Blood Flows Deep in the Empire Read online

  With each step he put between himself and the girl in his bed, his reemerging powers slammed into the middle of his head, making every inch he put between himself and Ismini that much more painful.

  Realizations were dawning, becoming a backdrop for the guilt that blossomed and stabbed him. Guilt at what he’d just done to her. Guilt at having broken a promise he’d upheld for millennia on end. A promise he’d made to the woman he loved.

  Because he loved Dimithinia, didn’t he?

  You know the answer to that. He hadn’t even been to see how Dimithinia’s soul was faring. Not since Ismini had come into his life. Almost all of his thoughts had revolved around her.

  Dyletri shook his head, trying to clear it. Worse than hearing that voice telling him his emotions were shifting, was the memory of the hunger he’d felt for Ismini’s blood. A hunger that was still burning inside him. A hunger that had been burning inside him for days.

  You know what that means, as well.

  No. Fuck, no. It couldn’t be.

  Yes. Go back, the thing within him demanded, ignoring his higher thoughts, what he desired.

  She’s it.

  Bullshit! She couldn’t be.

  Besides, something was about to go down that must have involved the two assholes that had been after Ismini.

  I don’t care about any of that, go back!

  Dyletri slammed his fist into the nearest statue as he passed by. The thing broke apart before coming back together, one molecule at a time. It didn’t do anything to ease his temper or the pain tearing apart his cells and whispering in his ear.

  Hell, he almost fucking forgot to rematerialize his shirt and shoes before stepping into the hall.

  You want her blood. You know what this means. You know.

  All the Gods were in the hall waiting for Dyletri, standing in a circle around the massive form that was Xreak. With long, dark green hair and aquamarine eyes, the man was something females either loved or ran from.

  To Dyletri, Xreak was an adroit warrior who was only kept from becoming psychotic by his sense of morality.

  Dyletri tended to avoid eye contact and kept his mental barriers at their strongest whenever he was near Xreak. Xreak’s mind was not a pretty place. He had every reason to be half-insane. Not that any of them had ever had rosy lives, but Xreak and Crius got along famously, and there was a reason why.

  Go back to the girl. You know what it means.

  Dyletri ground his teeth together and told himself to fuck off. There wasn’t time.

  “Dyletri,” Xreak said, inclining his head when he saw The God of Fertility walk in.

  The others in the room turned to stare at Dyletri, and their thoughts may as well have manifested themselves in the form of neon lights on top of their heads. He could practically see the words flashing from where he was standing.

  Say what now?

  Oh really?

  Asshole.

  Details!

  Ignoring the looks, including the raised eyebrow Cy was throwing in his direction, he addressed their guest directly. “What are you doing here, Xreak?”

  “We have a very serious problem, as I’m sure you can surmise from my presence.”

  “And that is?” Ian asked, sounding all ready for battle and shit.

  “A Kystm has been ripped open.”

  “Which one?” several of them asked at once, their voices on edge. The Kystm were the veils between the dimensions, and if any of them were ripped open, it was a problem, to say the least. Depending on which dimension was on the other side, it could be an all-out apocalypse.

  “The ninth one, boys. I wouldn’t be here if it had been any other.”

  Apocalypse, it was.

  While Crius’s Renentr and all the other Underworlds were located on the eighth, the ninth was the darkest and vilest of all the dimensions. For its Kystm to have been ripped open . . .

  “Who did it?” Dyletri asked.

  “We don’t know. But some bad shit’s pouring out of it and into the other dimensions. Specifically, Earth.”

  All of the gods let curses fly. Dyletri took a step closer to Xreak, ready to shake him and force answers out of his mouth.

  XreakLi held up a hand, looking calm despite the panic he’d just induced in all of them. “Get those battle weapons ready, you retired fucks. It’s about time you made your asses useful again.”

  Chapter 14

  The moment Dyletri had walked out on her, Ismini was in agony. She’d had to remain on the bed, biting down on her knuckles and trying to hide the sheer rage that had reawakened in her cells. The pain had multiplied with each step he took, and as if that weren’t enough, about thirty seconds after he’d walked out the door, a punch of raw energy had flung her back against the headboard.

