Vanquished Gods (Hallowed Games #2)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

R aindrops started to patter down on us, dampening my coat.

Even with the oncoming storm, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Now that my hunger had been sated, it was as if my body had decided it’d had enough. My eyes drifted closed, and my head nodded forward for a moment as I fell asleep. It snapped back up again as I woke with a snort.

“You need sleep,” Sion said. He sounded annoyed again.

I might have been a lethal assassin who killed with her touch, but compared to a vampire, I was basically a fragile, delicate little child. I needed food. I needed sleep. My bones could break. I needed all sorts of care.

Thunder still rumbled over the sea. The water had only grown wilder, with waves slamming down against the rocks.

“We need to get out of this storm.”

I didn’t think I’d experienced Sion in such an ill-tempered mood since the time he picked me up by the neck and threw me to the ground.

“Sion, why are you in such a dark mood now? Is it because you’re hungry, and I’m not letting you eat anyone?”

“No,” he said softly. “It’s because looking after a human is a great responsibility.”

I frowned. So, it was like having a child. It had been a really long time since anyone treated me like a responsibility, and not the other way around.

From across the sea, the storm rolled in with ominous speed. As we climbed the hill, a dark veil of rain seemed to be swallowing the ocean as it drew closer to us. Lightning speared the sky, striking down onto a tall, jagged rock that jutted from the sea.

A strong wind rushed over the cliffs, carrying raindrops and sea spray. Rain started to soak through my coat to my dress, after it had just started to dry.

At the top of the hill, perched on the cliff's edge, stood a stone cottage that looked awfully cozy right about then. “What are the chances we’ll find that cottage empty?” I asked.

With a pull on the reins, Sion guided Poppy to a halt. “Give me a second.”

He hitched Poppy to a post.

The raindrops were growing fatter, heavier. Shivering, I hugged myself, trying to ward off the chill that seeped into my skin.

“Don’t scare anyone this time,” I tried to shout, but it came out as more of a tired murmur.

I hunched over as I clutched the remnants of the pie, trying to keep it dry. I’d be saving this beauty for later.

Sion slipped into the cottage. I held my breath, waiting for someone to run screaming out of the house. After a few minutes, he shoved the door open and beckoned for me to join him.

I slipped off Poppy and hurried into the dry cottage in what appeared to be a single, grand stone room. On the left side was a cozy kitchen of rough-hewn wood with a stone hearth. But what truly caught my breath was the wall of glass overlooking the sea. Whoever lived there must be a glassmaker, because otherwise, it would’ve cost a fortune.

I slid the remains of the pie onto the table. Hugging myself, I crossed to the windows, staring out at the storm rushing closer, the waves crashing violently against the craggy rocks. Lightning flashed again, and the rain poured down in sheets. It felt surprisingly cozy in there, even as thunder rumbled, rattling the glass.

I turned, looking at the bed where it pressed up against the windows, where rain slid down in rivulets. I found Sion kneeling by the hearth, setting a fire. He’d pulled off his cloak and rolled up the white sleeves of his shirt. He nodded at the bed. “Get some sleep. You’re falling to pieces.”

I did feel off-kilter, as though my usual sharpness had dulled to a dreary mist.

“I’m fine.” I pulled off my cloak. “Don’t vampires need sleep? Are you sharing the bed with me?”

His gold eyes flicked to me, twinkling in the firelight. Then, they slid down, and he seemed to freeze, the air darkening around him.

When I looked down, I realized that my dress was once again transparent, soaked through from the rain.

His gaze flicked up again. “Someday, I will get into bed with you, Elowen, but I promise, you won’t be sleeping. And that is what you need right now.”

I felt a blush creep over my cheeks, and I turned away from him, crossing to the bed. I climbed in and pulled the covers up over myself, not even caring that my clothes were wet.

I flexed my fingers over the soft fabric of the blankets. As much as I complained about the vampires, I did love being able to take off my gloves around them, to let down my guard. Vampires were gloriously unbreakable.

