Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

" H ey, Zarla, could we talk for a moment?"

I've been enjoying my time, relaxing in Kyle's lap by the fire, admiring the endless beauty of the stars, when Astelle approaches me. I smile up at her.

"Yeah, sure," I say, then climb off Kyle's lap.

I follow her over to the edge of the lawn overlooking the ocean. We're both silent for some time as we gaze out at the view, which I'm not sure I'll ever get used to.

"I'm sorry," she finally says, breaking the silence. "You were right. About everything. And I was an idiot and just couldn't see it. You saved my life. I never, ever imagined you would do such a thing, especially for me."

She turns to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

I pull her into my arms. "It's okay. Of course I would. You're my sister. I will always be there for you, no matter what. You were manipulated, just as I was. But it doesn't matter now. Let's leave it in the past where it belongs."

She pulls back and wipes her cheeks. "Agreed."

The haunted look in her eyes cracks open my heart. Zalore broke her, in so many ways, and she's a shadow of the strong female she once was.

I gently touch her arm. "Are you coping with everything? You've been through a lot, Astelle."

She presses her lips into a firm line as she visibly composes herself then glances out over the Kingdom. "Not really, but I'll get there."

"You're never alone. There are many who care about you. Please remember that, and don't hesitate to talk to me whenever you need to. About anything."

"I know. Thank you," she says. "So you found our real father?"

I note the change of subject, and I'm sure she can handle talking about her ordeal for only so long.

"I did," I tell her as I look up at the night sky. "But I have no idea where he is now. I'd like to say he'll be back, but I really don't know."

Nilo hovers nearby, and I can sense how protective he seems to be of Astelle. He was the one who took her back to Zarquon after everything that went down in Galespo, and it appears they have grown closer since then.

Astelle smiles at him, and it warms my heart to see her happy. Especially with a male of worth.

"Nilo is an amazing male," I tell her.

"He's really been there for me."

I slip my arm around her shoulder, and we stand together for some time.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world, Astelle," I finally say. "And I mean that."

"As do you."

Nilo is still hovering there, waiting for her. She looks back at him, and her cheeks flush.

"Go," I tell her. "We can chat more later."

She gives my arm a gentle squeeze then heads over to Nilo. I'm about to join Kyle by the fire when I catch Em watching me again. But then she stalks off and disappears through the crowd.

What is she even doing here? She doesn't want to celebrate with us.

"Be careful with that one," Lacinda says from beside me, and I immediately know she's referring to Em.

"I know. I don't trust the female, and I don't think I ever will." I take another sip of my bubbles, finishing it off.

Demetros heads over to join us and lifts me up into a big bear hug. "The ceremony was epic. I'm so happy we were here for it."

I giggle as he sets me down. "I'm happy you were both here for it, too."

Demetros shoots Lacinda a look as if to say, Should we bring it up or not? , and I narrow my eyes in suspicion.

"What is it?" I ask.

He scratches his chin. "This probably isn't the best time, but we may not see you for a while after tonight."

I look between them. "Just tell me."

Demetros's brows pull together. "We're both anxious about what's going on back in Silanthia. We talked about it, and we know it's dangerous to go back, but we don't feel that we have a choice. We have to speak to The Throne angels about Amaros. He cannot be allowed to rule. It's our home, and he's going to destroy it."

I understand what he's saying because I, too, have had the same thoughts. "It is dangerous to go back. I wish I could, but I can't."

Lacinda rubs my arm. "We don't expect you to go back. It's very different for you than it is for us. We would never expect you to. It's just something we have to do." She pauses as if deciding whether to say more. "We also feel we should escort the messenger angels back with Finlay's body."

My throat tightens, and a sad smile touches my lips because I know she's right. Finlay deserves people who know him to take him home, and it angers me that Amaros stole that opportunity from me.

"I think that's a nice idea," I say.

I say my goodbyes to my friends, and once they've gone, I decide to take a walk. I need some space to think. My chest aches, and there's a void in my mind where Finlay's voice used to be that feels as though it could swallow me whole at any moment. My vision blurs a little, and I need some air.

