duties. Right."

Her head fell, the embarrassment from the night we'd shared together plain on her face. It hit me like a sack of bricks: she really didn't know how I felt about her.

"I know what you're thinking," I said, "and no. You were never a duty to me. You've always been the reward."

"That night…that's why you stopped me, right?"

Heat flooded me, and the truth slipped out before I could stop it. "Yes. I wasn't about to be inside you and not have you scream my name. Don't tell me you question my feelings for you, Kim. You're smarter than that."

I relished the tick in her jaw as a blush dusted her cheeks.

"How is this possible?"

The events leading up to this night poured out of me from there. How Juniper had lent herself to our cause countless times. How she loved Kim in a way I had nothing but respect for. On occasion, Kim would ask me to go deeper, like in regards to Death, but that story wasn't mine to tell. It was his.

She bristled. "After what he did to you, your people, you're going to defend him?"

"I can prove his innocence," I said, reaching for her hand. "But first, can you hear me out? Let me tell you what I have to share? I can explain everything if you let me."

"Fine. But for old time's sake. The verdict is still out on your guilt, got it?"

"More than fair."

Time slipped by as I explained how her mother had saved me and how I'd lost my parents to the flames in the massacre. To my relief, the more I talked, the more she relaxed. Maybe I hadn't lost her after all. With each new fact, the bond between us mended a step further until we reached the final piece. The hardest bit to swallow: her father.

"None of it was his fault," I said.

She squinted at me. "But I saw it the day I read the realm. He conspired with a demon to ensure all the shifters had been wiped out like he'd ordered."

"It's not what it looked like. But that part is not mine to share."

"If it wasn't how it seemed, then why didn't Cadagon tell me the truth? Explain it?"

"He did."

I dug in my jacket pocket, swallowed hard, and extended the letter to her. She searched my face before taking it. Her sights traced down the page and tears welled in her eyes until it became too much.

"I was so cruel to him," she sobbed.

"You freed him. He knew you were ready, knew you'd be the leader Anathema needed. He wanted this."

She didn't fight me. Didn't argue. Instead, she leaned into me, and I wrapped my arms around her. I'd have given anything to take her pain away. Hell, I'd make another deal with Fate if I thought it'd mend her broken heart, but Cadagon wouldn't have wanted it that way. He'd have wanted her to feel her way through it, mourn his loss, and move on to the future he had wished for her. She shook herself out of the moment, not ready to process Death's truth just yet. And honestly, I couldn't blame her. I didn't know what to do with it either.

"When did you do it?" she asked. "Kill Lyvias?"

I stiffened. "The night I saw him disrespect you on the castle stairs. Nobody calls my woman a cancer and fucking lives."

"Wait, you saw that? How?"

"If I tell you, will you promise not to murder me?"

"I will promise you no such thing."

"Okay, okay," I sighed. "I'm…I'm Poe."

She hauled off and slapped my shoulder. Just like old times . We shared a laugh as the last of the tension melted away, and I decided to let that energy linger. The rest of what she needed to know—the whirlwind details around the meat market, the Ancient Lores, and the Shroud—could wait a little longer, until she'd had time to process. The air calmed, and she searched my face, her smile fading as she traced a finger across my jawline.

"Want to know something?" She asked.

"I don't know." I grinned. "Do I?"

"How about I give you a hint?"

She drew near. Her lips lingered an inch from mine, and my heart began to race all over again. I closed the gap nice and slow, letting the spark between us catch fire. For so long, I'd dreamed of this moment. To be wanted by her. And as she glided down my body—her touch electric—it became crystal clear how much she wanted me. But I also knew how hard it was for her to do what she was about to, and the last thing I wanted was for her to sacrifice even an ember of her light to please a man's needs. Especially mine.

"You don't have to do that," I breathed. "I just want you."

Her hand continued to pry at my zipper. "Let me show you how much I love you."

"If you insist, my Queen."