Outside, the rain beat a rhythmic pattern against the glass. I sank deeper into the bed’s inviting softness, watching rainwater slide down the glass and the waves slam against the rocks outside. Sion crossed closer to the window and folded his arms, frowning out at the storm. “We’re exposed here.”

“Only if they’re out in the stormy sea and know where to look for us. I think we’re fine.”

My eyelids felt heavy, and they finally drifted closed. As I melted into the soft bed, sleep washed over me.

My dress clings to me, heavy and soaked from the rain from the relentless storm. I’m starving, wandering in a dark wood. I breathe in the scent of oak and damp leaves, and rain hammers down on me from above. On this cloudy, stormy night, I stumble over gnarled roots that snake over the ground.

As my eyes adjust to the dark, I see the food that I crave…blood-red berries grow from thorny brambles, and I reach for one. I pluck the fruit, my mouth watering, anticipating its sweetness. As I grab it, a thorn pricks my finger. I pull my hand away, staring at the crimson drop, a little demi-sphere on my fingertip.

But I feel the darkness moving closer, swallowing me. The air chilling to winter.

I whirl to see him moving between the dark tree trunks—the hunger in his eyes. He moves quickly as a storm wind, a streak of shadow in the night, until he’s before me. His arms cage me against the rough bark of the tree, and night slides through his eyes.

“Don’t you remember me?” he asks. “The real me?”

I stare at him, transfixed, as he takes my bleeding finger into his mouth. He licks the blood, then releases it.

Staring into my eyes, he rips the wet dress off my body, stripping me bare before him. My nipples go hard in the cool air, and I ache for him. Against the tree, he spreads my thighs, biting my throat…

Thunder jerked me awake, and my eyes snapped open. I gasped for breath, clutching the sheets close to me. The storm still darkened the sky outside, and the waves rose up high, slamming against the rocks. Rain lashed against the windows, and thunder rumbled over the horizon, rattling the glass.

When lightning flashed again, I saw Sion there—prowling on the rocks outside, his shirt soaked through with rain, keeping watch for anyone who might be coming after us. He didn’t seem to notice the storm as he patrolled.

There I was, luxuriating in the warmth under the blankets. But I couldn’t help myself. My eyes were closing, pulling me once again into the fog of sleep.

When I woke again, the rain had stopped. The waves still raged, but a few rays of sunlight had broken through the clouds. The smell of herbs coiled through the room, and I turned to see Sion carrying a cup of tea toward me, its tendrils of steam curling into the air.

“We need to get back on the road soon, sunshine. Also, your snoring was in danger of drawing the Order to us like an alarm bell.”

I glared at him, still trying to clear my mind from the depths of sleep. He handed me the tea, and it warmed my fingers. I took a deep, long sip of the hot brew.

“You made me tea.” I was still struggling to wake, not to mention struggling with the dream I’d had about him.

“And they say humans are void of keen observational skills. Perhaps next time you should be the lookout.”

“What’s in it?”

“It’s nettle, rosemary, and mint. Bran used to make me that exact blend if I ever felt down. It has a way of energizing you.”

Oh, gods , Bran really didn’t sound as terrible as I’d thought when I met him.

Sion draped himself in a nearby chair, his wet shirt still clinging to his muscles.

I sipped the tea. It didn’t take long for it to start working its magic in my system, waking me. As I drank it, my gaze roamed over Sion, to where his shirt stuck to his skin from the rain. I licked my lips, trying to forget that dream and how it had felt when he’d ripped that dress off me. I shook my head, trying to clear away the thought.

My tea spilled on my lap with the movement, scalding my thighs. I hissed. “Ow.”

Sion stared at me, unmoving. “What’s wrong with you? Even for a human, you seem particularly off right now.”

I narrowed my eyes at him over my tea. He really wasn’t terrible to look at.

My pulse was racing far too quickly.

“Why is your heart beating like you’re about to die?”

It was deeply annoying the way he was able to tell every time I felt rattled. “Nothing. Nightmares. That’s all.”

His eyebrow arched, clearly not believing me. “You dreamt I was fucking you, didn’t you?”

“Please tell me there’s hemlock in this tea or something to get me out of this conversation.”