I set my empty glass down on a nearby table. Kyle is still sitting by the fire, and I walk over to join him.

I lean down and gently kiss his lips. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon, okay?"

He caresses my cheek. "I'll come with you."

"No, it's okay. I won't be long. You wait here." I kiss him once more then wander off down the steps toward the beach.

The warm sea breeze blows by me as I breathe it in deep. I untie my braid and let my hair hang loose around my shoulders. The sand comforts my feet as I move across the beach toward the waves. My vision is a little hazy still, and I blink a few times in an attempt to clear it. Maybe I drank a bit too much.

"Hi, Zarla."

The voice startles me, and I whip around.

Em is the last angel I expect to see. Did she follow me down here?

"Zarla, can we please talk?"

I narrow my eyes at her, immediately suspicious. "I'm just taking a walk. Alone."

She parts her lips to say something else, but I walk away.

"I know I've said some things that have upset you," she says, and I turn around. "I just want to clear the air and apologise."

I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. "Some things that have upset me? You got my friend killed!"

She looks down at her feet.

The last thing I want to do is to be down here alone with her. I don't need to hear her lies.

"Look, I'm really not in the mood, Em." I walk off again but stumble then right myself.

"Please? I just want to talk. It won't take long, I promise."

I glance up at the lights from my celebration with Kyle, and all I want to do is go back. "Fine, but it has to be quick. Kyle's waiting for me."

"I'll be quick, I promise." She gestures for me to walk with her and then heads down closer to the shoreline.

I bite my bottom lip and glance back up at the celebration. Unease swells inside me, but I ignore it and follow her. I don't trust this female, but it's probably for the best to clear the air, as she said, especially since I'll be living in Zarquon now. So I allow her to lead me away down the beach.

She eventually stops, and I keep my distance from her, needing the space as I fold my arms across my chest.

"Can we call it a truce?" she asks. "With everything that's happened, I want to make sure there are no hard feelings between us. I don't hold any toward you anyway. And I didn't push you down that hole. You tripped, and I tried to grab you. Don't you remember?"

I frown at her. "Em, I know what happened. You shoved me into the tunnel wall, and it collapsed. You may not have known that would happen, but don't stand there and tell me I tripped."

She raises her hand. "I'm sorry. That's just how I remember it. But it's okay if you remember it differently."

I narrow my eyes at the female. It's difficult to see clearly down here in the darkness, but something feels off. I never feel comfortable around her, especially now that my gut instinct is screaming at me to get away from her.

"Look, I need to get back to Kyle," I say, knowing this was a mistake.

She grabs my arm, but I yank it free.

"Can we just start over?" she pleads. "I have known Kyle my whole life, and I just want him to be happy. If that's with you, then so be it."

I think on her words, still unable to trust her intentions. She's lying to me. I know that much. But why? Why bother with all of this?

"A lot has happened, Em. I really don't think we can mend this. And I don't think I want to, either."

She nods. "I get that. Maybe you just need some time."

"I don't know if time will fix this."

She gives me a knowing nod. "That's fair. I'll give you whatever space you need."

I start to walk back to the celebration.

"Congratulations on your mating with Kyle, by the way. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous, but I understand now that you two are meant for one another. You are fated mates." She smiles at me, but it's difficult to see her properly in the darkness.

My vision blurs slightly as everything sways.

Em smirks at me. "Not feeling so well, are we, Zarla? Perhaps you had too much to drink."

"What?" I ask, my legs growing heavy.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

She starts slowly circling me, causing me to grow dizzier. "You know, it's not difficult to spike someone's drink these days. Those keepers are so fucking stupid."

I gasp, stumbling a little. "You put something in my drink?"

And then I notice my ring is glowing red.

Em laughs then takes hold of my arm. "Do you honestly think you are worthy of Kyle? That I think you're worthy of him? You are nothing. You are less than nothing. And you are no longer welcome here."

I can barely hold myself up. My body weakens, and I'm losing feeling in my limbs.

Em looks at something behind me. "Amaros, good to see you made it."

Ice floods my veins as I whip around to see him walking across the beach toward us. My body sways, and I fall to the sand. My limbs won't move at all, as though I'm paralyzed. Shit, what the hell has she given me?

