The Darkest King (Lords of the Underworld 15)

Radiating extreme excitement as well as disappointment, William sat up and texted back, Keep searching for Sable. Do not give up until you’ve found a trace. For now, forget Lilith. I’ll come by later tonight to speak with Evelina, and I’ll have a female with me.

He will? And he’d chosen to send his boys after her aquaint—oh, who was she kidding?—friend rather than his witch. Sunny swallowed a dreamy sigh, glitter bombs detonating in her heart.

The fact that there was no trace of Sable was actually a good sign. If someone had her, they would have left a trail, but on her own, Sable knew how to hide to avoid detection.

Black Attack: A woman will be with you, huh? Awww. Am I getting a new mommy?

William: You’re getting a spanking.

“What about your dinner with Hades?” Sunny asked softly.

“Don’t think he has any desire to spend time with me.” Stiff again—no, stiffer—William squared his shoulders, as if bracing for a blow. “I think he’s done with me.” His voice shook, only slightly, but enough to notice.

She hugged him tight. “William. Babe. He might think he’s done with you, but you’re the Panty Melter. Is anyone ever really done with you? He’ll come around. Besides, if you want to stop his maybe/maybe-not prophecy, there’s a simple solution. Don’t kill him.”

He opened his mouth. Snapped it closed. Opened, closed. She smirked. Finally, he sagged atop the mattress and puffed out a breath, repeating, “Smart-ass.”

“But a smart smart-ass,” she said. “Who’s Evelina?”

“The half sister of the witch who cursed me, and Lucifer’s wife. She ran away the week after the wedding, and has remained in hiding ever since. I plan to use her against Lucifer. And don’t even think about attempting to convince me not to use an innocent. I have no plans to harm her.”

“First, I would never attempt such a thing. I would succeed. Second, using an innocent is something Lucifer would do. Sure you want to go that route? Lastly, just because you have no plans to harm her, doesn’t mean she’ll walk away unscathed. Accidents happen.”

His nostrils flared, a dark oath barreling from him.

Sunny laughed. “I kid, I kid. Just wanted to prove I would, in fact, succeed. I’m a solid sixty percent on board with using her, but only if we have safeguards in place.” Would he heed her advice, or dismiss it?

Several other texts popped up, and he made no move to hide the screen to prevent her from reading. So, read she did.

Green Machine: LET ME DROP EVELINA OFF IN YOUR DUNGEON!

Red Abed: He’s just mad because the little wildcat spat in his face.

“Black Attack, Green Machine and Red Abed,” Sunny muttered. Why aren’t I Sunny Bunny? “Tell me about their mother.” The last time she’d asked, he’d flushed and changed the subject.

Now he flushed. “Unlike other magic wielders,” he said, shocking her, “I don’t burn through what I absorb. I store it, until I take one drop too much. Then the magic bonds with whatever emotions lives in my heart and spills from me in streams of smoke, somehow creating adult immortals.”

“So you’re both father and mother. That’s incredible, and usually something only a god can do. I don’t get why you’re embarrassed by it.”

He did his surprised blinking thing, and she couldn’t help but add, “FYI, I have no plans to crack uterus jokes, or ask if you’re on your period and need a fresh tampon...for now.”

“How kind of you.” A corner of his mouth twitched, as if he fought a new smile. “I birthed four horsemen of the apocalypse.”

“Then you most certainly do have a god in your line. Maybe Ares.”

Blink, blink.

She kissed his stubble-rough cheek, disentangled from him and stood to shaky legs. “I better figure out what I’m going to wear to meet your kids.” She padded to the closet, where she dressed in clean undergarments, one of William’s T-shirts and a pair of shorts. Then she glided to the desk and settled in. “I’ll decode until you’re ready to go.” Just be careful. If the whispers started up or a single urge sparked, she’d stop immediately.

He tensed up, but said nothing else. Her brow furrowed. Why tense? He wanted the curse gone, right?

As he strode to the closet and selected a plain T-shirt and jeans, she opened the book and forced herself to concentrate on the symbols. Since she’d already broken through the witch’s magical barrier and (kind of) rested up, she had no trouble deciphering another sentence.

The lesson begins with a curse, and ends with a funeral.

She wrote it down. Desperate to learn more about the pathway to that funeral, she traced her fingertip over the symbols. Come on, come on. But...nothing.

A burning pain shot through her head, heralding the whispers. Kill him. Kill him now. Now!

No. No way. But maybe? Sunny fingered the medallion that hung at her neck. How easy it would be to stand, close the distance, pretend she wished to kiss him and stab him instead.

“You learned something new,” William said, moving to her side. “Tell me.”

As she inhaled his masculine musk, the whispers stopped and the urges faded. Horrified, she released a shuddering breath. Would she have done it? Would she have stabbed him? She thought she...might.

Guilt and fear returned with a vengeance. She might need to rethink her strategy. Trembling, she pointed to a line of symbols, never really touching the page. “They say, ‘The lesson begins with a curse, and ends with a funeral.’”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Basically, Lilith coded a hate diary?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Once she’s done disparaging your good name, she might give step-by-step instructions to break the curse.” But how likely was that?

A swooshing sound rose up, the stable shaking. More Sent Ones arriving? She leaned to gaze out the window. Since the Sent Ones moved in, the landscape had undergone a vast change, from sparse and sooty, to a wonderland teeming with cabins, trees and flowers. Warriors marched here and there, on patrol.

The fact that her wicked lover might be part Sent One still shocked her. Of course, he might also—or instead—be a dragon-shifter. They produced wings of smoke. Maybe he had Fae in him, too. Why else

would he be impervious to her magic? And the way he seduced...just like the nymphs. The way he spoke, like the sirens. The way he moved, as graceful as the vampires.

A hodgepodge of species had been a specialty of the Wrathlings, who’d hailed from different worlds and realms. Did William have some other creature(s) in his DNA, as well? The more she knew, the better she could help him.

Pandora returned with Dawn, and the hound bounded over to Sunny, excited to see her. We’re bonding! She petted the little darling behind both sets of ears without getting bitten more than twice. What progress!

“Come here, girl,” William called, and Dawn darted over, leaped onto the bed to curl into his side.

Traitor! “Thank you,” Sunny said to Pandora, who remained in the door.

Tossing the dog’s leash on the desk, Pandora said, “She almost yanked my arms out of my sockets, so you’re paying for a masseuse.”

“We could put another girls’ night on the books,” she said, deciding to test the limits of her freedom. Had she made progress with William or not?

“I’m in! Gotta complete a few assignments for Hades first, but I’ll be texting soon.” Pandora left.

William made no comments, protests or sounds of disapproval. Maybe he’d opted to let Sunny come and go at will?

Beaming, determination to be with him renewed, she picked up the book to study as she paced. One way or another, she would decode this book for William and resist the curse.

How much time passed, she wasn’t sure; she lost track, a familiar wave of dizziness and heat sweeping through her again and again, stronger than before. Strong enough to topple her. Instead of trying to catch herself, preventing an injury, she hugged the book close, protecting it. So, when she hit the ground, she really hit, air gusting from her lungs.

William flashed to her. He set the book aside and eased her into a sitting position. She pushed him aside, desperate to see the pages. More symbols morphed into words!