“I don’t know if I ever sent my condolences on the death of your…friends,” she continues, her voice significantly calmer than it was before. “Ryker and Landon, correct? It’s a shame what happened to them, but hopefully you understand the seriousness of this situation.” She smooths out invisible creases on her cloak.
I study her face carefully, searching for any signs of duplicity. We’ve kept the truth of their survival a secret, but it’s apparent Aria has eyes and ears everywhere. Is it possible she doesn’t know they’re still alive? We’ve been hoping that’s the case, but honestly, we weren’t sure.
Needles drive repeatedly into my brain, and my heart pounds even faster.
Could this be the ace up our sleeve we’ve been missing? If she doesn’t know they’re still alive, then we can use that.
Use it to destroy her.
“Don’t fucking talk about them,” Dom snaps.
Aria’s lips curl slightly before straightening out. “Obviously, I want you to stay with me,” she says, continuing as if nothing has happened.
“Not fucking happening.” Dom shakes his head vigorously.
“I’ll allow your…boyfriends to stay as well.” Aria frowns briefly. “I told you. I’m not a monster. If you dance for me, I’ll allow your boyfriends to dance with you, unharmed and relatively happy. But if you refuse?—”
“You don’t have to threaten me again,” I bite out. “I understand.”
“Do you?” She cocks an eyebrow.
Fear punctures my heart. I have no idea what to do, what to say. We planned for hundreds of worst-case scenarios, but none were anything like this. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe Aria would claim I was the long lost, reincarnated goddess and offer me a place at her house.
“Ellie…” Dom’s voice is low, but I’m not sure if he’s pleading with me to accept her deal or decline it.
We both know there’s no choice.
“Fine,” I tell Aria, the beginnings of a plan forming in my head. “But I want Dom, Beckett, and Zane with me.” They won’t let me do this otherwise.
“Done,” Aria agrees briskly.
“And no harm will come to them,” I continue. “They won’t be forced to do anything they don’t want to do. The second something like that happens, this whole deal is off. I’ll fight you every step of the way. You won’t be able to even sleep at night, because I’ll be there, in the shadows, with a knife, just waiting for you to let your guard down.”
“You do what I say, and it won’t come to that,” Aria promises me.
She extends a hand, still bedecked in gloves, and I take it.
Aria’s lips stretch in a smile that makes my blood turn to ice. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were weak. Spineless. Useless.” She doesn’t release my hand as she cants her head to the side. “But maybe we’re more alike than I thought.”
“I’m nothing like you,” I hiss.
Her grip tightens. “No?” A mirthless laugh escapes her. “We’re both murderers, are we not? And we’d both do anything to protect the people we love.” She tugs on my hand slightly, forcing me forward, my knees banging against the desk. “By the time I’m done with you, Ellie, you won’t even recognize yourself. That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.” Those pale, unyielding eyes glimmer with a suppressed emotion. “I’m excited to get started.”
10
RYKER
One of these days, I’m going to murder every last member of Paragons of Prosperity. And I won’t make it a quick death, either. I’ll relish each and every one of their screams and then bathe in their blood, allowing it to stain my skin red.
It was hell waiting in the ballroom, knowing that Ellie and Dominic were alone with The Divine One.
And the hell only continued as I eavesdropped on the various conversations around me.
“I always knew there was something special about Ellie…”
“I can’t believe Cassia has returned! Blessed be!”
“I wonder if the goddess knows the thoughts I had about her host body…”