  Ismini had all but suffocated herself to stop her sharp intake of breath. She knew that if he had heard her, Dyletri might have returned to investigate, and that was the last thing she needed. Not with the way her neck had begun burning, the lines of the mark branding her skin once again as they reappeared.

  So Ismini stayed like that, fighting back the need to breathe even as she fought the need to scream. It took a while, but she realized that his sheets were making the situation worse. His room. His presence remained in the form of his scent. It clung to everything. Everything.

  Stomach heaving, she shot up off the bed. She stumbled and landed on the floor in a heap. Just when she thought she was going to either puke up a lung or pass out from the pain, her brain seemed to split in two.

  Ismini wasn’t given a chance to brace herself before visions started pouring in on her, whispers of a voice she now knew so well.

  It was Dyletri. And she felt his guilt. Felt his pain. His confusion. She could feel and hear ghosts of his anger because he believed that he’d betrayed Dimithinia.

  A sob broke out of her, the sound unstoppable. Ismini clenched her eyes shut, everything in her hurting as the ancient beauty’s face crept into her mind through Dyletri’s. It felt like her soul was trying to escape her body to get away from his thoughts.

  She damned herself to a million hells as the tears began, leaking out hot and fresh. She just prayed that no one would hear her as more small sobs escaped against her will. Desperate to get out of the compound before they heard her, Ismini tried to drag herself across the floor.

  She was doing one hell of a job of it, too, when she heard someone walk in behind her. She was halfway between the bed and the exit to the balcony. She stiffened, afraid it was Dyletri before realizing it couldn’t have been him. Her agony was intense, but Ismini knew if he had walked in at that moment, her pain would’ve multiplied and killed her.

  “Ismini!”

  It was Vedlyl. She felt him appear next to her and bit down on her lip hard as he lifted her. More pain racked through her.

  “Forgive me. Please. I need to—”

  “Shhh. Please . . . he . . . he can’t know . . .” She coughed, hating the fact that she couldn’t keep her traitorous body quiet.

  “They left. They all had to leave. There’s an emergency back on Earth. By the Gods, damn him. His scent is all over you. What was he thinking if he still plans . . .”

  “No, I . . . I tempted him, Vedlyl. I . . . Salicyar. I think I met Salicyar.”

  They rematerialized into the medical wing just as she managed to get out those words. She felt Vedlyl pause in his steps before he continued. “Stupid son of bitch. I warned him.”

  He practically growled, taking Ismini by surprise. She’d only ever known the God of Medicine to be calm, even when he was concerned.

  By the time he laid her back on her bed, Ismini was so cold she was shivering. Which was the least of her worries. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Evesse run in, and the horror of her witnessing this was almost too much for Ismini’s poor tortured body.

  “What the fuck?” Evesse yelled when her eyes landed on Ismini.

  “Evesse, please. Calm down. I didn’t ask you here to—”


  Ismini glared up at Vedlyl. “You told her to come!”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? What’s happening?” Evesse rushed to sit on the bed next to Ismini. The moment her hand landed on Ismini’s forehead, she recoiled. “You’re so cold!” Evesse’s eyes darted back and forth between Vedlyl and Ismini, obviously waiting for answers.

  “Just give me one moment, I think she’s almost . . . ah, there she is!” Vedlyl said, ignoring Eve’s question. He pushed back the curtain that covered the opening to the balcony in time for Ismini to see Nylicia’s form appear. She seemed a great deal more corporeal this time than she had during her previous visit. However, Ismini could still see through her as she moved closer and closer.

  “How much energy is it costing you to be here right now?” Vedlyl asked, his tone worried and low.

  Nylicia waved him off, walking closer to the bed. “Doesn’t matter. And it’s nowhere near as much as I’m about to use.”

  “Oh my God . . .” Eve whispered. “You . . . you’re real.”

  Ismini frowned at her fried as Nylicia walked toward them with a hard expression.

