“Why am I not surprised that a piece of shit like you can gain strength from blood that is useless to everyone else?”
The crimson bands in her eyes pulsed.
I smirked. “What do you want?”
“What I deserve.”
“And what does that mean? Domination of the realms or some lame shit like that?”
“You’ll see.” That dry-as-bones laugh came once more.
“Why don’t we see now? Have a real chat, face to…well, whatever form you have. I’ll be good. Promise.” I paused, letting the moment drag out. “Unless you’re too afraid.”
“Afraid?” The hiss that parted those lips caused the air to crackle. “You are powerless against me. You’re finite, while I am infinite. You’re nothing.”
“Remember what I did to Teerman?” My upper lip rose, baring a fang. “I’m going to do that to you.”
The smirk faded as Poppy became incredibly still. She winced, a soft whimper escaping as her eyes closed tightly. A shudder racked her body.
Instinct took over, and I moved toward her.
“Don’t,” she uttered hoarsely, pressing her back against the wall. “If you…get too close, he…he may take over again.”
Heart pounding, I forced myself to hold back, even though everything in me screamed to go to her. It fucking hurt not to, but this wasn’t about me and my needs.
I settled back down. “I’m sorry.”
Poppy eyed me for a long, tense moment and then lowered her cheek to her knee. Her lips were slightly parted, her once lush and soft skin now chafed and dry.
Rubbing my hand over my chest, I considered what had just happened while working to keep my temper in check. “Can you…can you feel him?”
She gave a short nod.
My jaw clenched. “Do you know how he’s able to do this?”
Her eyes opened and then closed. “He wanted in, and I…I didn’t have a choice.”
Pressure clamped down on my chest, my heart bleeding. “How did Kolis get in?”
Her features twisted as she inhaled, the pain evident. She turned sideways again and pressed into the wall.
The pain had come on when I said Kolis’s name. I filed that piece of information away as I wet my lower lip. “Do you know who got in?”
“Death,” she rasped.
I exhaled slowly, my thoughts racing. She hadn’t said Kolis. Sure, he was Death, but if he was causing her pain when his name was spoken, there had to be a reason for that.
There must be a reason behind the bizarre shit the fuck had said, too. She’s always been his? I thought about Reaver and his reluctance to say what Kolis could want with her. But how could he believe she was his? The fuck had been entombed for hundreds of years. Possibly even over a thousand for all we knew. But he’d been in Teerman, which could explain the sick fuck’s twisted interest in Poppy. But who the fuck was thisotherhe spoke of? None of that answered what Kolis wanted from Poppy, but Ihadlearned something.
Besides the knowledge that Poppy had never felt pain before when his name was spoken, she’d said he wanted in, and she had no choice. So, how—?
The Rev.
My chest was tight as I inhaled sharply. The Rev had touched her. Could that have caused this? Allowed Kolis a way in through some sort of stolen Primal magic?
Not many living Atlantians even knew how to harness the essence of the gods and turn eather into spells and magic. The Unseen could be included in that group, but they had turned against the gods who once ruled Atlantia. It made no sense that they’d have anything to do with a Revenant or Kolis.
That left the Rev himself. It had to be something he’d done, or something the Revenants were capable of doing.
