The death god glanced at me, before his eyes fell back on Remnant. “Only a few things can destroy the lilin. One of them is to obtain more lilin inside The Well to defeat the original.”
“And the other?” Remnant asked, her head tilted to the side, her hair falling silkily over my arm, studying her father with calculated calmness.
My fingers twitched on my glass, wanting nothing at that moment then to run my hands deeply through it.
Shea leaned back in his chair, “It's a myth only.”
"The choice to travel to The Well is yours,” Eve added quickly, her eyes flickering briefly at me, before gravely settling onRemnant, “but I have seen both paths, with and without the lilin. And when the time comes to face Deirdre, as I know you plan to do, without the lilin—you will not defeat her, daughter."
I swirled my glass, noticing that it had refilled itself. "Yet, your visions could be interpreted in many ways, Eve."
Eve turned her gaze on me. "Yes, King Strider," Eve said solemnly.
I drank deep into my glass before setting it down. “But you believe this is not one of those cases.”
“I do,” she pragmatically replied.
I licked at my fang glancing at Remnant, her eyes flashing at me like fierce emeralds before turning back to the death god, her body tensing as she spoke, “Is this why you orchestrated my arrival here? Why not leave the others out of it? Why bring them here if you knew the cost?”
Shea picked up his glass, his expression unreadable, “I did not intend for your friends to get involved but they refused to give your daughter to me and it was imperative for her to come to Sheol—as it was for your soulmate as well. You will need them both should you choose this path. Although, I hadn’t anticipated that your mate would no longer have my nephew inside him, leaving him vulnerable.” Tilting his drink at me he took a long swallow, before shaking his head, “I simply did not see that one fucking coming.”
Chapter 9
“Youdidn’tseethatone coming?” The deadly whisper hissed through my lips. “That’s your excuse?”
Shea regarded me with a simple tilt of his head and a tapping of his rings on his glass. “Yes.”
Emon’s hand tightened on my thigh, whether he felt my muscles coil or the initial movement I did not know but his hold wasn't enough to stop me. Plucking the silver knife hidden within my boot, I threw it with a snarl. A flashing silver blur that split the fine china elegantly placed before Shea. The blade vibrated from the force of my throw, its lethal edges already buried halfway within the table before my mother released her gasp.
“Remnant Dark,” she hissed, staring at me in shock. I did not look at her, I only saw Shea in my rage.
The slapping of my palms on the table was harsh as I leaned in, baring my teeth. “Did you see that coming, death god?” I purred dangerously. I could practically hear Xi, muttering troublewas coming with this tone, when all my words came out as feral questions.
Shea’s eyes drifted up from the blade, his smile widening the further they rose. “Of course. You are half your mother after all.”
My nails dug into the table, stopping myself from throwing another blade, “And what are you then? Care to take a look at your own reflection or are you afraid of what you will see?” I nodded to the silver dagger, seeing my own snarl on its deadly edge even from here. “Because I can tell you what I see. I see an arrogant, self centered, and callous god who has lost touch with his own emotions after living a lonely life with only power to keep him company.”
The air stilled around us, the star dust paused its descent, and even my mother and Emon seemed to not breathe.
Shea’s eyes flared bright green, penetrating with their intensity, “All Ineedto see, daughter, is a way to make sure you survive,” he seethed. “And if this is the role I must play, where I am the villain to you, then I will.”
I snarled, pushing away from the table, hating the fact that what he said made me feel something different than pure rage. “And your solution for me to survive was what exactly? Send me to The Well of Souls to obtain the lilin, the souls of my friends, and those of my people to rectify your wrongs?”
Plucking the blade from the table as if it hadn’t been deeply embedded, he twirled it over his fingers, the blade pinging against his numerous rings. “Yes.”
Folding my arms, I bit back another angry retort knowing it would not get me anywhere and settled a leveled look on my mother, cold anger still evident in my voice, “And you have seen that I need to bring Emon with me? Can I not leave him and Riella here, where they can be safe?”
Emon growled, rapping his own claws on the table, sending dishes rattling, “That’s not fucking happening, little umbra.”
My mother looked between us, her lips pressed together before she spoke, “If you leave them both here you will not win over the lilin at The Well.”
A whirl of bright shooting stars flew over our heads, illuminating my growing darkened expression. “How long does Emon have?
Shea’s eyes held mine, never wavering, "Days."
My heart pounded in my chest, the tightness creeping. "How long does it take to reach The Well of Souls?"
"Days," he shrugged. "You will need to leave by tomorrow if you plan on making it to The Well before the sleep overcomes him."