  “Evesse Salazar, I’m sorry that we have to meet for the first time, in person, under these circumstances. If you will remain still for two seconds and trust me, I will give you all the answers you seek.”

  Ismini sat up and cried out. “Wait. Nylicia, what are you doing? No!”

  She shook her head even though the movement made her neck feel like it was being torn from her shoulders. Evesse’s angry, tear-filled eyes landed on her immediately.

  “I’m your friend, damn it! I deserve to know what’s wrong with you!”

  “Evesse, please. I need you to look at me,” Nylicia said, stopping in front of her. Evesse did what she asked, and this time, Ismini didn’t interrupt them. She knew Evesse was right, and it wasn’t fair to hide from her what was happening.

  Nylicia’s shimmering, translucent hand came up beneath Evesse’s chin and urged her to tilt her head back. She leaned down and locked stares with Evesse. While Ismini watched, Nylicia’s irises became a whirling vortex, the colors spinning at an alarming rate. Her black pupils expanded until they resembled small typhoons that sucked in all the color.

  Ismini didn’t need universal knowledge to know what was happening, especially after Nylicia pulled back and Evesse just sat there. Every inch of her trembled. Her face had gone red. Her hand shook as she raised it to her face and rubbed her forehead. Nothing could hide the rage in her eyes, even when she clenched them closed.

  Ismini’s heart was already broken, but seeing her friend like that made everything so much worse.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you,” she whispered.

  “Don’t you dare apologize!” A single tear fell down Evesse’s cheek. “God or not, I swear I’m going to kill him. I don’t care if I’m just a human, he’s dead! And you,” she said, turning to Nylicia. “I don’t care what I said or did in that dream! I’m not going to belong to that red-haired asshole!”

  Oh. My. God.

  If Ismini hadn’t been in such agony, she would’ve jumped off the bed and fallen over in shock.

  Nylicia had visited Evesse in her dreams, too. Evesse? When? Why? And Zeniel? Because she knew that had to be who Eve was going on about.

  Had Evesse walked through the portal because Nylicia had shown her Zen in her dream?

  “That’s what I’m here for. To help you ‘kick ass,’ ” Nylicia said. “What if I could temporarily help you both be . . . more? What if you are both meant to be more? Well, Ismini would be getting it anyway, because if I have to see her suffer like this simply because he has one more thought about Dimithinia . . .”

  Eve’s eyes widened. “Is that why she’s like this?”

  “That and he left her unsatisfied,” Nylicia said, one eyebrow arching.

  Ismini groaned, turning her head and burying it in the pillow. Could they please not talk about this as if she wasn’t fucking there?

  “What! Is he fucking insane?”

  Apparently, they couldn’t. Ismini raised her head off the pillow, ignoring the way her face burned and desperate to find a reason, any reason, to get Evesse to calm down. “Aren’t you on top of Destiny? Isn’t this all supposed to happen?”

  “Yes. Yes it is. That doesn’t mean I have to fucking like witnessing it, though.” The edge in Nylicia’s tone surprised Ismini. “And I am here on Destiny’s orders. All hell is breaking loose on Earth, and as far as I can see right now, you two are meant to be a part of this battle.”

  “You said you had the power to make us ‘more’,” Evesse said, the need for vengeance glittering in her eyes.

  “Evesse,” Ismini warned.

  “Nylicia.” Vedlyl took a step forward, his face worried. “In this form you’re weak enough as it is. The amount of energy this would consume . . .”

  “Is none of your business, Vedlyl. Destiny calls for this, a lot hinges on these two joining the fight. And you know what? This is one of those times that I am more than happy to oblige.”

  Eve shared a look with Ismini before turning back to Nylicia. “What do you mean a lot hinges on us joining this fight?”

  Nylicia tilted her head. “I can’t tell you everything I know. Not yet, but I can tell you that I wouldn’t be here doing this if there wasn’t a good reason for it. Now Evesse, get on that bed next to Ismini. It’s time you left these weak human forms behind for a while.”

