Deity (Covenant #3)(53)

“Coming!” I yelled when he knocked again. I opened the door. “Good morning, sunshine.”

It was Linard who stood in the hall, his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes drifted over my head, scanning the room. “Where’s Aiden?”

“In the bathroom.” I stepped aside, letting him in. “Did Telly leave?”

“Yes. He left just at dawn.” Linard turned to me, smiling. “He waited, like he offered, but you did not come.”

“I bet he was pissed.”

“No. I think he was more… disappointed than anything.”

“Too bad. So sad.” I hoped Aiden hurried up, because I really needed to brush my teeth.

“Yes,” Linard said. “It is too bad. Things could’ve ended easily.”

“Yeah…” I frowned. “Wait. Wh—”

Linard moved fast, like all Guards were trained to. There was a brief second when I recognized that I’d been in this position before, except that time there’d been adrenaline pumping through my veins. Then red-hot pain exploded just below my ribs, near the power rune, and all thought fled. It was the kind of pain that was sharp and sudden, stealing your last breath before you even realized you’d taken it.

Stumbling backward, I looked down as I tried to pull air into my lungs and make sense of the nerve-racking pain firing through my body. A black dagger was slammed all the way to the hilt, imbedded deep within my body. In a far corner of my mind, I knew that this blade wasn’t an ordinary dagger. It was dipped in something—most likely Titan blood.

I wanted to ask why, but when my mouth opened, blood bubbled and trickled out.

“Sorry.” Linard yanked the blade free. I slumped over, unable to make a sound. “He gave you a chance to live, at least,” he whispered.

“Hey, I was expecting Leon—” Aiden came to a halt just a few feet from us, and then he slammed into Linard. An inhuman, animalistic sound tore from Aiden as he wrapped an arm around Linard’s throat.

My back hit the wall beside the counter and my legs gave out on me. I slid down as I clutched at my stomach, trying to staunch the flow. Warm, sticky blood gushed between my fingers. There was a yelp and then a sickening crunch that signaled the end of Linard.

Aiden screamed for help as he dropped beside me, knocking my trembling hands out of the way and pressing his own down on the wound. Aiden’s stricken face loomed over mine, his eyes wide with horror. “Alex! Alex, talk to me. Talk to me, dammit!”

I blinked and his face formed again, but it was fuzzy. I tried to say his name, but a hoarse, wet cough racked my body.

“No! No. No.” He looked over his shoulder at the door. Guards had gathered, drawn by the commotion. “Get help! Now! Go!”

My hands spasmed at my sides and then a numbness settled deep in my bones. Nothing hurt really, except my chest, but it ached for a different reason. The way he looked when he turned back to me and his eyes darted to my stomach. He pushed down harder. His gaze was frantic, shocked, and terrified.

I wanted to tell him that I still loved him—that I always had—and I wanted to tell him to make sure Seth didn’t lose it. My mouth moved, but no words came out.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” Aiden forced a smile, eyes glistening. Was he crying? Aiden never cried. “Just hold on. We’re getting help. Just hold on for me. Please, agapi mou. Hold on for me. I promise—”

There was a popping sound, followed by a flash of light, brilliant and blinding. And then there was nothing but darkness and I was falling, spinning, and it was all over.

Chapter 16

THE GROUND UNDER MY CHEEK WAS DAMP AND COLD—a musky, wet scent filled the air, one that reminded me of being deep inside a mossy cavern. Come to think of it, shouldn’t I feel cold? This place was dark and dank, the only light being provided by tall torches thrusting out of the ground, but I felt okay. Sitting up, I brushed the hair out of my face as I stood on shaky legs.

“Oh… oh, hell to the no…”

I was on a riverbank, and across from me were hundreds, if not thousands, of people—naked people—shivering as they huddled together. The onyx-colored river separating us rippled and the mass of people surged forward, reaching out and howling.

I shuddered, wanting to cover my ears.

People on my side of the bank milled about, some dressed in Sentinel garb and others in casual clothing. Their conditions varied. The ones waiting by the edge of the river seemed the happiest. Others looked confused, faces pale and their clothing splattered with blood and gore.

Men dressed in leather tunics rode black horses, herding the most unfortunate-looking into groups. I figured they were guards of some sort, and by the way a few of them were watching me, I had the distinct impression that I wasn’t supposed to be here—wherever here was.

Wait. I turned back to the river, trying to ignore the poor… souls… on the other—oh, gods dammit. This was the River Styx, where Charon ferried souls to the Underworld.

I was dead.

No. No. No. I couldn’t be dead. I hadn’t even brushed my teeth, for crying out loud. There was no way. And if I were dead, what would Seth do? He was going to go crazy when he found out—if he hadn’t already figured it out. Our bond diminished with distance, but could he have felt my loss? Maybe I wasn’t dead.