The air around him darkened, but all he said was, “Come on, Elowen. We want to get back before night falls.” He nodded at his cloak, which was drying by the fire. “You take that. Stay warm.”

With a few more sips of tea, I rose from the bed. Embers still smoldered in the hearth. I pulled on his cloak, wrapping it around myself, breathing in Sion’s warm scent.

As I crossed to the door, a faint, muffled sound floated through the wooden wall by the hearth. I narrowed my eyes at a small door nearby I hadn’t noticed before. Probably because it was barely noticeable, blended into the wood. I crossed to it and slowly pushed through it into a small bedroom. My jaw dropped. There, tied to a pair of chairs, was a couple, their mouths bound with cloth and hands tied behind their backs. One of them had a small, dull dagger with which he was trying to saw away at the ropes, fraying them strand by strand.

“Archon above,” I muttered. I dashed back into the kitchen and grabbed a sharper knife.

Within a few moments, I’d cut the couple from their bindings. Furiously, they pulled the rags from around their faces.

“You monsters,” the woman said. She was young, round-cheeked. Fucking furious.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know anyone was here. We’re leaving now. Again, so sorry about that. You have a lovely home.”

What else was there to say? When I left the cottage, I found Sion already mounted on the horse.

“You tied them up,” I said sharply.

He shrugged. “Well, I let them live, didn’t I? You should be thankful for that. You needed food, you needed rest. I got both of those things for you. Stop complaining, and let’s get on the road.”

I mounted the horse just in front of him, his strong arms wrapped around me, and then I was off again with a vampire who took whatever he wanted.

As dusk streaked the sky with shades of indigo, Poppy carried us through the overgrown gardens outside Donn Hall. Out there, ivy climbed the crumbling stone. Wild tangles of roses and jasmine bloomed around us, and the scent of salt and flowers floated on the sea breeze. The castle loomed above us. Maybe it was the warm lights in its narrow windows, gold against black stone, but I could not wait to get back inside that place.

“You know, Sion? I actually am starting to like it here.” I surprised myself with my own words.

“Are you admitting you were wrong about Gwethel?”

“Hmm, you know, I’d rather not.”

From beneath an ancient stone arch, Maelor crossed toward us, the wind whipping at his dark cloak. His pale eyes locked on us. “I’ve been waiting for you. What took you so long?”

“What took us so long?” Sion shot back as he dismounted. He slowly stalked closer to Maelor. “We just thwarted the Luminari army in Lyramor and destroyed their Purification plan, saving an entire city. Is that really the best greeting you could muster?”

The wind toyed with Maelor’s dark hair. “We have a problem. After you left Ruefield, I interrogated one of the Luminari knights I caught chasing us.”

“By interrogated, do you mean tortured?” I asked.

“Maybe.”

“Well done,” said Sion. “What did you learn?”

“First, the Pater is still alive. Second, he now knows about Gwethel. And third, he’s bringing an army here to kill us.”

My heart slammed. “ Here ?”

Maelor’s eyes were locked on Sion. “You killed Aelthwin and that other traitorous thrall, but someone got a message to the Order anyway. Someone wanted to tell the Pater where we live. The Order knows we are here, and Elowen, too. The Pater, more specifically, knows his former Raven Lord and Magister Solaris now live in the vampire kingdom of Gwethel, and he knows exactly where to find us. And he’s not in a particularly forgiving mood about everything we’ve done. I imagine especially not after you killed him again last night.”

“When are they coming here?” Sion’s voice was a low growl.

“We have less than a month.”

My pulse roared, and I slipped off the horse onto the mossy path. “And if they attack in the daylight? How are the witches doing with those navka pendants?”

Maelor shook his head. “There aren’t nearly enough. They’re incredibly difficult to make, and it’s not going quickly enough to have a strong army in a month.”

Tiredness seeped through my bones. “Right. So, I need to figure out my death magic.”

Sion turned to me, gold eyes shining in the gloaming. “Get some rest, Elowen. We’ll start training again in the morning. We need to strengthen your powers.”