HATE IS A VERY STRONG word. In fact, there are a myriad of reasons why one should avoid the vicious feeling. But at this very moment, I’d never felt more hatred toward another being. I couldn’t stop the bubbling revulsion if I tried. Its dark tendrils spread through me like a cancer, grasping at every cell, seeping from every pore. It filled me with an unexplainable sadness and pain.
In just a single moment, I’d lost everything. My dreams and my future were shattered. He stole my free will and made me a slave. That’s all I was now… a pawn who would eventually be used for destruction.
Lucifer had become the enemy of my soul. He took me to a place I never wanted to go; shrouded in darkness and internal suffering. Outwardly, I bore the marks of his fingers, which he’d wrapped tightly around my neck, nearly squeezing the life from me. The look of pure evil and murderous intent, burning bright in his wicked eyes, was imprinted in memory. It felt like a dream. I could only have wished it was, but the pain was too real.
Just outside my door I was surrounded by everyone I loved, and yet, I’d never felt more alone. They were so close, but I had become disconnected, muted, unwillingly sworn to silence. It was killing me inside, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I had to submit. I had no choice. I wouldn’t risk any of their lives. As much as I wanted to let them know why I was acting indifferent, I wouldn’t speak a word.
Ethon tried to apologize before I left him, but even with the strong magic of the bond, I had a hard time forgiving. It wasn’t something I could brush off and move on from. What happened in that tower was life altering, in the worst sense. I’d almost lost my life to his father. His father!
In essence I had lost it, but no one besides the few who were in that room, would ever know. Ethon knew what his father was plotting, regarding the bond, and yet he easily went along with it. I get he was probably afraid of his father, but still, he didn’t even flinch. He wanted it, just as much as Lucifer did.
But the big question still remained…would I be able to live forever with him and be happy? Whether I liked it or not, Ethon was and would always be, connected to Lucifer.
If it was only Ethon, the answer would be different. The bond had joined us for a reason, and I knew Ethon really wanted to love and protect me. When I was with him, I truly felt it. If given a real chance, I think we could live happily ever after.
Unfortunately, everything changed tonight. I had a glimpse of our future and what it would become. The display between Ethon and his father showed who was in control; and while Lucifer stripped everything from me, my bonded had remained quiet. He did nothing but say we would make it all work. How? How could it possibly work when I would not only be bound to him, but also to his evil father?
Lucian and Lucifer were almost identical. Each had dark, wicked hearts, and wouldn’t hesitate to take control and power, no matter what the cost.
Regrettably, I happened to be the stupid ‘prophesized child’ who would supposedly bring change. Although it seemed absolutely ridiculous, I could already feel the change happening deep within. Every day my power grew in strength. Outwardly, I was the same girl, but just beneath the surface, I felt like a caterpillar slowly transforming, awaiting her chance to break free and spread my wings. I wondered if I would have wings. Ethon had them, and he was a Nephilim, so there was a chance.
And then, there was still a matter of the bond I shared with two different men. I couldn’t help but think what my life would be like if Ethon or Kade weren’t bonded to me. Would they have the same feelings? It was unlikely, considering without the bond, I probably wouldn’t have ever met them.
Kade… the angel who was stripped of his immortality, for me—our bond broken. Nevertheless, a powerful connection remained between us. My heart ached as my thoughts focused on him. How the hell was I supposed to function normally around him? How could I look into his beautiful hazel eyes without sadness or pain? I knew he would want to hold or kiss me, but I couldn’t allow myself to get too close. I had to keep him safe. I wasn’t about to risk his life, when I knew he would easily give it for me.
I wouldn’t allow it. Not over me.
The thought made my insides knot. A stabbing pain shot through my heart, and an even deeper hatred for the one who restrained me. I hated the fact I would never be able to tell Kade why we couldn’t be together. I just had to be strong. I had to hold on, even though my heart was breaking, and the fibers of my life were steadily unraveling.
I pulled the blanket over my head, pushing my face deeper into my pillow, and screamed. There was one thing that might be able to put an end to all of the madness. It was a huge risk, but if it was even possible, it could change everything… or make it worse.