Em laughs.

"What did you give her?" Amaros demands.

"Just something to make the whole process easier. It'll wear off soon enough. But in the meantime, you'll be able to do whatever you want to her, and she won't be able to stop you."

"I don't have to force anything on Zarla. She is going to willingly accept me as her mate," he bites out in annoyance.

I attempt to speak, to scream, anything, but I can't. I fall to my back and look up at the stars. Tears spill from my eyes and flow down my cheeks as Amaros's face comes into focus above me. He then crouches down and scoops me into his arms. I want to scream at him not to touch me, to fight back, but I can't.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Amaros. Emphasis on the word pleasure. Don't hesitate to get in touch if this one doesn't cut it for you," Em says in a cheerful tone as if nothing is wrong.

Amaros glares at her. "Zarla is more than all the females in the Kingdoms combined. She is more than enough."

He then wanders across the beach where the portal he must have come through is still open.

The celebration lights on the top of the cliff bob up and down with each step he takes. My friends and family, and most importantly Kyle, are celebrating up there. By the gods, I want to scream, call out to Kyle, something. But I can't scream. I can't do anything. Maybe Kyle will sense I'm in trouble. Surely he'll know through our bond that something is wrong.

"Whatever Em gave you probably prevented Kyle from sensing your fear. I know that's what you're thinking because I know you so well. It's better for his sake that he doesn't sense it. You're mine now." He then steps through the portal into Silanthia, allowing it to snap shut behind us.

No, no, no. My heart shrieks while the rest of me can't do a thing to stop this.

Amaros lays me down amongst leaves and twigs, and I realise we're in the clearing in the Dark Forest. He walks up to the gateway nearby, which glows subtly in the darkness. He then blasts a stream of power at the gateway and destroys it.

All I can do is watch in horror. Tears continue to roll down my cheeks as he scoops me back up.

The Zelons' mournful howls sound in the distance, as if they are suffering just as much as the angels of Silanthia are under Amaros's rule, and I pray Keva is nearby. That maybe our bond hasn't also been numbed.

Keva, help me.

Amaros releases his wings and flies over the forest toward the castle. The Kingdom is eerily silent, and a sinister feeling chokes the air, as if everything's wrong.

Fires burn in the city. Buildings are literally burning to the ground under his rule. Gods above, what has he done to my Kingdom?

We land on his balcony, and he opens the doors to his quarters and gently kicks them closed behind him. He crosses the room, lays me down on his bed, then he sits next to me and strokes his fingers across my cheek, brushing my hair off my face.

All I can do is stare at him. I'm finally able to blink, which is an immense relief to my burning eyes. Maybe the paralysis is slowly wearing off. Thank the gods.

"I finally have you, my beautiful Queen. You will never leave this Kingdom again. You are mine now, Zarla. We can finally be together, and nothing and no one is going to prevent it. You may be mated to him, but that is easy enough to break, so don't worry about that." He leans down and kisses me, and there's nothing I can do to stop him.

My stomach rolls with disgust, and it's not just directed at him and what he's doing, but at myself for ever thinking he was a decent male. He is a ruthless and revolting excuse for a male.

"No," I say in a strained voice.

He smirks at me. "Pardon me? I didn't quite catch that."

I attempt to move my fingers, and I'm sure I can feel them a little.

"No," I say again, this time a bit clearer.

He gets up, walks across the room, takes a glass from a small tray, and pours some water from a jug into it. He brings it over to me and places it down next to the bed.

"For when you're able to move again." He eyes my dress and shakes his head. "Well, that won't do."

He grabs the fabric and tears it down the middle, then he yanks it off my body, leaving me naked before him.

Bastard. My insides shrivel as he leers at my body and then traces his fingers between my breasts.

"So beautiful. I don't like that another male has touched you." He glides his fingers down my side and over my thigh, and I mentally shudder beneath his touch. "I'll have the keepers bring you something more suitable to wear."

"You make…me sick," I whisper.

He chuckles, as if enjoying my hatred toward him. "In time, you will learn to love me. In fact, I'm sure you still do, deep down. So it won't take long."