  Evesse got on the bed next to Ismini so fast that, for a moment, Ismini forgot about her agony and just glared at her. Why? Because Evesse was a freaking comic book fanatic and Ismini was sure that at the mention of becoming more, she forgot about Ismini’s agony, too.

  “Now, one thing I will apologize for is the pain this will cause. I’m temporarily switching out your DNA. While you’re still alive. This will not be pleasant. Okay, I’m not being honest. It’s going to hurt like a bitch.”

  Evesse interrupted Nylicia. “Who cares? Just do it already!” She stopped right after, realizing the looks both Nylicia and Ismini were throwing her.

  A fresh wave of pain went through Ismini, making her clench her teeth and her back arch.

  “Sorry?” Evesse said, giving her a sheepish look.

  Ismini couldn’t respond since her brain threatened to shut down at the mere idea of more pain. However, Ismini trusted Nylicia. Not only that, but every mated inch of her body screamed that whatever danger Nylicia was sending them to help with was the very same that had called Dyletri from his bed.

  It was ridiculous and stupid, and yes, Ismini was up for Moron of the Year at that point, but there was no fighting the instinct that demanded she get to his side and glue herself there in case the end of the world was about to occur.

  Especially then.

  Nylicia came closer to them, walking around the left side of the bed where Evesse lay. Evesse reached for Ismini’s hand, gripping it hard and holding on. A surge of emotion went through Ismini. She squeezed back, biting her lip and holding back the urge to ask Nylicia if she was sure about this.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Ismini saw Vedlyl take a step toward Nylicia, his face worried. Then he took another step and another, until he was right behind her.

  Okay. Maybe I should say something.

  She didn’t get a chance. Nylicia leaned over them, palms open, her fingers spread. Ismini’s eyes widened as the lines on Nylicia’s hands began to glow. Even through her translucent form, the light was powerful. It spread into a spiral that grew until it began to resemble a weird version of a lotus flower.

  Ismini heard Evesse gasp next to her. Her fingers tightened around her own just as the “flowers” exploded, sending hot, bright light straight into Evesse and Ismini.

  They both arched up off the bed. The agony was overwhelming, and for one split second, Ismini had enough cognitive reasoning left to wonder if she would survive. It felt like giant burning claws had gripped her bones and were trying to rip her entire skeleton through
her flesh.

  It felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. Her soul felt as though it was being shoved backward through her DNA and out of her body. Her stomach cramped. Her lungs struggled to bring in air as they seemed to harden. Her bones seemed to tighten and her skin, too. It prickled and burned and felt like it was shrinking in on her.

  Through her screams and those of her best friend, Ismini heard what sounded like Nylicia groaning. Then the light around them morphed, becoming prismatic. It split into the same colors in Nylicia’s eyes. They swirled and spun, and soon Ismini could see nothing but gold rushing through her mind. Gold with symbols and images embedded within, all of it going too fast for her brain to process.

  It obscured her vision, and Ismini realized that she wasn’t blinking. That she wasn’t able to. Her brain felt heavy and sluggish in a way that could only be described as trancelike.

  Perhaps it was a version of self-defense for her brain, a way for her to detach herself from the multiple attacks on her body. Not that she gave a fuck. At that point, she was just grateful to have anything blocking some of that major hurting she was going through.

  The gold light shimmered inside her mind like a glittery blanket, covering everything even as images continued to rush right beneath it.

  As soon as the process—or whatever the hell it was—was complete and Ismini began coming to, it took her a few tries before she could blink back the haze she’d been under. When she did, she realized several things all at once.

  For one, the R’mmanev was locked back inside her heart. And it was a heart that had grown stronger. Each palpitation was a shot aimed at the flame inside her. Ismini could hear the organ pounding away like a racehorse, felt it fighting back against the mating.

  But that wasn’t the only thing. She heard her own harsh breathing. She could hear Evesse’s, as well, and something else. A rushing sound inside her ears that seemed familiar. Not more breathing but . . . it was the air. Just like when Dyletri had teleported them here, she was able to hear the air around her.

  She heard each heartbeat in the room. Evesse’s. Vedlyl’s. Her own. And a weak but furious one that could only belong to . . .