He takes a blanket from the end of the bed and tosses it next to me.

"Once you can move, you can cover yourself up," he says. "But for now, I do enjoy the view."

I glare at him, willing my body to cooperate so I can cover myself up from this disgusting male's view.

"So, as it turns out, we both harness the power of the orbs. That just won't do. I can't risk you creating portals and escaping." He takes hold of my arms and stares into my eyes.

Then I feel it—the power of the orbs slowly draining from me and into him. His skin glows a subtle blue, shimmering beneath the light.

No, no, no, this is bad. I attempt to pull my arms back, but he's too strong. He drains the power of the orbs entirely then lets go of my arms. They drop uselessly to my sides.

I'm thankful he doesn't know that I don't need the power of the orbs to open portals. The power from the orbs only enhanced it. But the fact he now holds this power, and has the ability to open portals to track me, follow me, or hunt me down if I ever manage to escape, terrifies me.

I can't help but worry how this is going to affect my truce with the leader of the lost ones. I made him a promise that I would stop this. If Amaros starts summoning lost ones again, it could start a war far worse than anything we've seen before.

"Where's Alaron?" I demand, my voice much clearer this time.

"That is not something you need to concern yourself with," he says, eying my mother's locket.

"Don't you dare touch my locket."

Ignoring me, he reaches around my neck and undoes the clasp, taking it from me. He slips it into his pocket. He then takes my mother's daggers and slips them into the holster around his hips.

I grit my teeth. "Those are my mother's."

He eyes my ring, which is still glowing red, but he doesn't touch it. Wise on his part, as I know it would zap him as it did previously to Zalore when he tried to touch it.

"I know you won't see it now," Amaros says, "but I'm saving you from yourself. You don't want to do anything to piss me off."

I move my leg, thankful I'm finally regaining feeling in my limbs, then reach for the blanket. I'm not strong enough to lift it, but I'm able to drag it over myself, which is enough.

He smirks, as if it's amusing to watch me struggle.

"What happened to you?" I demand. "You used to be a kind male. I actually liked you once."

He climbs off the bed and paces around the room. "I have spent years waiting in the shadows for my moment. The other gods were given a Kingdom to rule over, and they banished me, as if I didn't matter. I deserved to rule over this Kingdom. Not Stavros. And certainly not a guardian such as Zarlin or Harlum. But I patiently waited for the right moment, and now, here we are."

"You're a monster!" I shout. "Kyle will realise I'm gone. He would never leave me trapped here with you."

As those words leave my lips, doubt seeps in. What if Em does something to erase his memories of me, or tries to sabotage our relationship somehow while I'm trapped here with this lunatic?

Kyle, where are you?

As if sensing my thoughts, Amaros's expression grows cold. "He won't be able to save you. He won't be able to get into my Kingdom. I have made sure of that. And if he finds a way in, I will kill him. Mark my words."

I don't doubt that for a second. I want to believe that Kyle is stronger than he is, and that there is no way Amaros could take him, but I can't help but worry that maybe he can't. Amaros is strong, one of the original gods. He's much older than Kyle, and he's patient, willing to play the long game.

He walks back to the bedside and settles down next to me, then he reaches out and brushes his fingers over my cheek. "I don't care how long it takes for you to love me again because I am patient, and I know you will, in time. You are mine, Zarla, and I'm never going to let you go."

What is Em doing back in Zarquon with Kyle? What is she planning? Endless possibilities pass through my mind, and they eat away at me like a parasite. I have to escape. I have to get back there before it's too late.

The effects of whatever Em gave me have almost completely worn off, but I don't want to move too much and alert Amaros to that.

Amaros continues to brush his fingers across my cheek, and I allow his touch, because at some stage, whether it be tomorrow, in a week, or in six months, I will escape his clutches. And when I do, I will seek vengeance for his betrayal, and I will not rest until he is dead.

I narrow my gaze at Amaros, knowing his days are numbered and that he will never see it coming.

The End. For now…Continue reading this gripping fated mates Urban Fantasy Romance Series with Wings of Gods.